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rpfearches, as well in'his own laboratory as in every-branch
of natural hiftory. The learned profeffor received me with
great politenefs,-and cordiality, and ihowed me his cabinet,
which is particularly rich in Swediih minerals. He obligi
n g l y communicated to me much intelligence in a very long
and interefting converfation which I had the pleafure of
holding with him, and which made me regret that my.ftay
in Upfala was fo ihort, that I could not derive any further information
from a perfon o f fuch general and accurate knowledge.
Upon my return to the inn, I immediately noted down the
principal heads of the difcourfe; the fubftance whereof I
fh a ll here literally tranfcribe from my journal.
In anfwer to my inquiries concerning'the- ft.ate o f the
Swediih mines, he informed me, that there were as well gold
andfilver, as copper,and iron mines: the produce o f the
firft, though very incon-fiderable, is remarkable for yielding
the native gold in a calcareous matrix. Thole o f the filver
are fomewhat more, profitable; but the quantity-of ore is
greatly diminilhed within thefe late years. The copper
mines o f Fahlun -are extremely rich; but I could not remember
the general ftate of their produce, and the average proportion
o f metal drawn from an hundred,-svejght of ore.
With refpedf to the iron mines, the rnoft important of all the
native profusions o f Sweden, thofe o f Danamora are the
. fineft for the quality o f the metal, although they are not fo
rich as. feveral in Lapland ; the latter fometimes producing
even 90 pounds of pure iron in an hundred weight o f ore.
The pooreft o f Danamora yield 30 pounds,, and the richeft
from 60 to 7 0, in an hundred. The iron of this celebrated
mine is in the higheft eftimation, and is chiefly exported to
England for the fteel manufactures. The matrix o f this ore
is a calcareous earth, a very remarkable circumftance ; and
which, in conjunction with other caufes not yet difcovered,
is perhaps one occafion o f the fuperior quality o f its metal.
He added, that in general the iron mines o f Sweden are found
to run in veins, a few in Lapland excepted, which do not
branch out in longitudinal directions, but conflit o f immenfe
mafles o f ore *.
I next inquired concerning the quantity o f granite rock,
which I had obfefved in different parts o f Sweden, as well
lying in detached mafles, as forming ridges o f mountains : to
which the profeflbr made anfwer, that granite is the balis o f
the country, particularly o f the Northern parts ; that hills
o f gravel and fand, and calcareous itone containing petre-
fàCtiôns o f ihefls, are indeed not unfrequent, but generally
rëpofe upon granite ; that the granite is both red and grey ;
that the former more readily crumbles and decompofes
by the lapfe of time ; and that almoft all the old Runick monuments
exifting in the country are o f the grey fpecies, which
is by far the moit durable +.
Tlie Royal Society at Upfâlais thé oldeft literary academy o f
that kind in the North. It took its rife in the year 1720
upon the following occafion. Benzelius t, librarian to the
univerfity, and afterwards archbifhop of Upfala, undertook,
* T o th efe may be added th e noted f F o r fome ac count o f profefÎor- B e rg -
feountain T a b ë fg in Smàland,' vvh’ich is one man 3 w o rk s, fee C h a p te r V I IÎ. o f this book,
mafs o f r ich iron o re ; I t is above 400 feet I E r ic Ben àeiius was- b om at U p fa la in
h igh , and three E n g liih miles ,in c ircum fe - 1-673, w h e re he began and comp leted his
fericë; A deicrrjitioti o f tlifs- mounta in, and ftudies. H a v in g ' tra velled - into. ‘G e rm a n y ,,
a.view o f i t , ferit b y D r ; Afeânius to- th e - England^ and France,, h e returned to U p fa la
late M r -P e t e r C o llin fon j was- pu b liihed in in 1702, and-was appointed librarian to the-
the Phil'ofbphical Tranfa&ioris-, V o l. XLÎX. u n iv er fity , an office ' w h ich -he h e ld for 23
T h e r e is alfo a-n, a c count o f this, moft rofu- y e ar s. In ï.724 he was nominated profeifor
lated mafs o f orb in. th e A£fs o f the R o y a l o f 'divinity ; afterwards fac'céfliveîy created:
A cademy o f Sto ckh o lm, V o l. XXL fo r th e b lih o p o f G or iieb org ,U n dk -iop3n g ,a r ld * reh «
year 1:760, communicated b y M . T illa s . bifiiop o f U p fa la . H e died in 174 3, aged
T h is mine has been w o rk e d fo r 200. y e ars 70. C e lf ii B ib . Up* H id . p . 149»,
pail-.
C H A P .
V I .