364 Memoir relative to [May, 



banishment for the Roman criminals? At the entrance of the 

 mine are the ruins of a number of stone buildings. 



The small city of Iglesias is finely situated at the base of a 

 range of mountains, whose sides near the town are planted with 

 gardens, and richly cultivated and ornamented with orange 

 grounds. The houses of the town are but indifferent ; but the 

 streets are cleaner and better paved than those of Caglian. 

 When the Pisans wrought these mines, this was their station : 

 the air is wholesome, and^the town is well supplied with water 

 from weUs of six or seven fathoms deep : it may certainly be 

 described as one of the most desirable places of residence in 

 Sardinia. It contains about 1,500 inhabitants. 



The hiUs in which the mine Domenico Rosea is situated is not 

 extensive, being only one English mile and a half in length, and 

 ^ three quarters of a mile in breadth. The mountains in the neigh- 

 bourhood bear so close a resemblance to it in structure and 

 shape as to warrant the conjecture of their being equally produc- 

 tive in lead veins. 



At Monte Bergani, about three miles to the east of Iglesias, 

 and situated on tlie western declivity of the mountains, a trial 

 has been made by means of an open cast, about four yards in 

 length and one in breadth, and a beautiful vein of this breadth 

 has been exposed. It has a rib of ore up its centre of about 

 four inches wide, and the matrix is flesh-coloured baiytes. This 

 vein is studded with ore, and the rib increases in breadth 

 downwards. The ore which was produced in the upper part of 

 the vein was close-grained, and apparently rich in silver, but 

 deeper ; it resembled the potter ore of England. 



The roads in the vicinity of this rich vein are good, and there 

 is a tolerable supply of wood and water in the neighbourhood. 



A view of the strata in the neighbourhood of the road which 

 leads from Iglesias to Flumini Majore is to be had during almost 

 the whole distance ; a brown or bluish argillaceous schistus may 

 be seen below, and the thick stratum of whitish limestone, 

 before-mentioned, resting upon it. 



At Flumini Majore the natives talk of the existence of an ore 

 of silver, but the specimens of this metal occurring in the state 

 of any of its ores in the island are now so scarce as to throw 

 some discredit on the statement of Captain Belly and Count 

 Vargus, both of whom represent even native silver as of common 

 occurrence in the island. 



Close to the village of Flumini Majore is the Vein Pietro di 

 Fuoco. In it there is a rib of free potter ore 1^ inch thick. 

 This strong vein of flesh-coloured barytes stands in some places 

 seven feet above the adjacent surface; the weather having acted 

 upon the adjacent limestone rock must have washed it away, 

 while the more insoluble barytes remained unafl'ected. The open 

 cast by which the vein lias been tried is about 10 yards in length, 

 two feet in breadth, and seven feet deep. It bears 82° S.W. 



