294 GEOLOGY OF THE SECOND DISTRICT. 



the reduction is not effected so readily and perfectly as when it is composed of one. The 

 cause of this difference seems to be owing to the following facts : — The protoxide first parts 

 with its oxygen. After this change, when the ore has actually become iron, it is still neces- 

 sary to continue the process, and the loup is not yet ready to be removed ; for being still 

 mixed with unreduced ore, it will not weld, and if taken out in this stage, it flies to pieces. 

 Some portions, it is true, may now perhaps cohere under the hammer ; but two-thirds of the 

 mass will probably crumble, and be scattered about the premises mixed with slag. Now what 

 is the consequence of exposing it still longer in the forge, until all the peroxide is reduced to 

 iron ? It is evidently this : the previously reduced ore is now exposed to carbon, and with this 

 it combines, forming either steel, pot-metal, or a substance whose composition is intermediate 

 between the two, or what is sometimes called high iron. The conclusion now which seems 

 to be legitimate, is, that in attempting to work the magnetic ores, those which are composed 

 of two species or kinds differing in their state of oxidation, more or less diiBculty will ne- 

 cessarily be encountered, all of which will arise from the state and condition of the ore in 

 regard to the unequal amount of oxygen different parts contain ; one portion yielding its oxy- 

 gen, and passing into the state of iron, before the other. When this is the case, both masses 

 are then exposed without doubt to a series of complicated movements and changes, some of 

 which serve to deceive the bloomer as to the condition of the loup, as to the time when it 

 should be removed from the forge for hammering. .Some of the ore is known to be reduced, 

 but it does not all go down as is expected ; and after waiting a sufficient length of time for 

 the process to be completed, it is taken out, when very likely a few blows of the hammer 

 breaks it to pieces, leaving perhaps one-third in the hands of the bloomer, which he is able 

 to draw out into a bar. Whatever may be the result, after a part of the ore has been reduced 

 as just described, namely, that part which is in the lowest state of oxidation, may we not 

 infer, that as the remainder bears now a different relation to the agents employed in reduction, 

 it will, instead of parting kindly with its oxygen, be more likely to combine with the earthy 

 matters, and form various compounds which will go off in the form of cinder, or may it not 

 affect the result in various ways ? Whatever the result may be, it will be attended with a 

 great sacrifice of ore ; for if this is not true, how should it happen that three tons of ore are 

 sometimes used in making one ton of iron ? 



I proceed now to speak more particularly of the Arnold ore, which I believe will throw 

 some additional light on this matter. 



This vein has long been celebrated for the iron which it produces, as well as for the ease 

 and rapidity with which it is made. The question now comes up : To what cause or causes 

 are we to attribute this result ? Now this is one of those remarkable veins in which, while 

 the ore externally bears the ordinary form and crystallization of the magnetic oxides, it is still 

 internally a peroxide — a peroxide throughout ; furthermore, it is remarkably pure and free 

 from earthy matters. As it regards the first statement, perhaps I ought to modify it some- 

 what, as the ore may contain a small amount of protoxide ; but this being the case, the quan- 

 tity bears no proportion to the peroxide, and therefore does not modify essentially the result. 



