the ponderous Kirk key. And as for the "precentor," or clerk, he, overcome by terror aud surprise, swooned away, and disappeared from mortal ken in the profundities of his capacious desk! When the first fury of his delirium had somewhat evaporated, the cause of this mighty turmoil turned his eyes mechanically to the select gallery, when he became cognizant of a scene enough to turn a bolder heart into stone. Drawn up to her full allowance of six feet, he saw his gentle keep-mate in an attitude which might have served Flaxman for the model of a fury half-seas-over! One hand clutched the fragments of the demolished fan, and the other played wild havoc with the fiery ringlets which danced around her time-battered, grewsome visage. Jealousy of the most extatic degree was marked in every line and crowfoot of her countenance. Her teeth gnashed and ground together with the energy of a million mill-stones And a commingled shriek of rage, hatred, and revenge burst from her foam-encircled mouth. Had Edmund Kean been present he might have acquired some invaluable additional hints for the finale of Sir Giles Overreach. Jeremiah Dip stood for a moment contemplating in imbecile amazement this Gorgonic apparition, but he was soon brought to a certain measure of recollection by a click-clicking of rusty dirks, which began to leap from the sheaths of the kinsmen of his spouse. What the row was they could not precisely comprehend, but they gathered that the Sasser ach had mortally offended the daughter of the Kailrunts, and, as in duty bound, devoted his flesh to the vultures of Glen-Custock! This was a fraction more than the nerves of mortal tallow-chandler could brook. Our hero never was "cunning at fence," and with Sir Hudibras was entirely alive to the perils "which environ The man who meddles with cold iron.” Mercury,—how he at last reached a Christian town, where horses were let on hire,-and how he never spared whip or pressed couch till the merry peal of Bow Bells fell once more upon his ear, all this must be recorded by some future Cowper. The chronicler of the race of Gilpin alone could do justice to the theme. A month passed, and the obituary of the Morning Post contained a notice of the decease of Lady Bridget Dip, wife of Alderman Dip, in consequence of the breaking of a bloodvessel. The "bereaved" husband appeared ten days thereafter in the Club room at the once-despised Goat and Compasses, “a sadder but a wiser man " than when he had last filled the chair of President. Alderman Dip (said Quinten Quill, in conclusion) became from that hour a determined and uncompromising democrat. Lustily does he declaim at reform meetings against the countless vices of the aristocracy;-and it is currently reported in Threadneedle Street that he has destined the bulk of his fortune to endow an hospital, the only restriction on the bequest being that no Scotsman can ever participate in the benefits of the institution! SAULT STE. MARIE AND THE COPPER THE knowledge of copper would seem to have der the name of brass, contemporaneously with been of great antiquity, and it is mentioned, uniron, in the oldest records of our race. Only a few generations after Adam we find skill in the working of those metals ascribed to Tubal Cain. It was evidently of extensive use among the Greeks. Combined with gold, silver and tin, it formed the principal constituent of the wonder ful shield forged by Vulcan for Achilles; and numerous expressions in Homer, recognise its common applications. It formed the principal ingredient in the colossal statue of Rhodes; was the material first used by the people of Ægina for the the Corinthian brass; and is recognized by Paul coining of money; was the main constituent of in one of his epistles to Timothy, where he makes reproving reference to Alexander, the copper Fearful visions of Celtic revenge, gleaned retrospectively from "The Curse of the Mountain Hag," and "The Bloody Philabeg," (each in three volumes octavo) glared before his fevered fancy. He grasped the ladle for gather-smith. ing in the oblations of the congregation, rushed However abundant may have been the supply forward with it en couche, like a Crusader of this metal in those early days, in the lands halcharging the Paynim, or rather like a gin-in-lowed by the events of the Bible, and in those spired baker, shoving a batch of muffins into the made classical by profane history, certain it is, oven;-and by the most desperate exertions that they now furnish no considerable quantity gained the open air. The dwarfish Bucepha- for the consumption of the world. Armenia and lus was opportunely standing by. With all the agility of "young Lochinvar," he leapt on its back; smote the astounded quadruped in mad energy with his wooden lance; and ere ten minutes had elapsed, was some miles on the road-the blessed, thrice blessed, roadleading to the Lowlands ! As to his after progress we can say but little. How he overtook the post-gig, and by a handsome douceur, gained a seat beside the the islands of Euboea and Cypress-the latter of of which furnished at one time a large portion of the supply to the nations around the Mediterranean, and has even given to the moderns the term by which they designate the metal-have long since ceased to yield their contributions to commerce. And though copper is found in most parts of the world, to some extent-in Enrope generally, in South America, Africa, Cuba, Japan, China, Kamschatka, &c., existing as an oxide or sulphuret, or in other combinations; yet it is to the mines of Sweden, of Germany, Russia, Hun-ness and quality of its ores, rivals, and perhaps gary, and Cornwall, that the arts still look