ASBESTOS. 51 



made to this great mine, in whose beautiful little har- 

 bor our expedition landed on Sunday, October 14, 

 1894, on our journey to the White Hills. This mine 

 has been worked for the last ten years, and has been 

 and is at present one of the most valuable in the 

 island. The quality of the pyrites is said to be the 

 finest in the world, containing 52 per cent, of sulphur 

 and 42 per cent, of iron, from which is manufactured 

 the finest steel. The ore is mostly shipped to the 

 United States, where it is used in the manufacture of 

 sulphuric acid, copperas and fertilizers, and the de- 

 mand is steadily increasing ; and as there is another 

 deposit adjoining the present mine, should the latter 

 pinch out, the additional lode would furnish an 

 abundance for years to come. The value of iron 

 pyrites exported to the United States from 1886 to 

 the end of 1893, according to the Customs Report, 

 reaches a total value of $759,451.00. The same report 

 shows an aggregate value of $10,799,086.00 of all 

 minerals exported from the island, from 1864 to the 

 end of 1893. 



ASBESTOS. 



This valuable mineral has been found amongst the 

 serpentine deposits in many places. It occurs in 

 strings or threads of a fine, silky texture, traversing 



