Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/47

Rh or the poverty of the veins, they were diſcontinued. We are told of a rich mine of native copper on the Oubache, below the upper Wiaw.

The mines of iron worked at preſent are Callaway's, Roſs's, and Ballendine's, on the ſouth ſide of James's River; Old's on the north ſide, in Albemarle; Miller's in Auguſta, and Zane's in Frederic. Theſe two laſt are in the valley between the Blue ridge and North mountain. Callaway's, Roſs's, Miller's, and Zane's, make about 150 tons of bar iron each, in the year. Roſs' makes alſo about 1600 tons of pig iron annually; Ballendine's 1000; Callaway's, Miller's, and Zane's about 600 each. Beſides theſe, a forge of Mr. Hunter's, at Frederickſburg, makes about 300 tons a year of bar iron, from pigs imported from Maryland; and Taylor's forge on Neapſco of Patowmac, works in the ſame way, but to what extent I am not informed. The indications of iron in other places are numerous, and diſperſed through all the middle country. The toughneſs of the caſt iron of Roſs's and Zane's furnace is very remarkable. Pots and other utenſils, caſt thinner than uſual, of this iron, may be ſafely thrown into, or out of the waggons in which they are tranſported. Salt-pans made of the ſame, and no longer wanted for that purpoſe, cannot be broken up, in order to be melted again, unleſs previouſly drilled in many parts.

In the weſtern country, we are told of iron mines between the Muſkingum and Ohio; of others on Kentucky, between the Cumberland and Barren rivers, between Cumberland and Taniſſee, on Reedy creek, near the Long iſland, and on