for their main supply. surpasses all that the world can show elsewhere. To confine ourselves, however, to the copper. This has been found generally disseminated all over the region indicated, in its appropriate rocks, but occurs in especial abundance on Keewenaw Point, the Ontonagon River and Isle Royal. Doubtless the mineral region will be found to extend considerably into Wisconsin, on the lake shore, since the same general formation is known to prevail, and copper, in the shape of boulders, has been found abundantly at the boundary, in the Montreal River. On our northern, or British The recent discoveries in our own country, render it probable that no great length of time shall elapse ere the mines of North America will equal in their produce, and probably surpass those of any other country. A careful estimate of the directors of some of the mines of Lake Superior will give a produce from that region of 2,000 to 2,500 tons. Of this amount, 1,000 tons is assigned as the yield for the present year of the Cliff Mine. Yet it is only eight years since mining operations were first commenced in this re-side of the lake also, the geological explorations gion; only six years since the first decisive success was had in the discovery of the Cliff vein, in the vicinity of Eagle River. Copper mining is, however, in its infancy, and all that has as yet been done is hardly more, in any instance, than may be expressed by the phrase, common among the miners, of "proving up" the veins. The importance which the mineral region of Lake Superior is beginning to assume, may be better understood, perhaps, from a glance at the whole copper produce of the world. This is here given from the latest and best authorities, principally Ure. We thus learn that in Tons. 1832. All the mines of Sweden yielded about - 1000 France-only a few hundred-weights. 1833. Russia Hungary 66 Hartz Mountains East Germany 66 Hesse Norway Zacatecas (Mexico) 66 United Kingdom (of which Cornwall furnishes 11.000 tons Australia-unascertained. 1852. Jake Superior 2000 212 14000 2500 28220 under the directions of the Provincial government have shown the existence of trap ranges, with the most encouraging indications of mineral wealth. When the stranger, in making his course for Keewenaw Point, first sails within seeing distance of that coast, his curiosity is deeply excited by the character of the formation. The fiery redness of the rocks, suggestive of a time when this whole region was wrapt "with fervent heat," attaches not only to the conglomerate formation which first salutes him at the water's edge, in rounding the point, but also colors the trap which he will meet with soon after leaving Copper Harbor, and the successive layers of trap, amygdaloid, red-sandstone, and conglomerate, which he will find to constitute the formation at Eagle Harbor and above. He will next observe that these rocks all incline to the N.W., at an angle of 20 ° to 45; and after stepping ashore, and extending his observations to the trap range which forms the bold heights of the point so conspicuous from a distance he will find that this inclination is general. He will next learn that the copper veins run vertically through the whole of these rocks, and with a regular bearing, varying but little from a right angle with the trap range. He will soon find also that the copper is not solid or continuous throughout the vein, as in his innocence he might have supposed, but that it occurs most abundantly, and in the largest masses, in that portion of the vein which traverses the amygdaloid. That what is called the "vein" is in fact chiefly made up of veinstone" poor stuff," as the miner terms it; It thus appears, that, stating the whole produce and that the copper is either in huge bunches, of the world in round numbers at 28,000 tons, the strings, or sheets, or disseminated in small jaggy Lake Superior region already furnishes over one-points through the mass of the veinstone. He fourteenth part of the whole amount. As com- will learn that much the larger portion of the pared with individual nations, it produces one-veinstone is destitute of copper; and that while fifth the quantity of Cornwall, more than Mexico sometimes accompanied by native silver, and ores and Germany, more than twice as much as of lead and zinc, the veinstone is chiefly of quartz Sweden, and more than either Hungary or Russia. or calcareous spar, mixed with laumonite, epidote, The mineral region of Lake Superior, in a phy- or prehnite. These minerals he will often find of sical point of view alone, is a subject of deep and great regularity, transparency, and beauty of colorpeculiar interest, as well from its volcanic charac-ing. If the vein should divide and apparently ter, as especially from the fact, that of all the mines which history has made known to us, in none has there been found the native metal in masses of such magnitude and purity as in those Some of the most valuable veins are those located here. This region, so far as it has been whose existence has been indicated by the remains surveyed geologically, extends to the southern of ancient operations. Depressions run along the shore of the lake, from Chocolate River, in about surface of the ground, marking the pits whence 87 20' longitude west from Greenwich, to 90° the ancient race, with their rude stone hammers 40', or the Montreal River, the boundary on the and copper chisels, separated fragments of the lake between the States of Michigan and Wiscon- metal from their parent masses. That their skill sin. This, it will be seen, includes the iron region never reached much beyond such feeble accomof Carp River, or