Volume 18 (1869) (430 pages)

The Mining and Scientific Press. Ww. B. MWER. A. T. DEWEY. DEWEY & CoO., Publishers. Orrice—No. 414 Clay street, between Sansome and Battery. Writers should be cautious nbout addressing correspondence relating to the business or Interestsot a firm to an individual member thereof, wbose absence at the time might causo dclay. Terms of Subscription; One copy, per annum, in advance. One copy, six months, in advance Carriers and gayFor sule by Newsdealers. 6@ : Our Agents. Our Feiexps can do mnch in aid of our paper and the cause of practical knowledse and science, hy assisting our Agents In their labors of canvassing, by lending their influence and encouraging favors. e shall send none but ‘worthy men. Traveling Agents. A. B. Bure, California, agent and correspondent. Wx. H, Murray, California. Tin _L. G. Yates, Callfornia. 8. H. Hernine. Californla and Nevada, T. G. ANDERSON, Nevada. Mesident Agents. Waite Pixk District.—Alexander Bruckman, liamllton, Nevida. HeLena, Montana.—R. F. May. Buack Haws, C, T.—Harper M. Orahond, H CunteaL City, ©, T.--Méssrs. Richards & Cranc, of the Citv Book Store, Main strect, will act as our agents. GrorRGETOWN, ¢.T.—John A. Lafferty, Postmaster, {s onr agentin this place. SARTRE City, C. T.—Messrs. Woolworth & Moffat, arc our agents for this place. 5 Guerenng, 0. T.—Mr. Robert Becrsls our authorized agent for this place. Omana, N. T.—Messrs. Barkalow & Brothers, are our agents for thls place. A. S. Hopkins, No. 70 J street, Sacramento. Mr. A. C. nox, {sour city sollciting and collecting Agent, and all subscriptions, or other favors extended to him, willbe duly acknowledged at thisoffice. Jan. ll, 1866. San Francisco: Saturday Morning, Jan. 9, 1869. Notices t0 Correspondents. Barometer.—No reason seems to have existed for predicting that the present winter would hea very dry one, and consequently adverse to the growth of the forthcoming wheat crop. On the contrary, 2s faras ordinary appearances have occurred, reasouing from the analogy of former years, at least an average rain-fall for the seasons 1868-69 might fairly he anticipated. Our rain-fall, and the general hygrometric state of the atmosphere, is usually found to depend so much upon the directiou of the wind, rather than its specific gravity, that the useful instrument whose name you have assumed as a nom de plume has, with many in fhis State, almost fallen intodisuetude. Occasions, however, occur sometimes in which the indications of that valuahle instrument may be studied by the working farmer to great practical advantage. A very instrnetive lesson of the kind has taken place during the current week, the first part of which, to all external appearances, threatened a very heavy and continuons rain-fall. Owiug, however, to the denser condition of the atmosphere as indicated by the harometer, we were . only annoyed with dense fogs, which cleared off as the snn hecame moro powerfnl and approached its meridian. * * As these remarks were written during the fine days of the commencement of the week, superficial ohservers may imagine that the ohservations mado have heen negatived by the rain-fall which took place on Thursday evening, which, however, did not occur until a fall in the barometer lad taken place, and even with that fact the pluviose element ceased on the appearance of day. H. W. O. M., Boise City, I. T.—The name of the gem is not chisoprase, but chrysoprase; the magazinist reterred to being at fault. Your Gael scholars will have no ditliculty in finding the roots of the latter word, The mineral isa leek-green, translucent quartz, more properly chaleedony, colored hy nickel. From chrys, gold, and prase, leek, Communications have been received from *“*¢, H. A.” Owen’s River; from ‘‘H. M.” Boise City. ‘‘P. 8.” Batopilas, Mexico, isin typo and will appear next week. L. C., Monitor, Alpine County.— Your suite of rocks and minerals met with in your tunnel, is interestiug, and will he attended tu. Ture New Mints.—Dnring tho past year the Branch Mint building at Carson City, Nevada, has heen completed, and the necessary machinery and fixtnres lave been forwarded, The new Mint at San Francisco will not be longin getting into operation. Its cost is estimated at upwards of a million of dollars. The entire deposits at the Branch Mint in San Jrancisco, were formerly in unparted bullion; now nearly two-thirds of the amount is deposited in hars refined by private estahlishments. Amalgamation with the Aid of Elee-. tricity--The Nolf Process. We are enabled, this week, to furuish our readers with something more definite regarding the Nolf electro-metallurgical process, whereby an electric cnrrent is hrought to hear to facilitate the desired chemical operations in pan amalgamatiou, under conditions in many respects nearly identical with the Patio