ANTIMONY, ASBESTOS 205 



of lead, antimony, and tin l (in the proportion of lead 75, 

 antimony 20, and tin 5), into moulds, formed in the shape of 

 the letters required. As the alloy cools, it expands, and fills 

 up each little crevice in the mould, so that the tinest letters 

 are shaped with perfect accuracy. 



SOURCES OF SUPPLY. Antimony is widely distributed through- 

 out the world, but China contains the largest known deposits. 



Within the empire, Australia is our chief source of supply; 

 There are mines at Costerfield in Victoria, whence a consider- 

 able quantity is exported ; and at Hillgrove, in New South 

 Wales ; and near Northcote, in Queensland. 



Antimony is also produced in Canada, and to a small extent 

 in New Zealand and South Africa, and it is believed that when 

 the deposits in these countries are worked to their full extent 

 they will be able to satisfy our needs. 



At present we import from China and Mexico as well as from 

 Australia and Canada. 



ASBESTOS (from Greek asbestos, indestructible). This 

 wonderful substance is found lying in seams in rocks, sometimes 

 as long silky fibres, and sometimes as a compact mass. It is 

 usually of a whitish-grey colour, but sometimes it is green, 

 sometimes blue. The fibres are flexible, and can be separated 

 from one another, and woven into cloth. 



In ancient days dead bodies were wrapped in asbestos cloth 

 before they were placed upon the funeral pyre ; the body 

 inside the wrapping was burnt to ashes, but the cloth itself 

 remained intact, and so it was possible to secure the ashes of 

 the body, unmixed with any others. 



Nowadays we use asbestos for a very great variety of pur- 

 poses. As the fibres give out great heat, but do not themselves 

 burn away, they are used in the construction of gas stoves. 

 The asbestos is enclosed in a network of iron, and jets of gas 

 placed under it. When these are lit they raise the asbestos 

 to a white heat, and so long as the gas is alight the asbestos 



1 Sometimes the proportions are altered and bismuth is added to the other 

 metals. 



