^he BipjDp ofLandaffon Orichakum. 59 



made in the molt remote ages in Indiat and in 

 other parts of Jfia. 



With refpedl to Orichaleum, it is generally 

 fuppofed that there were tvv'o forts of it, one fac- 

 titious, the other natural ; the fadtitious, whe- 

 ther we confider its qualities or compofition, 

 appears to have been the fame with our brafs. 

 As to the natural Orichalcum, there is no im- 

 pofiibility in fupp(|Rng, that copper ore may be 

 fo intimately blended with an ore of zinc, or of 

 fome other metallic fubftance, that the com- 

 pound, when fmelced, may yield a mixt metal 

 of a paler hue than copper, and refembling 

 the colour of cither gold or filver. In D« Ualde% 

 hiftory of Chinas we meet with the following 

 account of the Chinefe ivhite copper, " The mofl: 

 extraordinary copper is called Be-tovg, or white 

 copper : it is white when dug out of the mine, 

 and dill more white within than without. It 

 appears by a vaft number of experiments made 

 ?it Peking, that its colour is owing to no mixture ; 

 on the contrary, all mixtures diminifli its beauty ; 

 fpr, when it is rightly managed, it looks exaftly 

 like fiiver, and were there not a necefllty of 

 mixing a little 'Tutenagy or fome fuch metal with 

 ir, to foften it, and prevent its brittlenefs, it 

 would be fo much the more extraordinary, as 

 this fort of copper is, perhaps, to be met with 

 po -where but in China, and that only in the 



province 