Process. Such is Mr. Nolf’s invention,—reference to which,in our columns, will he remembered in convection with a notice of experiments that have heen making at the Union Fouudry under the auspices of Mr. Pioche, the especial patron, and substantial ahettor, of the process. A numher of metallurgists and mining engineers were present, at the somewhat extensive works whieh have heen called into existence for especial development of this process, ou an extensive working scale, at the corner of Valencia and Seventeentli streets (Mission), on Tuesday last, to witness the first public test of the principles whose practical application to meet our great recognized metallurgical waut—a process of gold and silver amalgamation without roasting in presence of hase ingredients—has occupied the close attention of a nomher of very competent men that we know of, for months, and even years, so far as Mr. Nolf is concerned; and the results of which are now given to the public in a manner so definite, and so plainly indicative of entire confidence on the part of the experimeuters, whohayethoroughly tried it all, and of financiers, too, that we feel justi-} fiedin calling attention to the process as one . certainly promising a great deal on that ground alone; andas worthy, in virtue of its importance, of the examination ofall who may he in a position to derive henefit from the attainment of so important a desideratum. But the process is really well ‘founded theoretically, on incontrovertible principles of science, and ina most interesting department thereof. It is such asone may take pleasure in tracing, from nseless observed phenomena into theory, and from generalizations into practice, where it may possibly he worth its millions to the industries of @ people—a practice which liuks onv every day, money-making pursuits, withthe operating foree which lies, as we shall see, at the very foundation of the philosophy of all things terrestrial,—to the profoundest central principle to whose operations nortal reason has been ahle to trace the foundations of chemistry, geology and physics—the very wilima thule of scieuce, where wo hecome alchemists again, like our metallurgical predecessors the fathers of civilization iu the middle ages, but on abasis of enlightened and estahlished truth; a field where, in apprehending the electrical nature and characteristics of the affinities between simple elements, we find ourselves at the houndary, still groping in darkness, where we discover analogical principles goveruing the birth and procedureof vegetahle, animal and spiritual life. Wearrive at the great and mysterious first principles of the Positive and Negative, the giving and the receiving, themasculineand feminine principles, which exist as the fundamental moving cause throughout all nature; from electricity, the attendant and equivalent of all chemical action, to like material manifestations of a more suhtle character, couceruing the higher laws of which we are uot yet able to generalize. It was Becquerel, the renowned author of “Traite experimentale de I ectricite et du magnetisme” (1834), who, in the midst of his enthusiastic labors in this field, first sought to take advantage of the facts that artificial electricity will facilitate not only . chemical decomposition of compound sub-. stances, hut also re-combiuations, under certain conditious ; that the metallic elements are all relatively to each other positive and negative, in the order (according to Berzelius and others), from positive to negative, of the earths, zinc, iron, lead, tin, hismuth, copper, nickel, silver, antimouy, mercury, platina, gold; heing conductors of electricity, and of heat, in nearly the same order; that when they are put together in a tuh, and a current of electricity is led through the same, they are attracted and caused to move, relatively and respectively towards the positive and negative poles, in the same order and relation to each other. Non-metallic elements ohserve the same law ; the simplest illustration of which is the decomposition of water in putting the positive and uegative wires into it, the oxygen gas gathering aronnd the positive pole, and the hydrogen aronnd the negative, so that they may he caught in inverted glass hells, and tested, by hurning separately, showing a difference of color in the flame, etc. The salient laws, touching this electrometallurgical process, were developed, however, hy unmerous others hesides Becquerel. It was only iu 1800 that Galvani and Volta discovered galvanism — chemical electricity—; theu Brignatelli made a long list of experiments showing how the fluid would decompose different salts, transferring the elements to different poles; aud Cruikshank, the discover of the galvanic battery, observed how the metals in acetate of lead, sulphate of copper, nitrate