Dr. F. H. Thomson's Historical Notes of Copper Smelting. 341 



As the terms standard and produce are not generally understood, it 

 may be as well to explain here what is meant by the expressions. The 

 former is the term used to indicate the value of a sufficient quantity of 

 copper ores required to produce a ton of copper, including an amount 

 called returning charges, which comprehends all expenses incurred from 

 the time the ores are purchased till they are smelted in a metallic state 

 fit for the market. The latter term is used to specify the per centage for 

 metal contained in the ores ; for example, a ton of ore of 12 produce 

 contains Twths of a ton of metal. 



The standard of Swansea, from 1815 till 1848 inclusive, averaged 

 about .£103*15, the produce about 12^. 



The total quantity of copper ores sold, 873,658 tons, averaging per 

 year 25,696 tons. The total amount realized for copper ores, £10,011,685, 

 averaging per year £294,461. The total quantity of metal produced 

 from said ores, 124,690 tons, avei-aging 3,669 tons annually. 



Mr. Hunt states that the produce of copper and copper ore, and 

 of the value of the ore from British mines in the United Kingdom 

 in 1857, was 218,687 tons of ore, producing 17,375 tons of copper, 

 amounting to £1,560,922 lis. 6d. sterling. 



France, the East Indies, HoUand, the Hanse Towns, Turkey, Egypt, 

 the United States, are the greatest markets for British copper. Thus, 

 in 1857, the value exported to France was £676,971 ; India, £592,169; 

 Holland, £247,868; Hanse Towns, £196,638; Turkey, £140,631; 

 Egypt, £153,940. 



The largest quantity of copper ores sold for one single year between 

 the above dates was 55,520 tons in 1844, which averages 5,460 tons 

 per calendar month. In this year also the greatest amount ever ob- 

 tained was realized for copper ores, — viz., £882,568, or say £73,547 

 per calendar month ; and from these ores more metal was produced than 

 ever before within a similar period, — viz., 11,107 tons. The smallest 

 ■ quantity of copper ores sold for any single year since 1815 was 287 

 tons in 1818, or say twenty-four tons per calendar month, which 

 reaUzed £4,089, being about £344 per month, and from which was 

 produced thirty-nine tons of metal, — a great contrast with the pro- 

 duction of 1844. 



Mr. Hunt, in a series of elaborately compiled tables, shows the gra- 

 dual increase of copper ores, and the produce from all sources from 1 848 

 down to 1852, and in a general summary shows the exports and im- 

 ports. 



