On Metallic Minerals. 423 



Friend Mr. Harris, may not be deemed altogether unin- 

 terestin£?, particularly as 1 believe, tliat it is the first notice 

 which has been taken of deposits of ore, which from their 

 ndvantagcou? situation, on the immediate shore of Lake 

 Erie, may hereafter prove of much importance. 



The first attempt to establish iron works for the purpose 

 of working this bog iron ore was made at the mouth of 

 Potter's Creek, a small river which enters the bay of Long 

 Point, in the township of Charlottevillc, London District, 

 Upjjcr Canada. Mr. John Mason, an Englishman, had 

 the merit of this first attempt. In the year 181/, he erected 

 a blast furnace, of a rude and primitive description, entirely 

 by the labour of his own hands, with the exception of the 

 machinery for the blast. The bellows were formed out of 

 two hollow white-wood trees. It is thus that the spirit of 

 enterprise and necessity, which has so truly been called the 

 mother of invention, enables an individual, in this young 

 country, to overcome difficulties, which in other situations 

 would be considered insurmoutitablc. Mr. Mason, how- 

 ever, did not live to complete his undertaking — he died, 

 after setting an useful example and collecting a few 

 tons of ore. 



In the year 1k20, six young and enterprising Americans 

 came to the country, and under the firm of Capron & Co. 

 purchased the place from Mr. Mason's widow : — proceeding 

 in tijeir labours with united perseverance and industry they 

 soon had a fiu'iiace in operation. They commenced by 

 ca>-ting stoves, h()llo\v ware, and other small articles : — also 

 some potash kettles and mill castings, but arc said to have 

 generally failed in [)roducing good work. 



Their machinery for producing the blast was very 

 defective, and they also found their works to be too con- 



