Dreffing of Lead Ore nearly the fame as Copper, 243. Of Peafy, Bing, and Smitham; by Cobbing, Buckering, and Jigging, 244. The method of sampling Copper Ore, 245.

CHA P. III.

A Summary of the Dreffing of Gold, Silver, and Semi-Metals, &c.

Go

HOLD duft dreffed in bowls-Brazillians frame Gold upon the hairy part of an ox-hide, 246. Quickfilver ponderous, and will bear water-Semi-Metals and Mineral falts dreffed by water, 247.

BOOK V.

CHA P. I.

On the Art of Affaying Ores and Minerals; defcribing the Utenfils and Fluxes for Affaying.

PR

ROEM, 248. The Fluxus Niger, and White Refining Flux, how to make, 249. Of the furnace for assaying and testing, 249. How to discover the contents of a Mineral in the liquid way, by a menftruum, 250. To affay Pyrites, Marcafites, or Mundicks, for Gold or Silver, 251. Method of fcorifying the regulus of Mundick, 251. Intention of this process explained, 252. Cornish china-ware crucibles, recommended for retaining glass of Lead—their compofition, 253. They must be guarded-Of Cuppellation, 254. Of the making of Cuppels-their ufe, 255. Process Procefs to difcover whether the product of the affay contains Gold, and the quantity, by precipitations from folutions in aqua fortis, 256. Of proof aqua fortis, 257. How to affay Tin for Gold, 258. This procefs elucidated-Method to try the firft fcoria for Silver-explained, 259. The fame process applicable to Copper or other Metal, 260. How to affay Copper Ore-Of calcining the Ore, 260. Of scorifying, 261. That operation explained-Of refining the impure Copper, 262. Often repeated-Of reducing the scoria for refining the Prill-A nice operation, 263. To affay Copper Ore the regule way, 264. How to calculate the value

of

of a ton of Copper Ore by the assay, 264, 265, 266. To affay Lead, 267. the operation explained, 268. To affay Tin Ore Of feparating the fcoria of Pillion Tin, 269. To affay Cobalt, by the blow-pipe-of calcining, making the regulus, and refining thereof—Regulus of Semi-Metals, the efficient cause of their colours, 270. To affay Bismuth, 271.

Ć HA P. II.

Of Smelting of Copper Ores in the great Furnaces called Copper Works.

F the conftruction of furnaces and the Materials thereof, 271, 272. The calciner, the reverberatory furnaces, 273, 274. Process of calcining, 274. Of the operation furnace, and repeated fmeltings therein, 274. Of the Metal calciner, and the operation there—Of the Metal furnace, and the operation there-of roafting-Of the coarse refinery-Of the ultimate refinery of the Metal, 275. very expensive to bring into fine Metal, 276. Remarks, 277. History of smelting Copper Ores in Cornwall and Wales, 277, 278. Propofal to fubject Copper Mines to ftannary laws-Further history and remarks on fmelting Copper Ore in Cornwall, 279, 280.

CHA P. III.

Of Smelting Tin Ore, or Black Tin, in the great Furnaces at the Smelting-House.

O'

F the ancients smelting Tin with wood, and the introduction of pit-coal, 281, 282. Of the furnace — the charging, fluxing, and tapping the furnace-Sizing the scoria -Stamping and dreffing them, 282, 283. Of the large float, and remelting the Tin, and its final lading into blocks for coining-Of the remaining drofs-its further purification-Of the flaggs called Hard-heads, 284. The requifites of a good Tin fmelter-Obfervations and reflections, 285.

СНАР.

CHA P. IV.

Of the Sale of Copper Ores; and of Black Tin at the SmeltingHouse, and after it is fmelted and coined in Blocks.

OF

F the ancient method of felling Copper Ore in Cornwall, 286. Of the present manner by ticketing, 287. easy and concife, 288. Obfervations and reflections, 289, 290. Of felling or bartering black Tin for white-Form of a Tin bill, or promiffory note for Tin, 291. Of negociating or selling the bill-terms, 292.

INTRO

INTRODUCTION.

A

S all ages from the foundation of the world, have been productive of continual improvements, and different modifications of matter; fo likewife every kingdom and province, has experienced the viciffitude of time and things, and that rotation to which all matter is liable. However, amidst all the changes of fublunary affairs, each country respectively has been ever remarkable for its peculiar produce, trade, and commerce; and we may suppose from the nature of particular things, which are solid and durable, that the constituent principles of Minerals and Metals, although subject to a degree of fluctuation common to the mundane fyftem, have undergone the leaft variety of any matter. Hence it is we find, that most countries, which have been remarkable, time out of mind, for fupplying the world with certain Minerals and Metals, refpectively maintain to this day a fuperiority for their fingular products.

Among fuch, the ancient kingdom of DUNMONIUM, which fignifies Hills of Tin Mines, and takes its name from thence, may with great propriety claim a distinction in the annals of Metallurgy; but more eminently ought that part of it called Cornwall to be distinguished, as having, perhaps, yielded more Tin in one year, than Devonshire has done in half a century. I may yet proceed, and infer, how fuper-eminently this little province of Great-Britain deserves to be ranked amongst the first principles of this island, as a nation and people, whose very name, according to the ancient authority of Bochart, and the later opinion of Boerhave, is derived from Bratanack, which, in the Phenician language, fignifies The Land of Tin.

Tyre and Sidon were fituate in Phenicia, a part of the ancient Palestine; and were the first maritime powers that we read of, either in facred or profane history. Tyre (the grand fea-port and mart of Phenicia) was taken and entirely demolished by Nebuchadnezzar, in the thirty-second year of his reign, and in the year 573 before Chrift; fo that the latest date of their trading here, cannot be less than four and twenty centuries

fince. I believe it is agreed by all writers, that they were the first who used to frequent this ifland for commerce; that they traded upon the western coafts of Cornwall, full fix hundred years before the coming of our Saviour; and that their navigation to it, was for the fake of our Tin. They confidered this traffick as a point of fuch consequence, that they erected forts and castles on our coasts for the protection and preservation of their commerce; and a great number of the proper names of men and places in Cornwall, are plainly derived from the Syriac tongue.

The learned doctor Borlafe inclines to an etymology from a Hebrew root, whose termination Tania of Grecian extraction, gives another idea of the name in queftion: but if we admit the Phenician language to be immediately derived from her neighbour, and the mother of tongues, we may incline very easily to confider our county, as the parent of one general name for the whole island; and that the antiquity of our Tin trade has been established upon mercantile principles, for at least two thousand four hundred years past.

I hope the reader will not judge it improbable, if we fuppofe that the first inhabitants of Cornwall and Devon, after the flood, were well acquainted with Tin in its richeft Mineral state; for it requires no uncommon degree of intellectual examination to comprehend, that, in the earlieft ages from that grand epocha, our richest shode and stream Tin must have been found plentifully diffeminated upon the furface of our vallies, and the fides of our hills and mountains. Thofe fragments and nodules, by their colour, shape, and gravity, must have attracted the notice and confideration of the firft natives, if they did not allure the attention of those immediate emigrants who were "fcattered

over the face of the earth, when the fons of men multiplied "in the land." We have, therefore, much plaufibility on our fide to conjecture, that Tin was known as a Metal among our progenitors, fo long as four and thirty centuries ago.

They could not obferve the fingular shape and weight of fhode and stream Tin, without confidering the contents as a Mineral, which by its fuperior gravity would afford fome metalline substance; efpecially, when by a comparison with the Mineral Ores of other Metals, known long before the flood, they must have had all the reafon in the world to conclude upon its metalline confiftence. Information, or perhaps experience

in