Hlflori efthe Stlerlan Red Ltad, 387 



II. 



Anahfti of the Red Lead of Liberia ; "with Experiments on the new Metal it contains. By Citizen 



Vav^ELIN, Infpellor of Ores*, and Confervator of Chemical ProduSls at the Miner alo^ 



gical School f . 



In ardlum coaftaTcrum naturae majeftas. Plin, 



SECTION l,—Hi/iorical FaBs. 



HE foffll known by the name of red lead was difcovered in 1770, by M.Pallas, ifl 

 the gold-mine of Berefof, nearEcatherlneburg in Siberia, in the form of four-fided prlfms^ 

 ■with or without pyramidal terminations, of a beautiful orange red, commonly fixed in 4 

 quartzofe matrix, to which they fo ftrongly adhere as not to be detached without difficulty. 



All the fpecimens of this fubftance which are to be found in the feveral mineralogical 

 cabinets in Europe^were obtained from this gold-mine ; which indicates, that it was for- 

 merly abundant ; but it is fald, that for fome years paft it has become very fcarce, and that 

 at prefent it is bought for its weight in gold, efpecially if pure and regularly formed. The 

 fpecimens which do not poflefs the regular figure, or are broken into fragments, are approi 

 priated to painting, in which art this fubftance is of high value for its beautiful orange yel- 

 low colour, its unchangeablenefs in the air, and the facility with which it can be levigated 

 with oil. The following are the expreffions of M. Pallas, who fpeaks of this mineral, in his 

 Travels in the year 1770, under the article of the Gold-mine of Pifchminlkoi, tom. ii. 

 page 235 : — " A very remarkable red ore of lead is likewife worked at this place, which 

 has not yet been found in any other mine of the empire, nor elfewhere. This ore of lead 

 is weighty, of various colours ; fometimes of a cinnabar red, and femi-tranfparent- It is 

 fixed in long or fliort cryftals in the clefts of quartz, and alfo in the bed of the mine, which 

 is a fand-ftone. It very frequently poflefles, and every where when the fpace permits, the 

 fame thicknefs and prifmatic form, with four plane faces and two extremities irregularly 

 truncated. It is likewife found in fmall irregular contorted pyramids attached to quartz, 

 and refembling fmall rubies. By reducing it to powder it affords a beautiful guhr of a deep 

 yellow colour, which may be ufed in miniature painting. In all the eflays of this lead ore 

 in the laboratories of Ecatherineburg a fmall portion of filver has been obtained. It pro- 

 duces more than half its weight (valeur) in lead. Mr. Lehman could not alcertain whe- 

 ther this bley-fpath did or did not contain filver, becaufe his experiments were made on 

 too fmall a fcale to render that metal perceptible. It is difficult at prefent to procure the 

 neceflary quantity for trials in great, becaufe the miners do not often work in the place 

 where this ore is found, for want of air. In the mixed gangues of quartz in which thi» 

 rare and curious mineral is formed, there are found fmall cryftals pointed at each end, and 

 of the colour of fulphur. They refemble native fulphur, and are confidered as fuch by the 

 miners ■, but they do not burn in the fire, nor decrepitate before the flame, like the ore of 

 lead. This may, perhaps, be a metallic fpar ; but it is difficult to procure the quantity- ne- 



* Des nuines. 



+ L'Ecole des Mines.— This Memoir is tranflated from the Journal dej Mines, No. xxxiv, page 737. 



ceJarf 



