Kinahan — On Irish Metal Mining. 265 



the London Society (Londonderry) having successfully opposed 

 a grant of money to improve the port. 



It may be mentioned that the glass industry seems to have 

 been of a very ancient date, possibly prehistoric, as some au- 

 thorities suggest that this was one of the places in which the 

 ancient glass beads and such like were made. It was induced by 

 the excellent sand of the vicinity, due to the weathering and 

 washing of the sandstones of Carboniferous age. The glass trade, 

 which was principally an export one to Scotland, gradually declined 

 as the native coal increased in price, and seems to have finally 

 ceased in 1850, or thereabouts, when the glass-house was destroyed 

 by lightning. 



The higher coals, or those above the level of the sea, are 

 worked out. There are, however, two coals, called the " sea-coals," 

 below the sea level, still unwrought ; which have been estimated to 

 contain about 18,000,000 tons of coal ; but as far as trials have 

 been made they are unprofitable, on account of the drainage of 

 the sea into the workings : very little, therefore (if any), of this 

 coal can be profitably raised. 



Mr. Knowles of Ballymena has found prehistoric beads made 

 of zoisite, or jade de saicssare (saussaurite), in the -ZEolian sands in 

 places along the coast-line in connexion with Kitchen midding and 

 such like early traces of man ; while Mr. M'Henry has discovered 

 small veins of similar jade in the metamorphic Cambrians (?) . 



In, or associated with, the older rocks (Metamorphosed Cambrians?) 

 gold is said to have been found in Grlendun, near Cushendun; and 

 in 1825 the Grlenarm and Antrim Mining Association proposed to 

 work the gravels of the river. This Company are also reported 

 to have found in Slieve-an-orra and neighbouring hills, traces of 

 copper and lead ; but the extent to which they carried their 

 researches in quest of these minerals is uncertain, as there are 

 not any published records of the places where these minerals were 

 found. 



As already stated, in this county was situated one of the three 

 lead mines discovered by the English prior to the rising of 1641 ; 

 whereabout it was situated Boate does not state, but he gives a most 

 glowing description of it, stating : " for as much as with every 

 thirty pounds of lead it yielded a pound of pure silver." At the 

 present time it is quite unknown. 



