SILVER, LEAD AND COPPER. 169 



and pocket deposits in the north-eastern portion. Besides silver and lead, deposits of copper 

 ores are also known, but although trials were made to exploit and smelt them, the re- 

 sults were not favourable. At the present time altogether 10 mines are worked and their 

 annual yield amounts to 100,00r) pouds. The only existing silver smelting works in the Ner- 

 chinsk mining region, the Kroutomarsk works, smelt about 50 pouds of silver a year. 



A deposit of argentiferous lead ores has been discovered in the far eastern extremity 

 of Siberia, in the valley of the river Vantsin at about 120 versts distance from the gulf of 

 St. Olga, and 37 versts from the gulf of Preobrazhensk. Explorations of this deposit, made in 

 1872, showed the presence of rather vast, ancient workings, and in recent times the exploitation 

 of the ores was carried on by the Chinese. 



Traces of Chud mines are found scattered about various parts of the region 

 of the Kirghiz steppes, and in 1815 and 1820, these workings were the means of the discov- 

 ery of rich deposits of argentiferous lead ores. A raining proprietor, jMr. Popov, guided by 

 the indications of the natives, made the first claim for deposits of argentiferous lead and 

 copper ores in the Kirghiz steppes and obtained a concession for the acquirement of what lands 

 and forests he might need for the exploitation of the mineral wealth of the region and 

 for the erection of metallurgical works. Already in 1857, 106 copper workings and 44 argen- 

 tiferous lead and copper ore mines were declared; and at the close of 1888, the Karkaralinsk 

 district of the Semipalatinsk province, comprised 121 claims of ore deposits, both copper and 

 argentiferous lead; while in the whole of the Kirghiz steppes up to 4rX) ore bearing deposits 

 are known. The following are the most important. The richest argentiferous lead ore deposits 

 are situated in the southern portion of the Karkaralinsk district between the town of Kar- 

 karalinsk and lake Balkhash, at a distance of 200 to 250 versts from the above named town. 

 This locality is desert and void of forest and at a great distance from the river Irtysh which 

 is the only convenient means of communication in this region. 



There is another tract of argentiferous lead and partly argentiferous lead and copper 

 ore deposits, to the north of the above region at a distance of 75 to 100 versts from the 

 town of Karkaralinsk to the south and south-west of this town. Among the many vein de- 

 posits of this district which have been opened out, the vast deposit of Ber-Kara is particu- 

 larly distinguished. The Bogoslovsk mine w^as laid out on this deposit by Popov and worked 

 to a depth of 18 sagenes. This mine yielded both argentiferous lead and copper ores, which 

 were smelted at two works erected by Popov, and also at the Altai works to which they 

 were temporarily transported. Deposits of copper ores are particularly abundant on the borders 

 of the Karkaralinsk and Pavlodarsk districts. Many of these deposits occur in the form of 

 veins of greater or less thickness, and in some instances- somewhat considerable masses of 

 native copper have been found. The copper ores extracted from this region were smelted at 

 copper smelting works erected in the neighiwurhood. Oxidized copper ores are found in the 

 sandstone strata, occurring to the south of the town of Semipalatinsk in the basin of the river 

 Aschi-Sou, and in the noith-western corner of the Karkaralinsk district, near the borders of 

 the Akmolinsk province in the lower courses of the river Chiderta. 



Copper smelting was first started in the Kirghiz steppes, at liie Blagodato-Stefauovsk 

 works, erected by Popov at about 80 versts disianeo to tlio ntirth-oast of ilii> town of Karka- 



