456 Macfarlane on the Acton Copper Mine. 



limestone strata, and that towards the west end of the mine, the 

 greenstone becomes extensively developed. 



After blasting down the arch, Williams's pit was not worked un- 

 til May, 1862. By that time, however, it was completely filled 

 with water ; and the quantity contained in it could not, consider- 

 ing the immense area of the excavation, have been much under 

 a million of gallons. Previous to working the pit, it was emptied 

 to within a few feet of the bottom, by means of a syphon made of a 

 two-inch malleable iron pipe, 350 feet in length, leading into No. 1 

 shaft ; from which the water was raised by the pump attached to the 

 stationary engine there. Blasting was then commenced, and up 

 to the end of July there were excavated 1104 cubic yards = 138 

 cubic fathoms of limestone, which yielded : 



6 If f f tons first quahty ore of 20.0 per cent. 

 56 IHf " « " 18.4 " 



2'7'7 2VV0 " crush « 5.2 « 



These quantities correspond to 1Y5 -^f^^ ^^^^ of 12 per cent, ore 

 or 1.27 tons per cubic fathom. The total expense of emptying 

 the pit, excavating the rock, and bringing it to the surface, 

 amounted to $1092.29, or $7.91 per cubic fathom, and to $6.24 

 per ton of 12 per cent ore. Mining was continued in Williams's 

 pit during the months of August and September, and a consider- 

 able part of what constituted the floor of Pike's pit was removed. 

 During these two months there were excavated in all 1468 cubic 

 yards = 183 J cubic fathoms of rock; of which about one-third 

 was in the rich ore-ground on the south-east side of Pike's pit, and 

 the other two-thirds in the much poorer rock situated between 

 the old face of the western stope of Williams's pit and No. 3 shaft. 

 The following lots of ore were produced from the above quantity 

 of rock : 



236215 lbs. first quality ore of 19.3 per cent. 



These, after deducting one-fourth of the copper contents of the 

 crush ore, are equal to 507 ^f || tons of 12 per cent ore. Con- 