of silver, etc., were separated out, or ‘‘revived,” as the expression was, Becquerel established metallurgical works at Greuelle, near Paris, and labored enthusiastically in the attempt to make some practical use of these remarkablo principles, hnt without success hy the dollar eriteriou (which governs metallurgy as inevitably as does natural law)— and others, hoth wise and nuwise, have tried it since, with various results, the history of which would occupy too much space to he gone over in this counection. Dingler’s Polytechnic Journal, and the Berg und Hittenmannische Zeitung have had accounts of recent attempts,iu Europe. Tam Mining anp Screnriric Press, page 306, Vol. XI, contaius an account of various trials in connection with amalgamation, at Gold Hill, and other places iu Washoe, at different times, and within afew years. Amongst the experimenters were John A. Scott, 8. Kean, B. R. Norton, Col. Brevoort, and others, both in this city and in the State of Nevada. Mr. Nolf is not a new experimenter in this matter. He has heen coguizant of all the difficulties that were cneountered, and has labored with very creditable perseverance in his endeavors to overcome them. He was himself a pupil of Becquerel’s, from whom he proudly acknowledges that he obtained his ideas, while bis own success and the ercdit. to which he is entitled, are to depend on the degree of making the same practically and ecouomically available. How far California will he indebted to Mr. Nolf, we hope to beable to show hereafter, by further details of practical tests at his works, than weare able to find room for at present. The establishment atthe Mission consists of a large working room; a pan, or rather a tuh, heing of wood, of large size, to contain and manipnlate the ore; a very powerful voltaic hattery, of about forty vessels, arranged on a table aloug oue of the walls; a laboratory in an adjoining room; a nnmber of tanks outside, to wash the amalgam; and numerous tuhs, tanks, crushers, with assaying tools, etc. Asan illustration of the basis of the process, our attention was first called to an interesting experiment, made with some quicksilver in a large porcelain dish containing also salt water. The two poles, represented by the two wires of the battery, were hrought into the salt water on opposite sides of the quicksilver; the result was, that the metallie substance eagerly ran to the negative pole, and followed it wherever it went. Then the negative pole was taken out, and the positive pole put into the middle of the quicksilver bath; immediately its surface hegan to taruish, to coat over, whitening and hecoming variegated with chloride of mereury (calomel, Hg? Cl) which increased sorapidly that it must finally have destroyed the quicksilver. But the wires were now placed again as at the heginning, and iu half a minute, with a little stirring from the negative pole, the calomel was entirely decomposed, and the quicksilver was as bright as ever. During all this there was a very distinct smell of chlorine gas, arising from the decomposition of Na Clof the salt water. It was remarked, as a point that might have some influence in the Nolf process, that the separation of chlorine might leave the sodium in a condition to form sodium amalgam; hut it is douhtful asto whether the sodium would not he in an oxidized, rather than ina metallic condition. Next a quantity of sulphate of copper was poured into the dish. While the electric curreut was applied, no result was ohservahle, but from the time it was removed it was not long till the quicksilver was almost entirely destroyed hy the chemicals; the coating heing darker and thicker in this instance than in the previons one, and the destruction more rapid. Here hi-chloride of copper (Cu Cl) was formed, with the ealomel on the snrface of the quicksilver, and sulphate of soda in the solution. The wires were now applied once more, and in a few minutes the quicksilver hath was as clear as hefore; the effect of the electric current having heen to reduce the hi-chloride of copper to the suh-chloride (Cu? Cl), which is harmless to the quicksilver. Electricity, therefore, prevents the formation of the destructive bi-chloride of copper in amalgamation, orif the same he formed, reduces it. As the chemicals used are the same, in operation andin fact, as the salt and the magistral used in the patio process, these experiments will be admitted to have a definite value. Itis true that the chemistry of the patio process is explained in half a dozen different ways; hut the ordinary one is that the bi-chloride of copper acts on the snlphide of silver, and the elements interchange, forming sulphide of copper, and chloride of silver: (Cn Clt+Ag S=Cu $+ AgCl). Concerning the operations in the pan or tub, there were put in 700 pounds of Alaeran (Copala, Mexico) ore, consisting of mixed sulphurets of iron, copper and silver; a very complex, refractory, roasting ore, which cannot be treated at all by the patio process. After 20 to 24 hours of working with this ore, they have ohtained 80 per cent. of the fire assay. On a smaller scale they have obtained 92 per cent. The tub is, of course, insulated as well as the battery, standing on glass plates. A simple stirring apparatus revolves in the tuh (by band power: at present) and the negative wire connects with this, heing so arranged that the current runs down on the copper covering of the stirring arms, and thence passes through the pulp to the inner surface of the tub, which is copper lined, for the purpose of affording a couductor. The hottom is of wood. In working, the quicksilver being at the bottom, and there being no grinding, little particles gradually heeome detached by mechanical mixture with the pulp, and follow the stirring arms in virtuo of their electrical attraction till the entiro pulp has been searched, and the amalgam finally is collected as much as the friction will admit, on the stirrers. There was an evident tendency of the amalgam formed in the tuh towards the stirring arms, or negative pole. It could he sliced off, after a few hours, with a knife. On acenmulating to a certain thickness, some of it would fall off, but the electric action is in no wise hindered,—ou the contrary strengthened, by the thickness of this coating, precisely as is the case in the electrotyping process,—which might have been referred to in many other respects in illustration of the priuciples here deserihed. Of the actual chemical decompositions that took place in the pan, we may say something hereafter, thongl that question ean scarcely he met by anything more than conjecture at present. We know that chlorides aro first formed, and these are then amalgamated. r In washing the pulp, after amalgamation, it is run over ecoppor plates charged from an electric battery. The little particles which are ordinarily so apt to be washed away, are thus powerfully attracted to the copper plates and casily induced to separate themselves from baser substances. We intend to report the progress of this important process from time to tlme. Oe OrricE Removau.—The office of the Mohawk and Montreal Mining Company, Nevada County, has been removed to this city, No. 414 California street, hy vute of the stockholders.

The Mining and Scientific Press. Ww. B. MWER. A. T. DEWEY. DEWEY & CoO., Publishers. Orrice—No. 414 Clay street, between Sansome and Battery. Writers should be cautious nbout addressing correspondence relating to the business or Interestsot a firm to an individual member thereof, wbose absence at the time might causo dclay. Terms of Subscription; One copy, per annum, in advance. One copy, six months, in advance Carriers and gayFor sule by Newsdealers. 6@ : Our Agents. Our Feiexps can do mnch in aid of our paper and the cause of practical knowledse and science, hy assisting our Agents In their labors of canvassing, by lending their influence and encouraging favors. e shall send none but ‘worthy men. Traveling Agents. A. B. Bure, California, agent and correspondent. Wx. H, Murray, California. Tin _L. G. Yates, Callfornia. 8. H. Hernine. Californla and Nevada, T. G. ANDERSON, Nevada. Mesident Agents. Waite Pixk District.—Alexander Bruckman, liamllton, Nevida. HeLena, Montana.—R. F. May. Buack Haws, C, T.—Harper M. Orahond, H CunteaL City, ©, T.--Méssrs. Richards & Cranc, of the Citv Book Store, Main strect, will act as our agents. GrorRGETOWN, ¢.T.—John A. Lafferty, Postmaster, {s onr agentin this place. SARTRE City, C. T.—Messrs. Woolworth & Moffat, arc our agents for this place. 5 Guerenng, 0. T.—Mr. Robert Becrsls our authorized agent for this place. Omana, N. T.—Messrs. Barkalow & Brothers, are our agents for thls place. A. S. Hopkins, No. 70 J street, Sacramento. Mr. A. C. nox, {sour city sollciting and collecting Agent, and all subscriptions, or other favors extended to him, willbe duly acknowledged at thisoffice. Jan. ll, 1866. San Francisco: Saturday Morning, Jan. 9, 1869. Notices t0 Correspondents. Barometer.