308 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



The future prospects of these mines is an important considera- 

 tion, and the present state of the different setts is therefore of 

 interest. This will be briefly given from the N. E. to the S. W. 

 of the channel. 



Southward of Wicklow town, at the north-east end of " The* 

 Channel," is the Ballycapple Sett, in the townlands of Ballycapple 

 and Ballard. The iron bark of this lode, which seems to have 

 been very rich, was worked in the time of the Chamneys, the ore 

 being carried on horseback to the works at Ballynaclash in <rlen- 

 malure. Some of it also seems to have been smelted in bloomeries 

 in the vicinity of the mines, as their sites are a still to be seen 

 From the fragments in the attals, the "true lode" seems to be 

 a coppery pyrite, but it was never worked. Just before the work- 

 ing ceased the miners were driving up from the south an adit to 

 drain the mine. This was recently opened, and was found to end 

 some ten or fifteen fathoms short of the lode. In 1852 trials were 

 made in search of " copper ore," but with what results are not 

 recorded. In 1875 a few tons of iron ore were raised, also- 

 brownish ochre, from the back of the lode in Ballycapple Hill. 

 The latter, and the " black stuff " from some of the ancient 

 bloomeries were exported to be used in the purification of gas. 

 Up to the present time only the iron back and ochre have in part 

 been removed, some stones giving high analysis ; they, however, 

 do not represent the average iron ore. The true lode itself, does 

 not appear to have been broken, and its nature, value, and extent 

 have still to be proved. 



Between Ballycapple and Kilmacoo, a distance, in a S. W. 

 line, of about three miles, the country is very little known. In it 

 the regular Channel has not been found ; but in places there are 

 small veins of copper, sulphur-ore, lead, and zinc. It is possible 

 that the trials made have been too much southward ; because in 

 the townland of Rockfield, about a mile N. N. E. of Kilmacoo, is 

 an assembly of "shode stones," very similar to those that elsewhere 

 occur in connexion with the Channel ; the Channel may be there- 

 fore heaved northward. 



units sulphur and 2.50 copper — held its own. As a general rule, the Irish pyrites is 

 much more free from arsenic than the Spanish ore, and therefore more suitable for the- 

 manufacture of the pure sulphuric acid. 



