160 DOMAIN IX. ANOMALOUS. 



" The same summit offers another singularity, 

 , which is, that it is crossed by a vein of copper. 

 I have brought away a piece of this loadstone, 

 which was found imbedded in this vein, and 

 which is entirely covered with mountain blue 

 and green. Since it has been in my collection 

 amongst other loadstones, it has acquired a po- 

 larity rather more regular. It seems not impos- 

 sible, with some pains, to re-establish that of the 

 large pieces, that may be obtained from that 

 mouritain. 



" The Altaian mountains are also in several 

 places rich in iron-ore ; but it is not wrought, on 

 account of the distance. 



" In that part of those mountains which the 

 river Irtish crosses, when it quits the lake Za'is- 

 san, I have seen, on the left bank of that river, 

 perpendicular mountains more than six hundred 

 feet in height, entirely composed of iron- ore. 

 They are of ochre-coloured schistus, the thin 

 layers of which are exactly perpendicular, and 

 alternate with layers of compact iron-ore. 



" Amongst the immense wrecks of these 1 

 mountains, I saw several pieces of large grained 

 loadstone, which contained nothing heterogen- 

 ous, and with a complete metallic appearance : 

 I brought away some specimens. 



" It is not only in the frozen regions that 



