as those of Seidlitz, Seydschutz, Egra, and formerly those of Epsom in Surrey - whence the name of Epsom salt."

f. In manufactures-bleaching, glazing earthenware, hardening steel.

9. For manure, mixed with soot, in England, China, India.

children.

V. Interesting Facts bearing on the Subject.

The Africans make long journeys from the interior to the coasts to procure it; much relished by their children, as much as sugar by European A man's wealth measured by the quantity of salt he consumes; "he eats salt," implies a rich person. Houses in Arabia anciently built of slabs of salt, cemented by sprinkling the edges with water. Its importance may be traced from the proverb, "Sole et sale nihil sanctius et utilius,” Nothing is holier or more useful than the sun and salt."

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VI. References in Scripture.

Frequently mentioned in the Bible; notice a few places; e.g. :

1. "With all thy offerings thou shalt offer salt.” -Lev. ii. 13.

66 Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.". St. Mark, ix. 49.

2. "Seasoned with salt "-symbol of wisdom.Col. iv. 6.

3. "Sowed with salt emblem of sterility.— Judges, ix. 45.

4. "We are salted with the salt of the palace (marg. read.) denotes hospitality.- Ezra, iv. 14. Is thus regarded by the Arabs now.

5. "Ye are the salt of the earth."-St. Matthew, v. 13. "Ye are appointed by the holy doctrine which ye are to preach, and by the savour of

your good conversation, to purge the world from the corruption in which it lies.”—Dr. Whitby. 6. "The salt sea."- Gen. xiv. 3. Its waters contain 24 per cent. of salt.

LESSON VII. — SILVER.

I. Description of Qualities, Appearance, &c. WHITEST of all metals; brilliant; free from smell and taste; soft; easily scratched; sonorous; when mixed with alloys, malleable -e. g., beaten into leaves of an inch thick. Highly ductile―e. g., drawn into wire thinner than human hair. Less tenacious than copper; fusible; about half as heavy as gold; a perfect metal, loses no part when exposed to heat; emits a green flame when burnt; found native in lumps, in ores (especially with lead), and in crystals; not in

streams.

II. Countries whence it is obtained.

Found in many countries: e.g., in—

1. Europe. In the copper mines of Cornwall, lead mines of Cumberland; Sweden, Norway, (Kongsberg), Upper Saxony, Hungary, Bohemia, Spain, Russia.

2. Asia.-Siberia, Chili, Japan, Birman Empire. 3. America. Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chili, Mexico, Peru. Principal mines in the Potosi mountain — conical shaped, four thousand feet high, perforated in every direction ; ore dendritic, resembles the branches of a tree in form. The silver produced conveyed from the mines by means of the llama; thirty thousand so employed. Discovered by accident; a shepherd tearing up a shrub found a mass of silver at its root.

III. Preparation, &c.

Obtained by mining; separated from the ores by amalgamation. Standard silver consists, in twelve parts, of eleven and one tenth silver, and nine tenths copper. Hardest produced by the mixture being one fifth copper.

IV. Uses to which applied.

Employed in many ways, but tarnishes when exposed to bad air. (a) For coins (enumerate a few, both English and foreign); (b) plate-spoons, basins, flagons, cups, trays, tea-pots, &c.; (c) ornaments baskets, ink-stands, &c.; (d) in the manufacture of indelible marking-ink and hairdyes; (e) for plating; many articles have the appearance of silver; not of it, only plated; a plate of thin silver and another of mixed metal firmly soldered together; rolled into sheets ; stamped, punched, hammered, and turned into the required shape, the silver being the outer and visible covering; done chiefly at Sheffield - hence called "Sheffield-plate;" at Birmingham-electro-plating; a model prepared of various substances (not metallic); immersed in a chemical solution of silver; galvanic battery applied; in a few minutes the silver is separated and deposited in an exquisitely fine, thin film over the whole design.

V. Miscellaneous Notes.

A grain may be drawn out four hundred feet. In 1478, a mass of native metal, forty-four thousand pounds' weight, was discovered in Saxony. American mines yield annually upwards of seven millions sterling of this metal. Latin name, Argentum-hence Argentine Republic, argent, &c. Rio de la Plata also means the River of Silver. La

Plata was supposed by the Spaniards to be very rich in it.

VI. Scriptural References.

Frequently mentioned in the Sacred Writings, and in very early times; e.g. :

1. Silver enumerated among Abraham's riches. 2. Silver was as plenteous as stones in Jerusalem during Solomon's reign.

3. Pieces of silver presented by Joseph to Benjamin.

4. "Thirty pieces of silver," the price received by Judas for the betrayal; valued at 37. 10s. 8d. (Vide Ex. xxi. 32.)

LESSON VIII.—TIN.

I. Description of Appearance, Qualities, &c. BRIGHT shining surface; lightest of common metals; malleable; not sufficiently tenacious to be drawn into wire; most fusible of all metals except quicksilver; found in primary rocks; one of the oldest metals; not pure or native.

II. Localities producing it.

In Europe-Devonshire and Cornwall; Germany, Upper Saxony, Bohemia. Asia-Indian Archipelago, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Banca (S. E. of Sumatra). America-Mexico, Chili.

III. Manner of Preparation.

Found as an ore; two kinds, (1) stream and (2) mine.

1. Stream: superior; called grain tin; ore pounded and washed; placed in blast furnace; liquefied; run into a kettle filled with wet charcoal; the impu

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rities rise, and are skimmed off. The tin removed by a ladle, to form blocks; peculiarly brilliant.

2. Mine ore brought to the surface; broken into lumps of small size; reduced to powder by a stamping mill (heavy beams cased in iron, raised by machinery); washed; sifted; thus separated from foreign substances. Pounded ore melted; liquid tin runs into iron kettles; formed into plates. IV. Uses.

Employed in the manufacture of many articles in common use; e. g.:

a. A coating for iron; cooking vessels of iron liable to suffer from acids, fat, air, water; therefore tinned (liquid tin placed in, and the vessel revolved; a thin film adheres to the surface).

b. Pins of brass wire whitened by boiling in tin. c. Pewter, a mixture of tin and copper; employed for mugs, cups, formerly plates.

d. Tin-foil with mercury used in silvering looking-glasses.

e. Bell-metal, a mixture of copper and tin. f. Bronze-beautiful statuary, ornaments, clocks,

&c.

g. Tin-plate (prepared thus: best bar iron rolled into plates, various thicknesses and dimensions; immersed in acid; scaled by exposure to heat; rubbed with sand; rendered smooth and uniform; dipped in a melted mass of tin and tallow); formed into kettles, saucepans, pots, mugs, &c.

V. Historical Notice.

One of the earliest articles of commerce with Britain-hence called "tin islands;" probably the Scilly Isles and Cornwall. Mines worked by the Romans; their wooden tools have been found in stream works; also a slab, with Roman inscription.