Geological researches in China, Mongolia, and Japan, during the years 1862-1865.

CHINA, MONGOLIA, AND JAPAN. 81
An overshot water-wheel turns a slender shaft, armed with long cams, by which
the stamps are raised. These last are ten in number, of wood, about nine feet long
and four inches square, and bear inserted in their lower ends, iron heads from one
and a half to two inches square. Each stamp acts in a separate stone mortar, set
into the ground, and powders thirty kan,l or two hundred and fifty pounds of ore
per day of twelve hours. After being stamped the ore is sifted and sent to the
wash-house, where it is concentrated to a very pure schlich by hand washing in
wooden pans. This work is done mostly by women.
The furnace in which the ore is smelted is a cavity in the ground, lined with
charcoal powder kneaded with puddled clay,
forming a hemispherical crucible (b) about 14
inches broad and 10 inches deep, with an Fig 10
underdrainage. In front is an earthen shield
(c) to reflect the force of the blast, which en- a
ters through a clay nozzle (d) from the boxbellows (e). The greater part of the smoke,
etc., passes off through a large chimney (a).
The crucible is lined with charcoal, and
when fully dried about 80 lbs. of ore is added
and covered with charcoal. When half melted 30 per cent. of pig-iron in lumps of
about an inch cube is added. As soon as about one-half of the galena is freed from
its sulphur, the whole is stirred. After about two hours the coals are withdrawn,
the blast stopped, and water is thrown on the bath to cool the first layer of matte.
This is repeated six or seven times till the surface of the lead is free, when it is
cast in bars, the matte being thrown away.
We have in this operation the simplest form of the precipitation process, the
Niederschlag Arbeit of the Germans.
The greatest production at these mines was in 1860, when, during three
months, it averaged about 600 lbs. daily; at the time of my visit it was about
80 Ibs.
The running daily expenses of production for this small result of 80 lbs. were
nearly as follows.230 miners, averaging 6 cents...... $1 80
30 coolies, at 8 "..... 2 40
7 overseers, at 5 "...... 35
1 carpenter.......... 8
26 ore dressers, averaging 3 cents.. 78
2 stamp tenders, at 4 "...... 8
1 smelter.......... 8
2 smelter's assistants, at 4 cents...... 3
200 lbs. of charcoal......... 1.7
30 Ibs. of inferior pig-iron,....... 16
$5 98
1 1 Kan is equal to about 8 lbs.
2 Assuming the ichibu to be worth $0 33.
11 June, 1866.