i ee eee eee. 
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REPORT OF COMMITTEE No. 14. 
The State and Progress of Chemical Science in Australasia, 
with Special Reference to Gold and Silver Appli- 
ances used in the Colonies and elsewhere. 
MemsBers oF CommitTTEEe: —Professor Brack, Professor Kerrnot, Dr. 
Lereius, Professor A. LiversipGE, Professor Orme Masson, Professor 
Renniz, Mr. 8. H. Cox (Secretary). 
Durine the past year, although a good deal of new work has 
been projected in Australasia, there is comparatively little fresh 
to chronicle regarding the treatment of ores of this class. It is 
true that new inventions have been brought out, but, with very 
few exceptions, they have not found favour with owners of mines, 
because, in the majority of cases at any rate, they offer no real 
improvements upon old and well-tried processes. 
We may call attention at the outset of our report to certain 
subdivisions which may be made in considering the subject, and 
classify the ores as follows :— 
: { 1. Free milling gold ores. 
— \ 2. Refractory gold ores. 
( 3. Free milling silver ores. 
« 4. Easy smelting silver ores. 
| 5. Refractory silver ores. 
It will be understood that there is, perhaps, no hard and fast line 
to be drawn between these different groups, and thus that Nos. 1 
and 2 often occur in the same stone, while No. 1 very generally 
gives place to No. 2 as depth is attained. The characters of the 
silver ores, moreover, and the methods of treatment to which 
they must be subjected, necessarily depend largely upon the 
surroundings, the nature and quantity of flux attainable, the 
price of coke, salt, and other substances required in the processes 
to be adopted, and so forth ; and our division must thus be of a 
somewhat arbitrary nature. We shall endeavour, however, to 
define our meaning in speaking of these different classes of ore so: 
as to make plain the reasons which have induced us to adopt 
them. 
Silver 
