DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0035
Chap, i,] QUICKSILVER MINES. '
is carried to a large building, where it undergoes the fol-
lowing processes:—
1. Washing.—Five or six sets of sieves of different sizes
are so placed as to have a stream of water flowing through
them. The ore is thrown into the largest, and those
lumps which remain in each sieve are turned over to the
sorters, who by shaking and turning them about search out
the richest specimens, which are known by their weight
and colour. These are at once taken to the smelting-house,
where they yield from sixty to seventy per cent., while the
remainder is removed to the breaking and stamping mills.
2. Extracting native quicksilver.—Some of the ore con-
tains a large proportion of native quicksilver, adhering to
the rough and broken edges. This is obtained during the
process of washing, but is carried along with the smaller
ore by the water, and is deposited with it in long trays in
the character of fine mud. These trays are then shaken,
when the native quicksilver settling at the bottom is easily
separated, and the mud is carried off to the smelting-
house.
3. Breaking the ore.—The pieces of ore which in the first
operation were taken away to be broken up, before they
were burnt, for the purpose of separating the good from the
bad, are placed under heavy iron-shod masses of wood,
which, being raised by a large water-wheel, are made to fall
upon iron blocks, on which the ore is placed. A small
stream of water carries off all the broken ore through an
iron grating into another apartment, where it is deposited
in troughs, and generally yields from twelve to fifteen per
cent. This and the small sand or mud from the first wash-
ings, after being cleansed of the native quicksilver, is then
placed in shallow trays, over which water flows slowly,
while the trays are gently shaken, so as to cause all the
heavy particles containing metal to settle at once, while
the lighter portion is either carried away by the water, or
settles at the further end; in either case it is useless; but
the heavy parts are removed to the smelting-house.
4. Smelting.—This operation is only carried on during
is carried to a large building, where it undergoes the fol-
lowing processes:—
1. Washing.—Five or six sets of sieves of different sizes
are so placed as to have a stream of water flowing through
them. The ore is thrown into the largest, and those
lumps which remain in each sieve are turned over to the
sorters, who by shaking and turning them about search out
the richest specimens, which are known by their weight
and colour. These are at once taken to the smelting-house,
where they yield from sixty to seventy per cent., while the
remainder is removed to the breaking and stamping mills.
2. Extracting native quicksilver.—Some of the ore con-
tains a large proportion of native quicksilver, adhering to
the rough and broken edges. This is obtained during the
process of washing, but is carried along with the smaller
ore by the water, and is deposited with it in long trays in
the character of fine mud. These trays are then shaken,
when the native quicksilver settling at the bottom is easily
separated, and the mud is carried off to the smelting-
house.
3. Breaking the ore.—The pieces of ore which in the first
operation were taken away to be broken up, before they
were burnt, for the purpose of separating the good from the
bad, are placed under heavy iron-shod masses of wood,
which, being raised by a large water-wheel, are made to fall
upon iron blocks, on which the ore is placed. A small
stream of water carries off all the broken ore through an
iron grating into another apartment, where it is deposited
in troughs, and generally yields from twelve to fifteen per
cent. This and the small sand or mud from the first wash-
ings, after being cleansed of the native quicksilver, is then
placed in shallow trays, over which water flows slowly,
while the trays are gently shaken, so as to cause all the
heavy particles containing metal to settle at once, while
the lighter portion is either carried away by the water, or
settles at the further end; in either case it is useless; but
the heavy parts are removed to the smelting-house.
4. Smelting.—This operation is only carried on during