—No reason seems to have existed for predicting that the present winter would hea very dry one, and consequently adverse to the growth of the forthcoming wheat crop. On the contrary, 2s faras ordinary appearances have occurred, reasouing from the analogy of former years, at least an average rain-fall for the seasons 1868-69 might fairly he anticipated. Our rain-fall, and the general hygrometric state of the atmosphere, is usually found to depend so much upon the directiou of the wind, rather than its specific gravity, that the useful instrument whose name you have assumed as a nom de plume has, with many in fhis State, almost fallen intodisuetude. Occasions, however, occur sometimes in which the indications of that valuahle instrument may be studied by the working farmer to great practical advantage. A very instrnetive lesson of the kind has taken place during the current week, the first part of which, to all external appearances, threatened a very heavy and continuons rain-fall. Owiug, however, to the denser condition of the atmosphere as indicated by the harometer, we were . only annoyed with dense fogs, which cleared off as the snn hecame moro powerfnl and approached its meridian. * * As these remarks were written during the fine days of the commencement of the week, superficial ohservers may imagine that the ohservations mado have heen negatived by the rain-fall which took place on Thursday evening, which, however, did not occur until a fall in the barometer lad taken place, and even with that fact the pluviose element ceased on the appearance of day. H. W. O. M., Boise City, I. T.—The name of the gem is not chisoprase, but chrysoprase; the magazinist reterred to being at fault. Your Gael scholars will have no ditliculty in finding the roots of the latter word, The mineral isa leek-green, translucent quartz, more properly chaleedony, colored hy nickel. From chrys, gold, and prase, leek, Communications have been received from *“*¢, H. A.” Owen’s River; from ‘‘H. M.” Boise City. ‘‘P. 8.” Batopilas, Mexico, isin typo and will appear next week. L. C., Monitor, Alpine County.— Your suite of rocks and minerals met with in your tunnel, is interestiug, and will he attended tu. Ture New Mints.—Dnring tho past year the Branch Mint building at Carson City, Nevada, has heen completed, and the necessary machinery and fixtnres lave been forwarded, The new Mint at San Francisco will not be longin getting into operation. Its cost is estimated at upwards of a million of dollars. The entire deposits at the Branch Mint in San Jrancisco, were formerly in unparted bullion; now nearly two-thirds of the amount is deposited in hars refined by private estahlishments. Amalgamation with the Aid of Elee-. tricity--The Nolf Process. We are enabled, this week, to furuish our readers with something more definite regarding the Nolf electro-metallurgical process, whereby an electric cnrrent is hrought to hear to facilitate the desired chemical operations in pan amalgamatiou, under conditions in many respects nearly identical with the Patio Process. Such is Mr. Nolf’s invention,—reference to which,in our columns, will he remembered in convection with a notice of experiments that have heen making at the Union Fouudry under the auspices of Mr. Pioche, the especial patron, and substantial ahettor, of the process. A numher of metallurgists and mining engineers were present, at the somewhat extensive works whieh have heen called into existence for especial development of this process, ou an extensive working scale, at the corner of Valencia and Seventeentli streets (Mission), on Tuesday last, to witness the first public test of the principles whose practical application to meet our great recognized metallurgical waut—a process of gold and silver amalgamation without roasting in presence of hase ingredients—has occupied the close attention of a nomher of very competent men that we know of, for months, and even years, so far as Mr. Nolf is concerned; and the results of which are now given to the public in a manner so definite, and so plainly indicative of entire confidence on the part of the experimeuters, whohayethoroughly tried it all, and of financiers, too, that we feel justi-} fiedin calling attention to the process as one . certainly promising a great deal on that ground alone; andas worthy, in virtue of its importance, of the examination ofall who may he in a position to derive henefit from the attainment of so important a desideratum. But the process is really well ‘founded theoretically, on incontrovertible principles of science, and ina most interesting department thereof. It is such asone may take pleasure in tracing, from nseless observed phenomena into theory, and from generalizations into practice, where it may possibly he worth its millions to the industries of @ people—a practice which liuks onv every day, money-making pursuits, withthe operating foree which lies, as we shall see, at the very foundation of the philosophy of all things terrestrial,—to the profoundest central principle to whose operations nortal reason has been ahle to trace the foundations of chemistry, geology and physics—the very wilima thule of scieuce, where wo hecome alchemists again, like our metallurgical predecessors the fathers of civilization iu the middle ages, but on abasis of enlightened and estahlished truth; a field where, in apprehending the electrical nature and characteristics of the affinities between simple elements, we find ourselves