C. Keferstein on White Copper. 123 



endeavoured, but in vain, to meet with pieces of copper 

 ore found there; we only obtained some malachite: from 

 this, however, as well as from the legend, it may be concluded 

 with certainty that copper-works formerly existed there. Some 

 few copper ores, apparently not very poor in metal, were laid 

 before us at Ernstthal, which were said to have been col- 

 lected partly at the old mine, and partly from that at the Bohr- 

 bach. Arrangements have likewise been made for investigat- 

 ing the remaining old mines above named, in order to obtain 

 such copper ore as it may yet be possible to find in them. 

 M. de HofF relates of these copper-mines, in his Description 

 of the Thiiringerwald (No. II. on the south-easterly division, 

 p. 287) "in what manner the village of Gabel probably owed 

 its existence to a mining work now deserted, which had been 

 situated a little distance higher in this valley. It is said that 

 they had worked for copper there, and that blackish-gray slate, 

 primitive clay slate with calcareous spar and gray sulphuret 

 of copper, red copper ore and malachite are still found there. 

 In ancient descriptions of this country, there are in general 

 several mines noticed, which have been worked for copper, 

 sulphur, and iron, particularly at the Avelsberg, the Gabel 

 and the Tanne." 



Geognostically considered, the predominating rock-mass 

 through which the Schleuse flows, consists of primitive clay- 

 slate, with layers of quartz ; but it shows by some intersecting 

 members a near relation to the slaty hornblend rock. It is 

 covered by porphyry ; forms on the western bank of the 

 Schleuse, or on the Prussian side, the Greifenberg ; on the 

 eastern shore, the mountains between the Tann and the Bi- 

 ber, extends towards the Avelsberg, where large masses of 

 quartz are met with in it; is covered with trap-porphyry, 

 and appears again in the valleys of the other side of the moun- 

 tain, beneath the lower strata of the Wahlrose, above Gehren, 

 below the above-mentioned porphyry. 



The copper ores found here were smelted, as above mentioned, 

 at Unterneubrunn and Ernstthal ; but, according to a tradition, 

 copper ores from Salzburg were likewise carried to those places. 



Although it cannot well be doubted, but that the white cop- 

 per slags found at present are the produce of former copper- 

 works, yet their appearance likewise informs us that this white 

 copper, which in great measure occurs in a reguline state in 

 the slags, was considered, during the earlier smelting opera- 

 tions, as a useless educt, and was thrown away. 



The quantity in which this white copper has been found, 

 will not permit us to consider it as the accidental product of 

 a failure in the process of smelting. We should rather be of 



Q 2 opinion, 



