XXXI . — Extracts from the Minute Book of the Geological Society. 
1809, April 7. 
A notice respecting the Mucrus Mine, Killarney, by Mr. Wright, 
communicated by Dr. Babington, was read. 
The Mucrus Mine was worked for about five years (from 1749 
to 1754) to great advantage ; the depth was then thirty-six fathoms, 
but the part of the vein within reach of the first shaft having become 
too narrow to pay for the expense of a second, it was determined to 
sink some distance to the east in the direction of the vein, which 
was thus recovered at the depth of from seventeen to twenty fathoms. 
It yielded yellow copper ore, and was five feet wide ; the ore how- 
ever being too sulphureous it was abandoned, though the original 
shaft had brought in £80,000, and was so easily drained that a 
common windlass kept it dry. The cobalt being totally unknown, 
except to a single adventurer (who on one occasion took away about 
twenty tons) was neglected, and landed only as rubbish, till a more 
experienced miner, since dead, at last pointed out its nature and 
value. From that time people visiting the mine have carried off 
specimen after specimen, so that the original profusion would now 
be doubtful, were not these circumstances recollected by most 
persons then resident in the neighbourhood. The ore has a granu- 
lated and metallic appearance ; it has the hardness of stone ; its 
colour is dark blue, tending to a beautiful pink. A mass of about, 
a quarter of a hundred weight had the appearance of being found 
