Metal         { 1.     81,890   23.86    }
{ 2.     14,970   22.65    }  24.80

Requiebro     { 3.     12,240   15.20    }
{ 4.     17,000   10.50    }  12.47

China         { 5.     31,890    3.84    }
{ 6.     32,360    1.17    }   1.75
{ 7.     28,960    0.10    }

  Vaciscos 8. 78,320 9.24 9.24

This general average of 12.28 per cent. of mercury is pronounced higher than the usual run of the ore, which, it is stated, does not go above 7 to 8.50 per cent.

The furnace in which the ore is treated is cylindrical, 2 meters in diameter, and 3.70 meters high from a brick grate, supported by three arches to the arched roof.  At the level of the grate is a charging orifice, and near the roof are openings into two chambers, from the bottom of which extend 12 lines of aludels, clay vessels, open at both ends, the middle being expanded.  The mouth of one fits into the back end of the one following, a channel being thus formed through which the fumes to be condensed are passed.  The lines of aludels which are laid on the ground terminate in a chamber, and for half the distance between the furnaces and these chambers the ground slopes downward, while for the other it slopes upward.  Two furnaces are always placed side by side, and the pair have from 1,100 to 1,150 aludels.

The operation is as follows:  A layer of poor quartz is spread over the brick grate; this is followed by a layer of smalls, and then by a layer of still finer stuff, all of it being low grade ore.  On top of this are piled two-thirds of the china of the charge on which the metal is put.  Then follows a layer of requiebro, another lot of china, and finally the vaciscos, shaped into balls, the whole charge amounting to about 111/2 tons, which is put in from an hour and a half to two hours by three men.  The charging orifice is then closed, the aludels are luted, and everything made tight.  The fires under the brick grate are lighted and kept going for twelve hours, during which time furnaces, charge, and condensing apparatus are heated up.  During this period, the temperature in the condensing-chamber at the end of the line of aludels runs up 40 or 50 degrees Celsius, and some mercury, evidently part of the native quicksilver, is noticed in it.

The temperature of the aludels in the immediate vicinity of the furnaces is about 140 degrees C. During this period, the consumption of fuel is four parts to every part of quicksilver produced.  At its close, the fire is drawn, and the second period begins.  The air entering through the brick arch is heated to from 200 to 300 degrees by contact with the layer of poor stuff, the cinnabar is ignited, and its sulphur oxidized, and the quicksilver vaporized and, condensing in the aludels, flows toward the depression in the central portion of the line.  The temperature goes on increasing, until, twelve hours after the beginning