g6o On Primary Ores of Irm. 



iron, it would render many fituations in this country eligible 

 for iron-works, which are at prefent only fo on account of 

 the irnmenfe profufion of coal with which they abound ; it 

 would oall into profitable exiftenee the iron contained in 

 thefe, vaft and extenfive mines of Cumberland and Lan- 

 cafliire; confer fpirit and activity on the manufacturer and 

 the landed proprietor, in a general fearch after fo profitable 

 and ufeful a mineral ; and would tend to throw new and 

 ample light upon many valuable ore,; of various natures, 

 which at this time lie. dormant, unexplored, and unappre- 

 ciated. 



The fecond method likely to fucceed in fabricating melting 

 pig-iron from primary ores would be to fubjec.t them to de- 

 oxygenation in the moft economical way; not feverely, fo 

 as to change them into malleable iron, but in a manner 

 which would Hill render them fufneiently fufiblc. The de- 

 privation of oxygen in this manner, would enable the car- 

 bonaceous principle to take immediate cfl'e&, by penetrating 

 the ore, and conftituting real fufibility : it is even probable 

 that the quantity of fuel ufed to eftcft this, in fuch fimple 

 oonftrueted furnaces as might be found anfwerable, would 

 afterwards be faved in the fmclting furnace, and the ore. 

 rendered equally cheap in this ft ate as when raw — befides 

 the trreat point in obtaining the wifhed for quality of iron. 



The coajv matter requisite to ft ratify the ore— previous to 

 de -oxygenation — would be the duft afforded by the coals in 

 the prefent mode of coaking; and which, from the tender 

 nature of the coal, exifts, at fome works, in great quantities ; 

 it is of no real value, and, by pafling it through fieves to 

 vender it of an equality of fize, it might be ufed to imbed the 

 ore without any other preparation. Such matter as this i$ 

 capable of protecting the ore for a much longer time than 

 would be reqiuiite in this operation : charcoal -dull, made 

 from pit-coal, is capable of witbftanding a heat equally 

 violent as cbarcoal-duft from wood, without being fooner 

 cenfumed \ it is even lefs liable to be defiroyed when at 



any 



