218 



THE MINERALS OF THE MIDLANDS. 



From Mr. W. Blanch Brain, of Cinderford. 

 " The principal mineral in the Forest of Dean is the red haematite 

 iron ore, which is found in lodes, locally termed churns, and contained 

 in a rock which is called by the miners the Creese Stone, and is situated 

 above the Mountain Limestone. This ore is extremely valuable for 

 steel making, being perfectly free from phosphorus. It is to be found 

 in the lower basin of the forest, which extends throughout the forest, 

 and can be seen to the best advantage at the following mine works, 

 viz., Wigpool, Edge Hills, St. Aundls, Buckshaft, and Stidkemantel. 



" There are some argillaceous ores, which occur in the coal Shales, 

 but these have not been worked to profit to my knowledge. They are 

 to be found in small quantities at almost every colliery in the for< Bt. 



" I should have said that at the St. Aundls Mine Works, before 

 alluded to, there is found with the red haematite iron ore a beautiful 

 ochre. 



" In our lowest coal seam, called the Hildelph vein, there has been 

 found a small quantity of lead, yielding a small percentage of silver. 



" A quantity of Iron Pyrites (locally termed "Dogs," because they form 

 blocks, like stone) is to be found in a vein of coal named the " Twenty 

 Inches." The Pyrites is very detrimental to the coal, (being very 

 heavy, and has to be cut out,) and the former is insufficient to 

 guarantee a manufacture of sulphur, although such a process has 

 been contemplated. 



"The above, together with the several veins of coal, I believe, 

 constitute the whole of the mineral commercial products of the Forest 

 of Dean, with the exception of an excellent Fire Clay, which is found 

 just above the Haematite series. 



"I think our firm is the only one which manufactures fire bricks 

 from that clay in connection with our pottery. 



"Our clays are rich in aluminium, and I have struggled hard to 

 extract it on a cheap principle by means of an electrical furnace, 

 (before Dr. Siemens introduced his,) but have hitherto only partialis 

 succeeded. 



From Mr. Henry Fryer, of Colel'ord, the following list of 

 Minerals from thf. Forest of Dean. 



Calcite 



Dolomite 

 Quartz 



Mica 



Iron Pyrites 



Brown Haematite 



Wad 



Calamine 

 Galena 



Gypsum . . 

 Iron Pvrites 



Iceland Spar 

 Stalactite 

 Satin Spar 



Mountain Lime- 

 stone. 



. . Millstone Grit. 

 I Upper Beds Old 

 i Red Sandstone. 

 Coal Measm 

 f Mountain Lime- 

 * " ( stone. 



Impure Binoxide of Manganese Millstone Grit. 

 . . Coal Measures. 

 . . Coal Measures. 



Goethite, Limonite 



Rh;etic. 



Westbury Cliff. 



