CHAPTER I. 
HISTORICAL. 
General, 
HE history of the discovery of lead and zine and the 
commercial development in mining and metallurgical 
operations of these metals constitute an interesting chapter in 
the history of civilization. It has been so well given by Mr. 
Arthur Winslow, in the early pages of his great work on the 
‘¢Lead and Zinc Deposits of Missouri’’ (volume VI, Missouri 
Geological Survey), that a large part of the chapter is here 
quoted, including foot-notes and references to literature, be- 
lieving that the republication here of a chapter no longer 
available, on account of its being out of print, will be wel- 
comed by the readers of this report : 
‘‘Lead and its properties have been known for a very long 
period, reaching back to before the beginning of history. 
Zinc was first recognized only a few hundred years ago, and 
is, hence, comparatively speaking, a modern metal. 
‘‘In prehistoric times lead does not appear to have been ex- 
tracted from its ores either in Europe or in America. Thus, 
that metal is not found among the remains of the Swiss lake 
dwellers, excepting in very small amounts in bronzes, where 
it may readily have been derived from the copper ores used. 
In America, specimens of galena have frequently been found 
in the mounds of the Mississippi valley ; but no metallic lead. 
Whitney concluded,’ after his examinations made before 1862, 
that the metal was, at least, not of common use among the 
Indians, and its reduction was probably taught by the white 
men. Within historic times, however, the use of lead dates 
back to the earliest records in Asia, Africa, Europe, and 
America. sh 
1. Whitney, J. D., and Hall, James: A Report on the Geological Survey of the State of Wis- 
consin, 1862. 
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