Letter from Léon Brun, director of the Forges et Aciéries de la Marine, to Schaeffer on the chemical analyses of samplesLéon Brun

Handwritten: Slag Cyprus, underlined

Handwritten: faint mark, top right

Could you give me the information following:

Were the two samples found far from one another? Was the first very abundant or isolated? Were these samples buried? The first was covered with clay and dewas at a certain depth.- In short, could you tell me exactly about their respective position?

Moreover, any information you may be able to give me could be most useful to me, although unfortunately I cannot clearly specify to you which ones I need.

The samples that Monsieur CHENET gave me are most interesting. I found almost pure silver, copper, lead and - a thing extremely curious - one of these samples having roughly the shape of a walnut contains abundant quantities of chromium and cobalt:

55,14 % chromium oxide, 7 % cobalt oxide.

This sample is clearly crystallised and in my opinion we are dealing with a fairly complex chrome ore. In this circumstance, it perhaps falls to you rather than to me to draw conclusions from it.

I would be very happy to have your opinion on this matter.

Please be so good as to believe, Dear Sir, in the expression of my best regards.

Handwritten: signature