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certainly be worked again, now that the price of copper lias risen and labour- 
saving appliances brought to such a stage of perfection. 
When the lead mines were at work there were several smelting works in the 
Northampton District, but these had to stop when the mines suspended opera¬ 
tions. The Government, in order to revive this industry, offered a premium of 
<£10,000 for the first 10,000 tons of metallic lead produced, which, together with 
the fact that a direct line of steamers had been started, calling at Geraldton on 
the way to Singapore, in which place a good market is foimd for this metal for 
China (where even the small percentage of silver it contains is turned to account), 
tempted a company to put up a water-jacket furnace, but, through insufficient 
capital being subscribed, the company had to make an attempt with imperfect 
furnaces and machinery, and short-handed management, which resulted in failure. 
If properly carried out it should have been a success, with such clean ore in almost 
unlimited quantity, and fluxes such as ironstone and limestone on the spot. 
Since the year 1845, when almost the first shipment of ore from this district 
was made, 8,529 tons of copper, and 34,055 tons of lead ore, have been exported 
from this part of the Colony. Of the lead ore, over 23,000 tons were exported 
between the years 1874 and 1883, the largest amount exported in one year being 
3,955 tons in 1877, when it was valued at £12 per ton; in 1880 it fell to £8 per 
ton, since which date the export has rapidly decreased, as- in 1893 no lead or 
copper ore was exported. 
Irwin Mines. 
At a little later period copper and lead were foimd further South in a line of 
country between Arino Springs and the Irwin River; of these only the copper 
lodes were worked. On one claim a good deal of work was done, but the lode, 
though very promising at the surface, was never cut in depth, which was probably 
due to bad management, as all the lodes are so well defined at the surface that 
there is no reason why they should lx? lost at a depth of 80 feet. On others little 
more has been done than quarrying a few tons to send away, but as the lodes 
occur 40 miles from the port of Dongara, and the road lies for the most part over 
heavy sand plains, they were very expensive to work; but now that there is a 
railway passing close to these mines, and as the lodes are both large and rich, they 
should again be opened out, and, if smelting works be also started, they should 
both pay well. 
COPPER MINES IN THE NORTH-WEST. 
Whim Well Copper Mine. 
When it is stated that this mine was worked by about four men for a month 
or two in 1890, and that from the results the syndicate were able to pay all the 
working and preliminary expenses, some idea can be gained of the richness, size, 
and quality of the lode. It is hardly right to call it a mine, for no mining will be 
required for years, even if it be worked on a large scale, for there is a hill of 
copper ore that only requires quarrying. The lode is on the surface, forming the 
face of a low ridge running East and West for about half-a-mile, when it is lost 
at both ends. It dips gently to the North at an angle that allows it to be worked 
comfortably on the footwall, i.e. y with just sufficient pitch to allow masses to be 
rolled down, and yet not too steep for men to walk upon it. It is 12 feet in 
thickness where it has been opened, 6 feet of which can be dressed without the 
slightest trouble to 30 per cent.., and with ('are even to 40 per cent., whilst the 
other (i feet can bo dressed to 20 per cent, with a little troubJo, and if a proper 
dressing plant were erected better results could be obtained. The lode appears to 
