176 Observations on Lead Ores. 



It was discovered during the late autumn, in digging a 

 Xvell, and appeared to form a vein, or possibly a bed, at the 

 depth of eighteen or twenty feet. 



The country is primitive, but the specimens brought to 

 us, appear to have been deposited in loose ochreous earth, 

 by which they are enveloped. 



The structure of this ore is a mixture of small foliated, 

 granular, or steel grained, and fibrous ; in some places it is 

 so distinctly fibrous, as to indicate strongly a combination 

 with antimony,* 



Having reduced this ore to the metallic state, we exam- 

 ined it by cupellation, and obtained a distinct globule of 

 silver, but it bore only the proportion of one-five thousandth 

 part to the lead — viz. less than six ounces to the ton. 



That of Southampton, (Bruce's Journal, pa. 69,) gave 

 twelve ounces and one-eighth to the ton, viz. about one- 

 two thousand four hundredth part; that of Missouri contains 

 only a trace. 



As this is a practical subject, which may prove of im- 

 portance to this country, especially as the oxides of lead 

 obtained during the extraction of the silver would go far 

 towards paying the expense, we will subjoin a memorandum 

 of facts respecting lead and its ores, which, ia a very con- 

 densed form, we had occasion, some time since, to abstract 

 from works of good authority, principally from the Chem- 

 ical Essays of Dr. Watson, late Lord Bishop of Landaff, 

 and from Aikin's Dictionary. 



Notes on Lead, 



The expense is not paid, in Great Britain, by less than 

 twelve ounces of silver to the ton, or six-tenths of an ounce 

 to one hundred pounds of ore; some say nine ounces of 

 silver to the ton of ore, will pay the expense, including loss 

 of lead. 



The ore of Brunghill Moor, Yorkshire, contained two 

 hundred and thirty ounces of silver to the ton, or more than 

 eleven ounces to one hundred pounds. 



Durham and Westraor»land, seventeen ounces to a ton. 



* The Belhlem ore is said by (he discoverers, Messrs. Gideon Allen and 

 Abiier Sfi-ong, to be in abundfince, bur as their attention has been di- 

 i'ected,lo it principally on account of the silver it 'niighl containj they have 

 nbt, as yet, explored thoroughly for the lead. 