at the houndary, still groping in darkness, where we discover analogical principles goveruing the birth and procedureof vegetahle, animal and spiritual life. Wearrive at the great and mysterious first principles of the Positive and Negative, the giving and the receiving, themasculineand feminine principles, which exist as the fundamental moving cause throughout all nature; from electricity, the attendant and equivalent of all chemical action, to like material manifestations of a more suhtle character, couceruing the higher laws of which we are uot yet able to generalize. It was Becquerel, the renowned author of “Traite experimentale de I ectricite et du magnetisme” (1834), who, in the midst of his enthusiastic labors in this field, first sought to take advantage of the facts that artificial electricity will facilitate not only . chemical decomposition of compound sub-. stances, hut also re-combiuations, under certain conditious ; that the metallic elements are all relatively to each other positive and negative, in the order (according to Berzelius and others), from positive to negative, of the earths, zinc, iron, lead, tin, hismuth, copper, nickel, silver, antimouy, mercury, platina, gold; heing conductors of electricity, and of heat, in nearly the same order; that when they are put

together in a tuh, and a current of electricity is led through the same, they are attracted and caused to move, relatively and respectively towards the positive and negative poles, in the same order and relation to each other. Non-metallic elements ohserve the same law ; the simplest illustration of which is the decomposition of water in putting the positive and uegative wires into it, the oxygen gas gathering aronnd the positive pole, and the hydrogen aronnd the negative, so that they may he caught in inverted glass hells, and tested, by hurning separately, showing a difference of color in the flame, etc. The salient laws, touching this electrometallurgical process, were developed, however, hy unmerous others hesides Becquerel. It was only iu 1800 that Galvani and Volta discovered galvanism — chemical electricity—; theu Brignatelli made a long list of experiments showing how the fluid would decompose different salts, transferring the elements to different poles; aud Cruikshank, the discover of the galvanic battery, observed how the metals in acetate of lead, sulphate of copper, nitrate of silver, etc., were separated out, or ‘‘revived,” as the expression was, Becquerel established metallurgical works at Greuelle, near Paris, and labored enthusiastically in the attempt to make some practical use of these remarkablo principles, hnt without success hy the dollar eriteriou (which governs metallurgy as inevitably as does natural law)— and others, hoth wise and nuwise, have tried it since, with various results, the history of which would occupy too much space to he gone over in this counection. Dingler’s Polytechnic Journal, and the Berg und Hittenmannische Zeitung have had accounts of recent attempts,iu Europe. Tam Mining anp Screnriric Press, page 306, Vol. XI, contaius an account of various trials in connection with amalgamation, at Gold Hill, and other places iu Washoe, at different times, and within afew years. Amongst the experimenters were John A. Scott, 8. Kean, B. R. Norton, Col. Brevoort, and others, both in this city and in the State of Nevada. Mr. Nolf is not a new experimenter in this matter. He has heen coguizant of all the difficulties that were cneountered, and has labored with very creditable perseverance in his endeavors to overcome them. He was himself a pupil of Becquerel’s, from whom he proudly acknowledges that he obtained his ideas, while bis own success and the ercdit. to which he is entitled, are to depend on the degree of making the same practically and ecouomically available. How far California will he indebted to Mr. Nolf, we hope to beable to show hereafter, by further details of practical tests at his works, than weare able to find room for at present. The establishment atthe Mission consists of a large working room; a pan, or rather a tuh, heing of wood, of large size, to contain and manipnlate the ore; a very powerful voltaic hattery, of about forty vessels, arranged on a table aloug oue of the walls; a laboratory in an adjoining room; a nnmber of tanks outside, to wash the amalgam; and numerous tuhs, tanks, crushers, with assaying tools, etc. Asan illustration of the basis of the process, our attention was first called to an interesting experiment, made with some quicksilver in a large porcelain dish containing also salt water. The two poles, represented by the two wires of the battery, were hrought into the salt water on opposite sides of the quicksilver; the result was, that the metallie substance eagerly ran to the negative pole, and