INTRODUCTION. 



41 



substances, and constitutes the chief ingredient of animal and vegetable matter. Coinmon 

 charcoal consists almost entirely of carbon. The diamond, the most precious of all minerals, 

 is pure carbon. It hai, been ascertained, by repeated experiments, that the diamond is com- 

 pletely combustible. This, as well as the other fine gems, is found chiefly in South America 

 and in India. It is remarkable, that the precious stones, as well as the precious metals, are con- 

 fined chiefly to equatorial regions. Amber must be regarded as a mineral, though it seems to 

 be a resinous gum, produced by trees. It is chiefly found in the countries bordering on the 

 southern part of the Baltic Sea. It was formerly taken by the fishermen, in nets, but is now 

 procured by digging in the hills of sand along the coast. The largest piece ever obtained 

 weighed 13| pounds, and is preserved in the royal museum of Berlin. 



The fourth class of minerals comprehends the metals. Platina, the heaviest of these, and 

 even more valuable than gold itself, is found in the gold mines of America, and in the Ural 

 mountains. It has been obtained only in small quantities, but has been coined in Russia. 

 Some gold is found in Norway and Sweden. The gold mines of Hungary are more pro- 

 ductive ; but all the gold mines of Europe are trifling in comparison with those of South 

 America. These mines we shall notice elsewhere, as well as those of Mexico. Gold, in 

 considerable quantities, is found in the Southern States. The islands of Borneo, of Ce- 

 lebes, and of Sumatra, situated under the equator, contain very rich mines of this metal. 

 Nearly all the rivers of Africa bring down with them particles of it, mixed with the sand. 

 Upon the coast of Guinea, it is said, that one person may pick up several ounces in a day. 

 Silver is found in various forms, but most commonly mixed with arsenic, in the state of 

 ore. There are mines in Siberia, Norway, Saxony, the Hartz Mountains, and other places 

 in Europe ; but the amount of silver obtained from them is small. The silver mines of Potosi, 

 once the most prolific in the world, are now exhausted. Peru, and many other parts of South 

 America, abound in silver. INIexico has produced annually more than 20,000,000 of dollars. 

 Mercury is found in small quantities, both in America, and in Europe. This metal requires so 

 little heat for its fusion, that it always remains in a liquid state in our climate. In the arctic 

 regions it becomes solid ; it is then almost as malleable as tin. 



Lead is generally found mineralized by sulphur, forming an ore called galena, which is almost 

 always mixed with iron, with antimony, and especially with silver. Lead is not found in abun- 

 dance anywhere in the north of Europe or Asia. It exists in great quantities in Germany, France, 

 and England. The lead mines of Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, are elsewhere de- 

 scribed. Copper is an abundant mineral, and is found in all parts of the world. Tin abounds 

 in Cornwall, in England. It is also found in Saxony, but scarcely ever in other parts of Eu- 

 rope. America and Africa produce little of it. It is found in Hindoostan, Malacca, and the 

 islands of Sumatra and Japan. Iron is extensively distributed throughout the earth. Tho 

 mountains of Norway and Sweden contain immense quantities of it. In the southern part of 

 Sweden and in Missouri are mountains composed entirely of iron ore. The north of Asia 

 abounds in iron. Southern Africa, all parts of the United States, and Canada, are also pro- 

 vided with ample stores of this useful metal. 



