68 



accurate record can be kept of the composition of both. An average 

 of two analyses of this matte in February and March, 1889, will prob- 

 ably give us the usual composition : Copper, 26.91 ; nickel, 14.14 ; 

 iron, 31.335 ; sulphur, 26.95 '> cobalt, .935. Mr. F. L. Sperrysays that 

 platinum exists in quite appreciable quantities, so that the matte con- 

 tains some ounces per ton of that rare metal, while gold and silver 

 occur in strong traces. The first blast furnace was started on the 24th 

 December, 1888, and with shght interruptions has been running ever 

 since. The second furnace was built in the summer of 1889, and was 

 started on the 4th of September of the same year. On October 1st, 

 1890, there was about 6,500 tons of matte, and the ore on the roast 

 beds would produce about 6,000 tons more, containing 922 and 852 

 tons of nickel respectively, or a total of 1,774 tons of metallic nickel, 

 and 3,362^ tons of metallic copper. 



'Ihe average daily output of matte for the month of September, 

 1890, was 25 tons, but the full capacity of both furnaces would be about 

 60 tons of matte. If the former average was kept up, the yearly 

 production of matte would reach 9,125 tons, but if the furnaces were 

 run at their full capacity they would average nearly 8^ tons of nickel a 

 day, or nearly 3,066 tons of metallic nickel and 5,913 tons of copper a 

 year. At present the matte is piled in heaps outside of the smelters, 

 and, when wanted to be shipped, is broken up in pieces and placed in 

 old oil barrels, the chmks between the larger pieces being filled with 

 smaller fragments, so that the whole is packed tolerably firm and close* 

 It is then sent to the various refiners in Europe or the United States 

 according to their respective bids. So far no refining works have been 

 built at Sudbury, but the vast quantity of material to treat, the tedious 

 and costly process for the further refining of the ore, consisting as it 

 does of alternate roastings and smeltings, in addition to the great 

 expense incurred at present in shipping the matte to such long 

 distances, seem great incentives to the early erection of refining works, 

 so that the ore could be fully treated on the spot. The proposition to 

 build nickel steel works was lately submitted to the Government by the 

 Canadian Copper Company, and it is to be hoped that some satisfactory 

 arrangement will be arrived at to give a further impetus to our present 

 mining activity in this region. 



