Mineralogy and Geology. 271 
was able to procure in’ Mexico, to enable him to make a fair experi- 
ment on the capabilities of the mine. The great trouble was to obtain 
Suitable apparatus for extracting the ore. At length four potash kettles 
pti found, which were ‘set'in’a furnace of adobies, with conde nsers 
with 1600 Ibs. spi to each ee the ores of average nc agin bro- 
ken in lumps of the size of apples, put on the covers and Zute them 
with a layer of sand: The fires were-then kept up till'near night, when 
the furnaces were allowed to eool gradually. The next morning the 
condensers were opened, and the métal dipped up; which usually 
amounted to from 200 to 300 pounds’ for the four pots. This was a 
much less per-centage than thé a indicated, and it was obvious that 
a large portion of metal was lost: ‘The tipper parts of the pots and 
condensers ete to con scoated” a a crust of sulphu- 
15 is a ‘small imen. Mr. Forbes 
formed th, ‘tringled with this, the aes a larger per-cent- 
age of metal. Tn the last three weeks, about 10,000 potnds of metal 
have been extracted with the same apparatus, being a yield of over 50 
a aire Whether the ores were dichodl or not, [ cannot “herd but pres 
were. Between 15,000 and~20,000 pounds have been ex- 
quemed: in about two-months, only six miners having been Shtehayett 
digging the ore,and the Rands of the establishnient, all told, miners, 
furnace men; wood-c , &e. &e. , numbering only ascorey The 
inine’i is probably yeling a nett profit of 8 100,000 @ year, with its pre- 
ths furnaces atid%ron cylinders of res 
nd 
sails to “tail shortly for the apparatis necessaty. ‘The bed has as 
yet been sop but a few hundred feet, but the: ores grow more and 
more rich and a 
The other mines opened in the vicinity, have pret So cae —_— Meagan 
developed to decide upon their character.’ 
teen or twenty other places nha a few miles around, on within a 
few days in hills that do not ongto t the same rei with that 
which contains the mine already haetibae 
n ht- 
Some ores of silver havé also been rece ay atone in this re-_ 
gion. But I have had ao opporwmity of ptocuring any genuine speci+ 
mens as yet, and occ ‘mines worth the working will be found, 
is at least problema 
There _— traces of coal im the country, but nothing of value: has yet 
been disc 
Gold haar be been found receritly on the Sacramento, near Sutter’s vor. 
It occurs in small masses in. the sands of ‘a new mill race, is said 
to promise well. 
7. Argentiferous Galena it Iron Ore in Algeria, (L'lostitut, No. 
748.)—From a work on the mineral riches of lrg vm by M. Henry 
Fournel, we learn that there is a valuable mine of argentiferous galena 
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