SIMPLE MINERALS. 
451 
supplied the Portuguese, and afterwards the 
Dutch, with great quantities of gold dust.* 
^5. Silver, — There are several silver mines in 
the territory of Tunis ; others are reported to 
exist in the mountains behind Mosambique, also 
in those behind Congo. Browne heard that silver 
abounded in Zanfara, a country to the west of 
Darfur. He is single in this respect, and I sus- 
pect it is a mistake. 
■ Copper, — Considerable quantities of this 
metal are found in the western Atlas, also in the 
territory of Tunis ; and there are copper mines 
at Fertit, bordering on Fur, to the south. It 
occurs also in Abyssinia, abundantly behind Mo- 
sambique and also in Madagascar. It is equally 
abundant in the southern part of the mountains 
behind Congo, also in the mountains of the Da- 
maras, north of Orange river. I do not find the 
species of ore accurately described ; but it would 
appear, that in some districts in Southern Africa, 
it is vitreous copper ore. 
L'on, — This metal is found in considerable 
quantity in Morocco, and in the country behind 
Sofala, where it is chiefly worked by the Makoo- 
anas. Mines of iron are said to occur in Abyssi- 
nia. Red hematite, an ore of iron, occurs in 
veins in sandstone, in the mountains near the 
* Jameson's Mineralogy, Vol. iii. 
