SOS Geological Journey to Mou7it Ramazzo 



Of the Mine of Magnesia upon the highest Part of Mount 

 Ramazzo, 



The route becomes more and more difficult as we approach 

 the rugged summit, where the quarries and establishment 

 of M. Alberto Ansaldo are situated, nor do we lose sight of 

 serpentine rocks the whole way : these are more or less 

 compact, lamellous, streaked, glossy, unctuous, or dry and 

 friable. We pass several ravines, and mount from precipice 

 to precipice, until we come to about 1800 feet above the 

 kvel of the sea, being the summit of Mount Ramazzo, 

 where we find a small flat piece of ground, upon which 

 are built some penthouses for preparing the mineral, and ap- 

 paratus for stamping, roasting, leying, &c. ; — in a word, 

 for extracting the sulphate of magnesia in a simple and in- 

 teresting manner. 



This operation consists in carefully collecting a very py- 

 ritous steatite, which is found rather in heaps and large 

 fragments than in regular seams : they afterwards roast it, 

 after reducing it to pieces, in order to evaporate a little of the 

 arsenic which is combined with it. It is in this operation of 

 Toasting that the sulphur which is combined with the iron is 

 disposed to quit its base, and attaches itself to- the magnesian 

 earth of the serpentine, in order to form the sulphate of 

 magnesia. They pound this roasted pyrites in a rough man- 

 ner ; it is then arranged in large heaps, which they water 

 slightly : the combination with the magnesian earth is then; 

 finished by a slow fermentation which the matter under- 

 goes : these earths are afterwards leyed, and a very abun- 

 dant sulphate of magnesia is obtained, which is purified and 

 refined in another establishment belonging to M.. Alberto* 

 Ansaldo, at Sestri. 



After having examined the first preparation of the ferru- 

 ginous and arsenical pyrites of Mount Ramazzo, we entered 

 the galleries of the mine, which are close to the penthouses t 

 they are large, but the working of them is not regulated : 

 they follow the pyrites and the pyritous steatite wherever 

 they meet it, sometimes in a straight line and sometime* 

 laterally, just as it presents itself. The excavations are made 

 , - in 



