ascertained to be a most valuable ore of manganese, useful to the dyer and clothier.

In the same pulverised state, before described, it is invaluable as a manure, or stimulant for vegetation, altogether superior to sulphate of lime.

It is composed of silex, lime, sulphur and manganese, and is a new mineral, which we call the

CLINTONITE.

This mineral was subjected to one hundred experiments, by myself, in May and June 1828.

There is a lias, near the Portage summit, which makes an excellent water cement. I know of no salt water in the interior of the United States, which does not issue from beneath a lias limestone, and from a great many experiments, tried on specimens of this rock, found in many parts of the secondary region, of the Western states, we are disposed to the belief that our salt water, in the interior, is produced by this rock, from below which, salt brine rises to the surface, wherever the earth has been bored deep enough, to pass below this rock.

Throughout nearly our whole hilly region, equal to ten thousand square miles of territory, this lias, is deposited, declining gently towards the southeast. There are about 100 salt works, in the state, employed in the manufacture of salt, about seventy of which, are located along the Muskingum river and its branches, in the counties of Muskingum, Morgan and Guernsey. The other salt works are in Athens, Hocking, Meigs and Gallia counties. The declination of this salt rock is ascertained to be at least, thirty feet in a mile, towards the southeast. Many of the salt wells in Morgan county are six hundred feet deep; some of them are two hundred feet deeper. The same declination, is observed along the Ohio river, from the mouth of the Scioto river, to that of the Muskingum, in all the rocks lying in place. It is true, of all the strata in all that region, of iron ore, limestone, sandstone, and clay. So it may be said, of the coal formation. This information is of importance, to the miner and the salt

manufacturer, and should be always remembered by them, when in search of either ores, or salt water.

IRON ORES,

Are found in quantities, sufficient for every useful purpose, forever, in almost every county in our hilly region, from the summit between the waters of the Ohio, and lake Erie, to the Ohio river itself. In Tuscarawas county, the canal passes through the iron ore, where it lies in inexhaustible beds, within sight of the canal, and very near it. This ore melts easily, and yields a soft malleable iron, suitable for castings and bars. In some places, it is combined with sulphur, from which copperas was made, formerly, in considerable quantities at Zanesville and Steubenville.

The common red hematite exists in large quantities, in the counties of Tuscarawas, Holmes, Coshocton, Muskingum, Hocking, Athens, Meigs, Lawrence, Scioto, Adams, Ross, Highland, Licking and several other counties in the hilly region. It exists, also, in Kentucky, opposite to Lawrence and Scioto counties, where large quantities of iron are manufactured, by the Messrs. Trimble, and others. To estimate the value of the iron manufactured in this state, now, is impossible from any data in our possession, though we know that it does amount to, from seven to ten millions of dollars annually. Its value and quantity are rapidly increasing, and will increase, for centuries to come, because the quantity of ore is inexhaustible.

CLAYS.

In the counties of Lawrence, Perry and Muskingum, a white clay is found, in abundance, suitable for pots and crucibles, used in glass factories. It stands the heat very well, growing whiter when it is exposed to the greatest heat. It will one day, be used extensively, in the manufacture of Liverpool earthen wares. It contains no iron, and is almost infusible before the blow pipe.

The substances denominated clays, are mixtures of silex

and alumine; and they sometimes, contain other ingredients, which give them various colors. Their hardness is never great. They are easily cut with a knife, and may be polished by the finger nail. When thrown into water they crumble more or less readily, and become minutely divided. Many of our clays, when moistened, yield a peculiar odour, called argilaceous. Some varieties, by a due degree of moisture, and by proper management, are converted into a paste, more or less ductile, and constitute the basis, of several kinds of pottery. Other varieties, when immersed in water, are resolved into a fine, loose powder, nearly, or quite, destitute of ductility, and are employed as pigments. Such are found in Lawrence county, where they were formerly used instead of Spanish whiting.

A few remarks on the uses of clays which are ductile, may not here be out of place. These clays when duly moistened, if they possess unctuosity, ductility and tenacity, are capable of assuming various forms, without breaking. They possess a strong affinity for water, hence their avidity for moisture, and hence, they strongly adhere to the tongue or the lip.

