312 Chronicles of Science. [April, 



we owe the rapid rise in the price of tin which has lately taken 

 place. This proves that they have not any gi-eat expectations of 

 very considerable production of this valuable metal nearer home. 



The prominence which has been given to technical education 

 has led to a proposal to found a Professorship of Mining in the 

 University of Glasgow ; and a deputation has been in communi- 

 cation with Professors Eamsay and Huxley, of the Pioyal School of 

 Mines, on the question of estabhshing a mining school in ^^'alcs. 

 The experiments made already in Glasgow, at Bristol, and by Sir 

 Charles Lemon, and others, in Cornwall, should teach the lesson 

 that it is quite impossible for the miner to attend any fixed central 

 school. The only practical and useful system of imparting instruc- 

 tion to the miners is that — adopted with great success Tty the Miners' 

 Association of Cornwall and Devonshire, and by Mr. Daglish, in the 

 neighbourhood of Seaham, — of sending the teacher to the miner, 

 and giving him the advantages of a school of mines in the very 

 midst of the district in which he labours. 



Gold. — The Nova Scotia gold-fields have produced during the 

 past three years as follows : — 



Ouncps. 



1866 25,204 



1867 27,314 



1868 20,733 



The production of the quartz-rocks of Merionethshire has 

 fallen to 490 ounces in the period between October 1st, 1867, and 

 December 31st, 1868. 



There has been a small rush to certain gold-fields in Sutherland- 

 shire. On a district not far from Helmsdale, which was known 

 only to a few sportsmen and shepherds, recognized as the Kildonan 

 Burn, a regular system of " Diggings " has been organized, and the 

 burn has been christened as " Gold Creek." The results are not, 

 however, satisfactory, since it appears that the most industrious 

 gold-seeker cannot realize more than 5s. a-day. 



Metallurgy. 



Considerable difierences of opinion still prevail as to the value of 

 the Heaton steel-making process noticed in our last number. We 

 have carefully read and considered all that has been said in favour 

 of the process and against it. We are not by any means satisfied 

 with the tone which has been assumed by those who have entered 

 on the discussion of the question. Indeed, it is to be regretted that 

 many of the statements which have been copied from paper to paper 

 should ever have been made at all. They are obviously not con- 

 sistent with our knowledge of the chemical changes effected in a 



