Formerly the iron was beat by mère ftrength o f arto, a
proof o f which may be gathered from the names o f many
places in Bifcay, fituated where there is neither river nor
brook, and begin, or end, with the termination ola, or
olea, either o f which in the Bifcay language, fignifies iron,
works,, fuch as Mendiola, that is, “ iron works o f the
mountain.”
According to appearance, a quintal o f ore will produce
about thirty-five pounds of good iron, and the refi-
due about thirty pounds o f flag, and dead earth. As this
¿nine neither contains fulphur, nor acids, it is not necef-
fary to mix any calcareous fubftance to fufe it, in order
to abforb thofe matters, fo troublefpme in mines, that
have the misfortune to be loaded with them, as is often
the cafe in France- However, it would not be amifs to
ufe a little of it, were i t only to affili the fufion of the
ferruginous earth, accelerate the procefs, and leffen
the flag, as well as the quantity of fuel. Thefe workmen,
by conftant experience, have acquired the proper
method of managing the ore, as well -as >to know the
quantity of coal for the forge, whicli is féldom large'r
than that of a confiderable blackfmith 5. fo that little
improvement can be made on their labours,; though by
feveral experiments, made in 17735by the JbciedaJ Bajion-
gada.; or Bifcay fociety, it appears that it would anfwer
better to roaft the iron, in a clofe chamberj than in
the
the open air, A good forge, well conducted, will yield-
to the owner above five hundred ducats a year (a); fome.
indeed, hardly produce three hundred, after paying all
charges. I t is neoeffary for them to be good cecono-
mifts, with refpecft to fuel, and to-ufe fmall forges.; for
i f they were to have fuch large ones, as are common in
moil parts o f Europe, with all the apparatus o f ham-,
mers and other implements, they would foon flrip their
mountains of wood, and the forges would be at a Hand
for want o f materials,
Befides the mine of Somorroftro, there are fevprai
others, fome o f which are worked, and others not. In
one near Bilbao, the ore is feen above ground. About
amile from the town, there is amine in a hill, pf a quite
different nature from that o f Somorroftro, being loaded
with vitriol; it is an enormous mafs of iron ore, that attracts
the vitriolic acid, which penetrating through the
ferruginous rock, diffolves the metal, arjd exhibits pa
the furface, ihaall laminae of green, blue,, and white vitriol.
Oppofite to this hill, on the other fide o f the
river, another fimilar rock produces a .quantity o f vitriol
folely o f a pale yellow, and though the colours green,
-blue, and yellow, may exift without any vitriolic acid,
chemifts are very well apprized from experience,, that the
«eommon iron dilfolved in this acid, cryilalliz.es into green
’(a) A Spanifk ducat, -worth -abonfrfohr fiiillings^aELd eight pence, • E s ig l ip o p e y ;
vitriol,