To the existence of clay beneath the surface, we are chiefly indebted, for all our springs, which rise and flow on the surface, because these clays resist the further progress downwards, of the waters which falling on the surface, settle downwards, until stopped by the clay beneath. They are then compelled to rise in valleys, or run out of the sides of hills, and descend into the valleys below them. They then form rivulets and heads of rivers.

Of all the earthy matters, clays contribute most to the uses of man. They constitute the basis of bricks, with which, our houses are built;-they constitute too, the basis, of almost every variety of pottery, from the homely, common earthen ware, up to the beautiful, translucid porcelain. On so extensive a subject, a few facts only, will be brought forward, as more, would not be tolerated, by the general reader. Clays are essentially composed of silex and alumine, and this mixture, in any given proportions to each other, is infusible, in any fur

nace, whose fire, is supported by atmospheric air only. So, also, pure alumine, or a mixture of alumine and lime, is infusible, but, a compound of these three earths, becomes fusiblemost easily, when the proportions are, alumine one part, lime one part, and sand three parts. But if the proportions of sand be increased it becomes infusible.

According to M. ALEXANDRE BROGNIART, Director of the celebrated porcelain factory at Sévres in France, the general process, in all kinds of pottery, made with washed clays, may be reduced to the following six steps: subject to modification, in different varieties.

1. The washing of clays, by agitation in water. The sand subsides, while the finer particles of clay remain suspended in water, which is decanted, and the sandy particles remain at the bottom, and are thrown away, while the water, in which the finer particles remain, is left to precipitate its clay. Thus the sand is separated from the finer parts of the clay. Having gotten rid of the sand, the next process, is,

2. The composition of the paste. This paste, is the clay that gives it consistency, when moist, and hardness when baked; but to this clay, is added, either silex or hard baked clay, in a state of powder, to prevent cracks while drying and baking, to give firmness and solidity, and to enable the pottery to resist the frequent changes of temperature. Sometimes a fusible ingredient is added to the paste.

3. This paste, after remaining for a time in water, is beaten and kneaded, to render it ductile, and of uniform consistency, and, to drive out the air, that may be in it.

4. The forming the several articles on a lathe or in a mould.

5. When the articles are sufficiently dried, they are baked in a furnace or kiln; but, in most instances, they are put in cases of infusible clay. The baking should be conducted slowly, and as the heat becomes more intense, the ware becomes more dense and compact, but at the same time, more liable to injury by alternate exposure to heat and cold. In this state,

when merely baked, the finer wares are called biscuit, and, in appearance, resemble white marble, or a tobacco pipe.

6. The last step, is the application of a coat of glazing to prevent the ware from soiling, and from absorbing liquids, when the vessels are employed in the arts of life. This enamel or glazing is varied and modified, according to the nature of the ware. It generally consists of some oxide, or earth, and in many cases, is vitrified before it is applied to the biscuit. The oxide of lead, is the common ingredient, in these enamels, being casily fusible. But its use is dangerous, when used in large quantities, to the health, in consequence of the action of acids upon it, or even of oils. The enamel is generally applied by immersing the ware, in water, in which, the enamel, reduced to a very fine powder, is suspended. The biscuit rapidly absorbs the water, and thus, a thin coat of enamel is uniformly deposited on its surface. Sometimes the same degree of heat is required, to fuse the enamel and bake the ware. For the benefit of our Zanesville manufacturers of earthen ware, we have been to France, for information, for them, and now, step over to England, on the same errand. In England, they have employed a very ingenious method of applying colored figures to their wares. The figures are first cut on copperplates, the coloring matters, are mixed with a flux, and ground in oil, and applied to the copper plate; an impression is taken on a paper, which is applied to the ware, or biscuit, which is at the proper time, immersed in water, until by a gentle agitation, in the water, the paper falls off, while the impression of the figures, remains on the ware, which is then baked. By looking carefully at some articles of queensware, we can discover, where the ends of the paper, met, on the article. It is said, that this art of printing figures on ware, was discovered by mere accident. When an article was about to be put into the furnace, to be baked, a printed paper, adhering to a vessel, the potter supposing that the fire would burn the paper, and destroy it, let the paper remain on the vessel; but what was his surprise, on seeing every figure and letter of the burnt hand-bill, on the baked ware!