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162 Mr. H. L. Pattinson on the Smelting of head Ore, 8$c. 



the hearths usually go on 12 hours, and are suspended 5 ; four and a 

 half or five bings of ore (S6 to 40 cwt.) are smelted during a shift, and 

 the two men, who manage the hearth, each work four shifts per week ; 

 terminating their week's work at three o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. 

 They are succeeded by two other workmen, who also work four 12- 

 hours shifts ; the last of which they finish at four o'clock on Saturday. 

 In these eight shifts, from 36 to 40 bings of ore are smelted, which, 

 when of good quality, produce from 9 to 10 fodders of lead. At other 

 mills where the shift is fourteen or fifteen hours, the furnace is kindled 

 at four o'clock in the morning, and worked until six or seven in the 

 evening each day, six days in the week ; during this shift, 5 or 5i bings 

 of ore are smelted, and two men at one hearth, in the early part of each 

 week, work three such shifts, producing about 4 fodders of lead — two 

 other men work each three shifts in the latter part of the week, making 

 the total quantity smelted per week, in one hearth, from 30 to S3 bings. 

 Almost at every smelting mill a different mode of working, in point of 

 time and quantity, is pursued ; in some cases the quantity of ore smelt- 

 ed in one hearth, in a week, by four men, is 40 bings ; but a fair rate 

 of working is from 30 to 35 bings per week. 



The quantity of coal required to smelt a fodder of lead, as has been 

 already stated, varies with the quality of the ore. When this latter is 

 of moderate goodness, 8 Winchester bushels, or 6 cwt. avoirdupois, are 

 sufficient to smelt 18 or 20 bings 5 but, when the ore is refractory, the 

 quantity required is very considerably greater. In general, from 8 to 

 12 Winchester bushels of coal, or from 6 to 9 cwt., are consumed 

 during four smelting shifts of twelve hours each ; and, as the quantity 

 of lead made during this time is from 4<i to 5 fodders, the coal con- 

 sumed is, after the rate of, from li to 2 cwt. per fodder. The quan- 

 tity of peats used in the same time is about four small cart loads, being 

 something less than a cart load per fodder of lead. The lime expended 

 is about 12 Winchester bushels, or something below 3 bushels per fod- 

 der of lead. 