followed it wherever it went. Then the negative pole was taken out, and the positive pole put into the middle of the quicksilver bath; immediately its surface hegan to taruish, to coat over, whitening and hecoming variegated with chloride of mereury (calomel, Hg? Cl) which increased sorapidly that it must finally have destroyed the quicksilver. But the wires were now placed again as at the heginning, and iu half a minute, with a little stirring from the negative pole, the calomel was entirely decomposed, and the quicksilver was as bright as ever. During all this there was a very distinct smell of chlorine gas, arising from the decomposition of Na Clof the salt water. It was remarked, as a point that might have some influence in the Nolf process, that the separation of chlorine might leave the sodium in a condition to form sodium amalgam; hut it is douhtful asto whether the sodium would not he in an oxidized, rather than ina metallic condition. Next a quantity of sulphate of copper was poured into the dish. While the electric curreut was applied, no result was ohservahle, but from the time it was removed it was not long till the quicksilver was almost entirely destroyed hy the chemicals; the coating heing darker and thicker in this instance than in the previons one, and the destruction more rapid. Here hi-chloride of copper (Cu Cl) was formed, with the ealomel on the snrface of the quicksilver, and sulphate of soda in the solution. The wires were now applied once more, and in a few minutes the quicksilver hath was as clear as hefore; the effect of the electric current having heen to reduce the hi-chloride of copper to the suh-chloride (Cu? Cl), which is harmless to the quicksilver. Electricity, therefore, prevents the formation of the destructive bi-chloride of copper in amalgamation, orif the same he formed, reduces it. As the chemicals used are the same, in operation andin fact, as the salt and the magistral used in the patio process, these experiments will be admitted to have a definite value. Itis true that the chemistry of the patio process is explained in half a dozen different ways; hut the ordinary one is that the bi-chloride of copper acts on the snlphide of silver, and the elements interchange, forming sulphide of copper, and chloride of silver: (Cn Clt+Ag S=Cu $+ AgCl). Concerning the operations in the pan or tub, there were put in 700 pounds of Alaeran (Copala, Mexico) ore, consisting of mixed sulphurets of iron, copper and silver; a very complex, refractory, roasting ore, which cannot be treated at all by the patio process. After 20 to 24 hours of working with this ore, they have ohtained 80 per cent. of the fire assay. On a smaller scale they have obtained 92 per cent. The tub is, of course, insulated as well as the battery, standing on glass plates. A simple stirring apparatus revolves in the tuh (by band power: at present) and the negative wire connects with this, heing so arranged that the current runs down on the copper covering of the stirring arms, and thence passes through the pulp to the inner surface of the tub, which is copper lined, for the purpose of affording a couductor. The hottom is of wood. In working, the quicksilver being at the bottom, and there being no grinding, little particles gradually heeome detached by mechanical mixture with the pulp, and follow the stirring arms in virtuo of their electrical attraction till the entiro pulp has been searched, and the amalgam finally is collected as much as the friction will admit, on the stirrers. There was an evident tendency of the amalgam formed in the tuh towards the stirring arms, or negative pole. It could he sliced off, after a few hours, with a knife. On acenmulating to a certain thickness, some of it would fall off, but the electric action is in no wise hindered,—ou the contrary strengthened, by the thickness of this coating, precisely as is the case in the electrotyping process,—which might have been referred to in many other respects in illustration of the priuciples here deserihed. Of the actual chemical decompositions that took place in the pan, we may say something hereafter, thongl that question ean scarcely he met by anything more than conjecture at present. We know that chlorides aro first formed, and these are then amalgamated. r In washing the pulp, after amalgamation, it is run over ecoppor plates charged from an electric battery. The little particles which are ordinarily so apt to be washed away, are thus powerfully attracted to the copper plates and casily induced to separate themselves from baser substances. We intend to report the progress of this important process from time to tlme. Oe OrricE Removau.—The office of the Mohawk and Montreal Mining Company, Nevada County, has been removed to this city, No. 414 California street, hy vute of the stockholders.