(J. Lawrence Smith on Emery. 369 
_ Nevertheless, the quantity of emery formerly employed wa ‘ 
Insignificant in comparison to the quantity now required, more — 
particularly within the last twenty years, since the use of plate 
lass has been-extended. The annual consumption at the pres- 
ent time is about fifteen hundred tons. 
or various: reasons, the island of Naxos furnished for several 
centuries almost exclusively the emery used in the arts, as much 
for the facility with which it was obtained as for the uniformity 
of its quality. The emery exists in very great abundance ov this 
island, and notwithstanding the quantity already extracted there 
still remain immense deposits of it. . |. = eds 
The price of this substance at the end of the last century was 
from 40 to 50 dollars the ton, and between 1820 atid 1835 it was 
at times even less. About this period, the ménopoly of the Naxos 
« 
hearer the sea, of Gumuch-dagh commenced in 1847 and worked 
largely, and of Niearia commenced in 1850. From all these 
different places the emery goes to Smyrna, and from there, prin- 
Cipally to England, the vessels taking it at a very low price as it 
serves for ballast. ‘ ai +e 
The various mines belong to the Turkish and to the Greek 
government. The Greek government now sells its emery in lots 
of several tons. The Turkish government sells the entire monop- 
oly of its mines, aud consequently its operations are controlled 
by a single interest ; but in all probability, this monopoly will be 
done away with, in virtue of a commercial treaty existing be- 
tween Turkey and the other powers. If this takes place the price 
of emery will be still farther diminished. 
Of the different varieties of emery employed in the arts that 
of Nazos is still preferred, and with reason, as it is more uniform 
1n its quality than that coming from Kulah and Gumuch ; never- 
theless, if the best qualities of that from the island of N icaria are 
ound in abundance and that only sent into market, it will prove 
at least equal if not superior to that of Naxos. 
Stconp Serres, Vol. X, No. 30.—Nov., 1850. 
