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about three or four miles above the pond or dam which supplies 

 the water power. Great quantities of the ore are also taken 

 from the bed of the pond during the winter, when the furnace is 

 out of blast and the water is drained off". The ores which are 

 used at this furnace are, the ham ore, the seed ore, and the massive 

 ore. The swamps of the river (which is rather sluggish) are 

 extensive, and form numerous shallow coves, some of which are 

 covered with water to the depth of about a foot, while others 

 contain a very spongy peat, which is always found on the edges. 

 The ore is chiefly taken from these coves when the water is not 

 too deep, especially along their wet margins. Excavations eight 

 or ten feet square arc made, between each of these a thin dike is 

 left, so as to prevent the water from one flowing in upon the 

 workmen in the others. The three kinds of ores are generally 

 found in each hole ; the loam ore nearest the surface, the seed 

 ore under this, and the massive ore at the bottom. In some 

 positions, however, only one of these kinds occurs, unaccompanied 

 by the others. In other positions, the several varieties may be 

 seen in their various stages of maturity. The loam ore is that 

 which appears to form first, being in reality merely the infiltra- 

 tion of ferruginous sediment into the soil of the bog. This, which 

 is at first quite soft, becomes by the accumulation of oxide of 

 iron, heavier and more compact. In the centre of many lumps, 

 the mass has a crystalline or regular ore-like character. This 

 structure would pervade the whole deposit, could it be exposed 

 for a sufficient length of time to the correcting action. The loam 

 is thus in time completely replaced by the oxide of iron, which 

 is seldom solid, but of a honeycomb structure, the cavities being 

 more or less filled with yellow aluminous matter. These ores 

 are obtained in various conditions of compactness. That which 

 is partly concreted, partly pulverulent or loamy, is called young 

 ore, a variety which experience shows to be better adapted for 

 easy fusion, than the more concretionary harder kinds. 



Great quantities of woody matter, such as slumps and trunks 

 of trees, abound in these ore beds, completely converted into 

 oxide of iron. The curious process of replacement which has 

 taken place, has preserved the precise form and structure of the 

 bark and woody fibre, down to the most delicate lines and 

 markings. 



