THE CHiNESE SILVER MINE.

Waikato Times, Volume 2620, Issue XXXII, 27 April 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CHiNESE SILVER MINE.

Till: United Stages Consul »t Tientsin, in a report just pubii:-!iud, describes the only i-ili-or mines known to he worked in ail China. There are situated at Julio, about--150 miles north nf the Great Wall, in Eastern Mongolia. The two mines arc about ten milts apart, nearly 50 miles north of tlio prefectural city of Jelio ; they are called respectively the Clrmue.v Mountain and the Orphan Mountain, and have been worked for 30 years after Chinese methods. The ore is argentiferous lead or galena, and is found ill thiu streak", scattered through veins which occur between porphyry and limestone. Both miues are. in high hills, which have been burrowed with native workings, and stripped of nil ore found above waterlevel near the base of the hills. For ten years past they have produced little, as the. native miners had to stop when they reached water, as they had no means of removing it. In spite of their piimitive way of working, and their rude tools, these miners have accomplished very remarkable. results. Long, tortuous galleries, large enough to admit a man ou hands and knees, have been cut through the hardest rock in every direction, the ore and waste rock being laboriously carried to the surface in bags. They have also by long experience discovered for themselves the rudiment* of the science of smelting 1 and refining- silver ores, and are able to produce pure silver with the simplest appliances. Of lato years a royalty of 83 per eent. of the gross yield has been paid to t.h'> Government., and the minon have passed from hand to hand with steady 10-s to tho investors. Li Hung Chang took the matter up, and decided to employ a foreign expert to examine the mines. A report his been made by an American engineer that the prospects jii-tified a further outlay for pumping and hoisting machinery and for labour to open up tho mines for a more extended survey. This has been dotio: new shafts have been opened, the water ho» been pumped rout of the old ones ; the native miners havo beeu taught the u«o of foreign exelo.-ives and tools, and the te suits are favourable. In consequence the work, under foreign (.uidance and with improved methods, promises to be permanent and successful.