the Iron Ore lately found in Siberia . £27 
with a matter refembling fome blackifh, brown iron ores. 
This coat, however, covers not the whole mafs ; it is alfo 
very rich of iron, and even the tranfparent fluor yields 
fome pounds of iron in the hundred. Whoever will 
confider the mafs itfelf, or large fpecimens of it, will not 
have the lead doubt of its being worked by nature, lince 
it has no one character of f 'coriaceous matters melted by 
artificial fire, or commonly found among volcanos. 
With regard to thefe, as feeming a probable place 
where this mafs could have been formed, it may not be 
amifs to add the following obfervations. The mountains, 
where it was found, are part of the Northern extenfions 
of that mighty chain of mountains which runs from 
Well to Eafi: through Afia, and forms the natural limits 
of Siberia, with the Defarts of Tartary, the Mongols, and 
the Chinefe Empire. From the river Irtifh, where the 
forehills and lower parts of thefe mountains yield, in a 
great many places, the richefi: filver ores, the chain runs 
generally fome what to the North-eaft, and therefore ex- 
tends to the Eafi; of the river Jenifei, over a much greater 
part of Siberia than what it did before. Its forehills are 
almoft every where compofed of rocks and Jlrata y riling 
very deep to the horizon, and the horizontal layers are 
only found in the level country, in which alfo all kinds 
of foffil and petrified fea productions are very fcarce, and 
only found in the very Northern parts of Siberia. Com- 
mon flint is as fcarce in Siberia as petrifactions, and no- 
thing like productions of volcanoes any where to be 
found. Even in fome places, where hot fprings are 
found, 
