290 



EECEEATIYE SCIENCE. 



tlie cliarge, is forced into the grooves of the 

 bore. In other cases, again, the valuable 

 property for which lead is chosen is the 

 readiness with which it enters into union 

 with other metals to form alloys no less 

 useful than lead itself. Illustrations of these 

 are found in ordinary plumber's solder, pew- 

 ter, and shot-metal. To the manufacturing 

 chemist lead is invaluable, as it affords him 

 a means of cheaply constructing apparatus, 

 which is unacted on by the most powerful 

 agents with which he has to do. 



It is fortunate, then, when all these im- 

 portant applications of lead are taken into 

 consideration, that it is abundant. Without 

 entering into statistical details, it wiU be 

 sufficient to say that Great Britain and Ire- 

 land produce about 73,000 tons annnally, 

 and that Spain and America also supply 

 it in large quantity. ]N"ot only is lead 

 plentif\il, but it is easily extracted from its 

 ores J for although occasionally found in the 

 metallic state, such an occurrence is very 

 unusual, and the quantity thus obtained is of 

 no commercial importance whatever. The 

 ores of lead are very numerous, consisting 

 of the sulphide, carbonate, oxide, chloride, 

 phosphate, sulphate, arseniate, and chromate ; 

 but as the quantity in which the last seven 

 occur is exceedingly small, their interest is 

 chiefly confined to the mineralogist, and the 

 sulphide is the principal source of the lead 

 of commerce. The two counties of Durham 

 and Northumberland produce nearly one- 

 fourth of the lead ore of the United King- 

 dom, the rest coming principally from South 

 Wales. Although Ireland has no very rich 

 mines of this metal, still those which are in 

 the hands of the Mining Company are worked 

 in a very creditable manner, and all the most 

 recent refinements of science are brought to 

 bear upon the profitable management of the 

 ore, and the after treatment of the lead. 



Not many months since, during a walking 

 tour in Wicklow, I made, for the first time, 

 the acquaintance of Grlendalough, a region 



which has ever been sacred to the antiqua- 

 rian, and beloved by the more refined among 

 Dublin pleasure-seekers. It was in the twi- 

 light of an August evening that the cross 

 and round tower of one of the most conspi- 

 cuous of the Seven Churches, with its back- 

 ground of rippled water, seemed suddenly to 

 emerge from" the embrace of the surrounding 

 cliffs, and the lights in the white cottages 

 twinkled with an air of comfort and invitation 

 which to me, a tired pedestrian, was espe- 

 cially welcome. Half an hour before I had 

 passed through a village which presented a 

 scene of activity, and an appearance of com- 

 fort which was not only in marked contrast 

 to all that I had seen in Wicklow, but is 

 much too unusual altogether in Ireland, On 

 inquiry, I found that this was Laragh, a 

 hamlet which has sprung up entirely out of 

 the exertions of the Mining Company, who 

 have established schools and built dwellings 

 for those in their employment. I learned, 

 also, that at the " Churches " a very exten- 

 sive lead-mine was in full operation, and I 

 hailed the fact with delight as an addition to 

 my share of sight-seeing. 



Next morning I started to see the mine, 

 and again the marked difference to any other 

 part of the county struck me. Here I met 

 the miners by dozens, going to their work ; 

 here their wives and daughters carrying their 

 breakfasts, and the candles with which they 

 light the mine ; and every now and then I 

 passed neat cottages, with patches of flower- 

 garden in front, a marked improvement, as 

 the reader who has any experience of Irisli 

 cottages will readily admit, upon the custo- 

 mary and time-honoured pool of dirty water. 

 I notice these circumstances, which might 

 appear out of place here, as examples of the, 

 way in which scientific industry affects the 

 prosperity of a country, and because I know 

 of no more delightful spectacle than English 

 habits of comfort engrafted upon Irish warmth 

 of heart, and their effects made manifest 

 upon Irish soil. 



