FORTIA’s TRAVELS IN SWEDEN.
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its fulphur, forming a fort of ore or richer pyrites of copper, purged from all ftonymatter, and called in Swedilh fkierfiein , which matter contains from ten to fifteen poundsof copper per quintal, in lieu of two, which was the proportion in the rough flate. ThisJkierftein or concentrated and purified ore, which is let out from the furnace by means ofa hole in the fide, as foon and as i often as the crucible is full, is afterwards roafted fouror five times, in order that all the remaining fulphur may be fublimed. On the fecondfufion which follows this fecond roafting, all the remaining iron is converted into fcortce ,fo that copper alone remains at the bottom of the crucible, yet mixed with from 8 to 12per cent, in the whole, of iron, zinc, lead, arfenic, &c. all of which are afterwards fe-parated at the refinery at Afveftad. The fecond roafting, which requires four or fivefires, takes place in a houfe fheltered from the inclemency of the weather, requiringmuch more care and attention in managing the fire than the former. The furnacesemployed for founding are from ten to fourteen feet higher than the crucible; thofe forroafting are kilns, fomewhat refembling thofe ufed for lime in France , walled in onthree fides and open at the other. If inftead of two roaftings and fufions the fame re-fult were fought to be effected by one procefs, there would be a rifle of lofing too muchcopper in the fcories, of having the copper extra&ed too much combined with iron,and other heterogeneous matter, and confequently of a much greater lofs at the refinery;for in all chemical preparations when there is a great difproportion in the matters re-quired to be feparated, (as here between the iron and the copper, the one containingtwo per cent, of the one and fifty of the other) the extract of neither can be had exactlypure or free from heterogeneous mixture by a Tingle procefs, fo long as fuch a difpro-portion exifts. Thefe different roaftings and fufions for converting the ore into coppertake up altogether about fix months.
To be qualified for a founder a man muft abfolutely be a proprietor, the holder of acertain portion of land, and poffefs a lhare in a foundry. The founders undergo ex-amination before certain numbers of the council of the mines, nominated for the pur-pofe. Their profits are no more than one rix-dollar per fchippund, and fometimes eventhey are lofers; formerly, but this happened very rarely, they gained from five to fixrix-dollars; all however depends on the price which is paid for the ore at public auc-tion ; commonly of late years thirty tons of ore have produced a fchippund of copper jrarely has it happened that twenty-fix or twenty-eight tons have yielded that quantity.The expence of founding is generally half a dollar per ton as an average price; eachfounder commonly produces from 200 to 300 fchippunds annually. The ton of oreis 6 t V cubic feet of Sweden ; the ton of charcoal at Fahlun is 5 ,V cubic feet, but inevery other part of Sweden it is the fame as a ton of ore. Eighteen tons of charcoal isone horfe’s draught, and cofts commonly from 32 to 36 and 40 fchiilings. In 1790, theprice was 56 fchiilings, and in 1791, 48, on account of the mildnefs of the winter, andthe Ihort duration of the fledge feafon. The crown furnilhes nearly 30,000 ftig, at acertain price, viz. 8000 at 20 fchiilings, and the refidue at 18. This fuppl.y is broughtin by the peafantry of the eight neareft parilhes, as a commutation for territorial con-tribution, and the capitation tax. The whole confumptipn is about 70,000 Jlig, whichthe peafantry are paid for in the following manner:—
The ore from the mine is divided into fixteen lots, one of thefe lots is affeffed by acomptroller, and ferves as an eftimate for the reft, which are drawn for by lot (five ofthe fifteen ferve to pay expences) ; this diftribution takes place four times a week. T hecrown was wont to receive the fourth fchippund until 17 70, it now receives no more thanthe eighth.
von. vi. 3 o
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