NOME XXIII. IRON HILLS. 



Oesbo, the soil is a movable sand. Near the 

 cliff are large collections of ferruginous ore, 

 without any intermixture of stones ; some being 

 several feet thick. They are placed in horizon- 

 tal layers, separated by strata of earth, and 

 ascend about three-fourths of this part of the 

 mountain. The crest of Taberg, and probably 

 the whole mountain, is filled with narrow pa- 

 rallel veins, which are generally vertical, follow- 

 ing the direction of the mountain; the richest 

 are seldom more than a quarter of an ell in 

 thickness*, and are known in that part by the 

 name of iron-bands (laernbands): they contain 

 a blackish brown and shining ore, which yields 

 thirty-two pounds and a half in the hundred 

 weight. The common ore has a particular ap- 

 pearance: it seems smoked, and has no lustre; 

 it gives 31 per cent. That which is called rib- 

 bon ore, or pied ore, has layers of white spar 

 between its plates, and thus shows in the frac- 

 ture alternate rays of white and black ; it yields 

 21 per cent. The veins of this latter kind are 

 exposed on the western declivity of the moun- 

 tain. The effect which this enormous mass of 

 ore presents, is well calculated to excite curio- 



* The Swedish ell is only t\vo feet. 



