98 Mirier alogical Description of the Island of Banket. 



ored with particles of clay, but scarcely adhering ; on this follow- 

 ed, — 10. The stratum of coarse fragments of decomposed gran- 

 ite, and of breccias through which the ore of tin was dissemin- 

 ated. 



None of the mines I visited afforded me a more beautiful and 

 distinct view of the succession of the strata, or more explanatory 

 of their arrangement. The pit on which the workmen were em- 

 ployed had been formed with uncommon neatness, and by means 

 of the abundance of the clayey particles, the sides had remained 

 completely regular and perpendicular. The last layer (No 9 

 just mentioned) of yellow sand, contained delicate streaks of 

 the ore of a black color, (consisting of very minute particles,) 

 which became evident when it was divided by a sharp cutting in- 

 strument : these streaks were not completely regular or uniform, 

 some were horizontal, others had a gentle inclination, they indica- 

 ted the approach of the stratum which next followed, consisting 

 of larger quantities of the ore distributed through the coarser 



fragments of decomposed granite rocks, which from the appear- 



ance of the stones brought up by the last works contain, or are 



intersected by veins of red ironstone. The stratum on which 

 the miners were now employed was considerably extensive, 

 spreading in all directions round the mine. 



Among the substances which remained from former worts near 

 this pit I remarked : 



1. Large fragments of siliceous rock of the same kind with 

 that described above, found at the mines of Sungie-Bulak. 



2. Kongtay or white friable earth, remaining at the bottom of 

 the stratum, near the termination of the tin ore. 



3. Conglomerate breccias, these particularly attracted my no- 

 tice : many of the masses had the constitution of the red mm- 

 stone ; others were aggregate. Although I had found numerous 

 loose fragments of the common redstone on the road to these 

 mines, an attentive search had discovered to me none in large or 

 fixed rocks. The fragments which were collected here, shewed 

 plainly that the miners in taking out the stratum containing the 

 ore, had encountered extensive veins : and they informed me that 

 the blocks which I examined, and which were abundantly strewed 

 over the surface, had been taken from some of the latest pits. 



They differed in appearance considerably from the red iron- 

 stone found in the environs of Jebus and Klabbet. The stone 

 was much more compact and ponderous. The fracture had mostly 

 a metallic lustre, varying hi shades of color, but without the cel- 

 lulosities above mentioned. 



It was generally covered with a yellow or red ochreous crust, 

 and some portions are completely converted into a yellow or red 

 ochre ; but particles of quartz were in all instances perceived on 

 the solid masses or in the friable portion. Some of the smaller 



