59° 
The whole, indeed, of this fide of the 
ifland, whenever the furface islaid bare by 
torrents, or the rain, fhows itfelf to be 
fully charged with iron; all the rocks on 
the coaft are interfected with veins of iron 
ore, more or lefs pure, and mixed with 
white and red quartz, The rocks them- 
felves are fchiftofe, confifting for the mott 
part of novaculite very hard and compact ; 
when expofed to the air, however, pafling 
_ by decompofition into a white clay of great 
finenefs. 
The ore is not found in veins but in 
detached maffes of various fizes, and at 
different depths, without any apparent 
order or continuity, prefenting the metal 
under the various forms of ochre, hematite, 
micaceous iron ore, manganefe, and the 
cryftallized ore: this latter isthe kind that is 
found inthe greateft abundance, and from 
which the former appear to be only deriva- 
tives. The commoneft variety of the 
cryftallized is in the form of irregular py- 
ramids and needles cluftered together, and 
of a grey colour, and brilliant metallic 
fplendour, like polifhed caft iron. The 
other two varieties offer cryftallizations in 
the form of nail-heads and prifms, fome as 
large as the finger, and of {cales or plates 
fixed in each other in various direétions. 
Thefe varieties have no uniform colour, 
but unite in fplendid affemblage the ‘bril- 
liancy of polithed fteel with the brighteft 
tints of green, red, black, brown, yellow, 
blue and violet cf every fhade. Cryftals 
of quartz are often found intermixed, dif 
playing all the colours of the metal with 
which they are furrounded. 
The fpecific gravity of the ore. is nearly 
fix times that of water, its hardnefs is 
very great, and it is for the moft part en- 
tirely free from earthy admixtures: it 
confifts of iron and about 40 per cent of 
Lift of Difeofes. 
[July 7, 
fulphur, on which account it is readily fu- 
fible. , 
‘The whole mine is entirely open to the 
air, forming a large quarry or excavation, 
nearly 2000 yards in extent, and of very 
various depth: the ore begins to be met 
with thirty or forty yards below the fur 
face, and feems more abundant and purer 
in proportion to the depth from which it 
is procured : the fuperincumbent earth and 
loofe ftones are cleared away by the fpade 
and pick-axe, and the blecks of ore re- 
duced to fmaller pieces by blafting. 
The fcarcity of wood in the ifland ren- 
ders it impoffible to fmelt any of the ore 
on the fpot ; the whole of it, therefore, is 
difpofed of at the very moderate price of 
about twenty fhillings a ton, to the foun- 
deries of Sardinia, Tufcany, Genoa, Cor- . 
fica, and the Ecclefiaftical State. Hereit 
is manufa€tured in the common manner, 
except that it requires no flux in the {melt- 
ing procefs. The produce of caft iron is 
about 79, and of bar iron about 50 per cent. 
The Elban iron is of the very beft qua- 
lity, equal to the fineft Swedifh: it may 
be wrought both hot and cold with the 
greatett facility, is remarkable tough and 
firingy;, and entirely free from that brit- 
tleneis when heated, which the beft French 
and Spanifh is but too apt to poffefs. On 
account of thefe valuable properties it is 
preferred, whenever it is known, to all 
other kinds for barréls of mufkets. 
The property of this mine is vefted in 
the Prince of Piombino, who is fovereign of 
the whole ifland, except Porto-Ferraie and 
Porto-Langone, the one being ufurped by 
Tufcany, and tke other by Naples. It 
finds occupation for about a hundred and 
fifty of his fubje&ts, and brings ina clear 
annual revenue to the prince of 80,co0e 
crowns. 


LIST OF DISEASES IN LONDON. 
Monthly Report. of Difeafes admitted under the Care of the Phyficians of the Finfbury 
Ditpenfary, St. John’s Square, Clerkenwell. 
Lift of Difeafes, Sc. from May 20, to Fune 20. 
No. of Cafes. 
Fy £MorR OIDs - 4. 
Worms - - - - 7 
Prurigo, . < - - II 
Scrophula - - 3 
Jaundice - - - 2 
Paralyfis - - 2 3 
Cough and Dyfpne = “ 14 
