428 PROFESSOR HEDDLE ON 
jection called Braebrough. About three hundred yards further south, a locality 
called Lead Geo is reached. As the ruins of a turf hut are to be seen here, 
and as the writer found a buried deposit of about four-hundred weight of the 
ore, near to where there were evident signs of working, there can be no question 
that this is the locality alluded to by Low; and, as no galena is now at least to 
be seen here, the following extract of a letter of Mr. Low may probably explain 
the name of Lead Geo. “Has not your friend* perhaps something mistaken 
the words of the historian with respect to the black and white lead (Plumbum 
album et nigrum) Buch. History? I have never heard of black lead or ‘ wad’ 
to be found here, but common lead in many places.” 
The common confusion between wad and graphite, taken along with the 
manner in which the hands are soiled in working among the ores which occur 
at this spot, doubtless led to the adoption of the incorrect name. 
The ore described by Low is, however, not one of iron, but is, for the most 
part, psilomelane ; his “ flint-like mass” is a very dense wad. There is, it is 
true, a small quantity of limonite, but not enough to explain the extraordinary 
statement as to iron having been smelted upon the spot apparently,—for so the 
language used would imply.t Low’s description of the ore is most accurate, and, 
as it will be seen, most suggestive and shrewd. 
The veins are situated about 200 feet below the summit of the cliff, here 
called 1130 feet in height. 
There are three or four veins still to be with difficulty seen; for the work- 
ing has, from the precarious footing and the danger of the position, been of a 
rough and destructive description. 
The appearance of the pszlomelane varies in each of the veins; it occurs in 
finer masses here than at probably any other known locality. 
In its commonest and least interesting appearance, it presents itself in 
mammillated masses, with an obscure fibrous structure, and a dull lustre. Of 
this variety, the specimens, merely as such, are the finest. Such masses sheathe 
the sides of the vein, enveloping any loose or projecting processes which may 
occur in its vacuous centre. Though the surfaces of these mammillations are 
dull, and so soft as to soil the hands, they may, wheu dry, be polished by friction ; 
but when wet, the mineral may by brushing be diffused through water to a 
large extent. 
There is therefore in these specimens a certain approach to wad. 
Another appearance, though a rare one, is in large flat sheets, which possess 
a mirror-like lustre, and have little trace of fibrous structure. 
In another vein it is of an exceedingly peculiar appearance, resembling a 
* Pennant. Mr, ANnpeERSON, in his introduction to Low’s work, very clearly shows the vampire 
character of Pennanvt’s friendship for Low. 
+ Could Sir Josrru Banks have “smelted” iron—anywhere ? 
