COPPER. 12 | 



roasting the material is smelted in a large blast furnace of the usual 

 type. The metal is cast into cakes weighing about fifty pounds 

 each, and the production had then reached between two or three 

 tons per month. 



Other Localities. 



Copper sulphide ores occur in the Ming-kuang valley, north of 

 Teng-yiieh T'ing. Oxidised copper ores occur with galena and zinc 

 blende at the Tung-shan mines above Hsiao-hsin-kai. and ehalco- 

 pyrite occurs with pyrite and galena in the complex ore from 

 Hung-fu-hai in the Ming-kuang. In 1908 attempts were made by 

 a Chinese syndicate to treat these ores for copper, but they were 

 not successful. 



Films of copper carbonates occur in the Carboniferous lavas 

 between Hung-ai and Yunnan Hsien and are probably formed from 

 the decomposition of copper pyrites. The occurrence is of no 

 commercial importance. 



A large copper mine is said to exist to the north of Ting-yuan 

 Hsien. I tried to reach it in 1909 but was prevented by bad weather. 



In the Chin-tung T'ing district I heard that a small mine was 

 producing copper at Lao-tsang near Chu-kai. The dark Mesosozic 

 limestones in the vicinity of Hsiao-lo-ho contain cracks filled with 

 films of copper carbonates. I noticed that open cuts were being 

 made on them, one mile south of Tsu-kai-tang in 1910, but the 

 occurrence did not strike me as valuable. 



The district of Hui-li Chou, now in the province of Ssvi-ch'unn, 

 hut mentioned here because it once formed part of Yunnan is 

 famous for its copper mines. According to Davies there is a mine 

 at Lu-clvang, six miles south of the town. (D.. p. 214). Some 

 of the mines are mentioned in a recent article by Mr. Herbert 

 W. L. Way. (" The Minerals of Sze-chuan, China." Min. Mag., 

 July 1916, pp. 20-23). I noticed small heaps of copper slags at 

 several localities on the southern route between Hui-li Chou and 

 the Yangtze. Davies has recorded that copper and iron are mined 

 in the hills around the northern part of the Hui-li Chou valley and 

 expressed the opinion that more mining might be done if the Lolo 

 country to the east were more settled. (1)., p. 222). It is interest- 

 ing to note that all the Chinese copper-smelting in this region is 

 done with coal or coke. (D., p. 215). 



