CHINESE TRADE, 445 



plants which grow upon thefe mountains 

 are greener and taller than any where elfe ; 

 but the trees feldom produce fruit. When 

 a thick mift, or vapour, which does not 

 afcend very high, is feen to arife from the 

 mountain, it is a certain fign that there is a 

 mine of quickfilver below. The richeft 

 mines are thofe fituated towards the north : 

 they are always fur rounded by water, which 

 muft be evacuated before they are worked. 



It is feldom poiTible to get quickfilver pure 

 from the mine, as it is found mixed with 

 earth, or reduced to natural cmnabar, that 

 is to fay, mercury combined with fulphur* 

 If the mercury is mixed only with a fmall 

 quantity of earth, it is llrained through a 

 flaamoy fkin, on which the earth remains 

 alone j but when it is in the form of native 

 cinnabar, it muft be extraded by means of 

 iron and fire. The iron ferves to detach 

 the fulpliurcous acid which confined the 



mercury ; 



