Notice of Steel Mine and Iron Works. 319 



Iron is sometimes observed in pieces eight or ten inches in diameter, 

 without any foreign intermixture whatever; which, so far as I had an 

 opportunity of observing, was no where the case with the Quartz. 

 About the shaft at a, among the immense heaps of the ore there 

 thrown out, occasional sprinklings of Iron and Copper Pyrites are no- 

 ticed with the Sparry Iron ; also, at a spot a few rods north of the 

 opening, and seemingly gathered into a heap by themselves, I found 

 a few masses of Quartz, through which black Blende was dissemina- 

 ted. As no other specimens of the last substance were seen at any 

 other place, I imagine this to have been the mineral which excited 

 the hopes of silver in those who first engaged in the working of this 

 mine ; and in consequence of its being confined to this particular 

 spot, it seems to explain the cause of so much digging at such a 

 height and distance from the river. If this suggestion be correct, 

 the present affords another instance of the appropriateness of the 

 name Blende, (meaning the deceiver) as applied to this ore. 



I did not visit the openings at i and k, as I was informed the vein 

 is at present concealed at both of these places by the falling in of the 

 rubbish ; but I received the most satisfactory assurances that consid- 

 erable quantities of ore were formerly raised at both of these places* 



It is usual with this ore where it is exposed to the weather* as has 

 been the fact here with the masses lying about die openings and near 

 the surface of the vein, to undergo a partial decomposition ; which is 

 visible in the change of color, lustre, translucency and firmness. A few 

 inches beneath its surface, however, the ore presents its natural aspect. 

 h this condition, it is of a yellowish grey color, slightly inclining to 

 brown, and possessed of a splendent lustre. The fracture, which is 

 effected with the greatest readiness, is foliated ; and it takes place, in 

 small masses, in three directions, intersecting each other obliquely, 

 in such a manner as to give rise to rhombic particles. Its texture is 

 such as to afford, on cleavage, rather broad plates ; among which, 

 however, are mingled concretions of a smaller size. This variety of 

 °re appears to be what the French miners call mineral rive orgueil- 

 «w?, and which they distinguish from those ores consisting entirely 

 of large, or of small concretions,— the former of which they call 

 ninerais maillats, and the latter, minerais rives. Its specific gravity 

 is 3.71. Before the blow-pipe on charcoal it immediately blackens, 

 cleaves into smaller fragments, and becomes attractable by the mag- 

 net, by which, it was unaffected before heating. Its appearance al- 

 ters rapidly by exposure to the atmosphere : in a few months it pass- 





