No. 161. J 
43 
In regard to the first of these points, it may be remarked, that 
the raising of the ores has heretofore been generally conducted in 
the rudest and most careless manner. With a few exceptions, the 
whole object of the proprietors of our mines, seems to have been 
to obtain a present supply of ore at the easiest and cheapest rate. 
Hence excavations have often been improperly made, and fine beds 
of ore have not unfrequenly been rendered valueless by the falling in 
of rocks, or by vast collections of rubbish which have accumulated. 
The consequence of these injudicious, and in some instances, ruin- 
ous operations, the result oftentimes of false notions of economy, 
has been to render this branch of mining a peculiarly expensive 
and precarious employment. This of course must have an effect 
upon the manufacturer; and it is not too much to say, that until 
the business of mining is pursued with that science and skill which 
are brought to bear upon it in other countries, there will be want- 
ing in our case one important element of success. 
A review of the processes of manufacture pursued in some parts 
of the State will, I think, afford another clue to the causes which 
have served to depress this branch of industry. And as this is 
one of the most important topics connected with the practical part 
of this investigation, I trust you will excuse me for entering some- 
what into detail. 
In the description of the ores of iron which I have already given, 
it will be observed that some of them are nearly pure; that is, 
consist almost entirely of iron and oxygen in variable proportions. 
Such are many of the ores found in the, northern counties, in Or- 
ange county, &c. As it is only necessary, in order to convert 
these pure minerals into metallic iron, that they should be depriv- 
ed of the oxygen which they contain, the reduction may be effected 
in a very simple manner. They are accordingly often mixed with 
a proper proportion of charcoal, and subjected to heat in a low or 
Catalan forge. A part of the carbon combining with the oxygen 
of the ore, passes off in the form of carbonic acid gas; while a va- 
riable proportion of the carbon also combines with the iron, and 
causes the formation of cast iron, steel, or malleable iron, accord- 
ing to circumstances. If the application of the heat be discontinu- 
ed after the first reduction of the ore, the result will be cast iron; 
but as the object in this case is usually to obtain malleable iron by 
a single process, charcoal is added and the heat continued until the 
cast iron loses its liquidity, and is converted into a loup^ as it is 