Marquette, which, in the rich-plishments, seems fairly inferred from the rude Besides this, Spain derives a small portion from Cuba, as well as from her own territory. Chili and Africa both furnish a little; while in China and Japan an unknown amount is obtained. Probably from all other sources, however, there is not another 1000 tons which passes into the commerce of the Western nations. be lost, as sometimes happens in passing from one formation to another, he will find it to come together again, and run on as before. SAULT STE, MARIE AND THE COPPER REGION. ness of the instruments themselves, as well as from the fact of the great boulders, as that of the Ontonagon, remaining evidently undiminished to the present time. Depressions such as here alluded to, may been seen at the Copper Falls Mines. Excavations for the copper are, however, generally made in consequence of a previous prospecting by a practical mineralogist. Taking a vein at the lake shore, where to the uninitiated it may present no indications of metal, but of calcareous spar perhaps, or other mineral, he follows it by its regular bearing, till it enters a rock which he knows by experience is promising of valuable results. Still more frequently, the proper points for excavation are determined from surface observations, which are often made with most fortunate precision. The discovery of the Cliff vein, like the silver mines of Potosi, is said to have been the result of accident. A miner sauntering about, suo more, with pick in hand, had sat down to rest. While in this situation, his eye was caught by certain metalliferous appearances in his vicinity, which seemed on examination to justify more thorough researches. The prosecution of the encouraging indications thus disclosed, has resulted in the discovery of a vein, the most productive of native copper in the known world." room, where the metal and veinstone first sees the upper air, the visitor is handed a lighted candle, with a lump of clay adhering to it; this, is for the greater convenience of carrying, or sticking against the rock if desired, or on the top of the hat just alluded to, in order to leave both arms free. All things being now ready, your guide raises the trap-door, and you descend by ladders firmly at tached by iron staples and bolts to the rocks. The ladders are provided mostly with iron rounds, which, though cold to the bare hands, are yet the best material for the incessant use which is made of them. Holding your candle between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, you assist yourself wholly with the left. The position of the ladders varies very slightly from the perpendicular; the tops of some of them seemig even to incline toward you. At intervals of 20, 30, and even 60 feet, are platforms upon which a momentary rest is obtained. During the whole course of the descent, you are accompanied by the noise of the pump by which the drainage is effected. the while; the latter being steadied in its motion "lift column" and the piston are close by you all at intervals of 100 feet, by balance-beams and other appliances. This portion of the shaft, which The visitor who has looked with curiosity thus the descent of the miners, is partitioned off by is the main shaft, appropriated to the pump and far, will hardly be content to return without see-thick plank, from the other and larger portion, ing the interior of a mine. He may have already used entirely for the raising of the masses, the entered one or more of the mines at Eagle Harbor, veinstone, and waste material. as the Northwest, which is one of the oldest and most successful, the Copper Fails, or the Northwestern. He may have examined the Minnesota, which in the magnitude and productiveness of the mass copper comes nearest rivalling the Cliff, or other mines on the Ontonagon, or the Siskonit on Isle Royal; he will perhaps still conclude that he has not seen mining in its best phase till he visits the "Cliff." Supposing this the intention, he will do well to step first to the works of the South Cliff, whence he will obtain the best general view of the whole vicinity-The Cliff works, the old works of the North American, the houses of the miners, and the fine old Cliff above. After this coup d'œil, he may have pointed out in succession, the Raisingroom-the Roasting-room or Kiln, which adjoins the former on the left, near the Wood-shoot-the Stamps, the old, and the new now in process of erection-and the Floors, which are low buildings in front of the Stamps, and a similar one off to the right of the former. Repairing thence to the office, he will make the acquaintance of Captain Jenning, a Cornish miner, and the able superintendent, under whose direction, for six years past, those great excavations have been made which the visitor is now so impatient to see. captain he will meet with a very civil reception, From the and be attended in the descent either by him, or by some one well qualified for the purpose, whom the captain will recommend. upon this it is necessary, on account of the water Before entering which is found more or less in all the mines percolating through the fissures, to "shift," that is, to change one's habit. He will assume instead, the usual miner's garb, which is furnished him at the office; consisting of rough, strong overalls, a large woollen shirt, and hard round hat or cap of woollen material. Seeking thence the Raising The bottom you pass four levels, and rest on the fifth, In the course of your descent, if you go to the at the distance, perpendicularly, of 420 feet from the surface. Here you may look down 70 feet more, where the sinking of the shaft is still pro ceeding. If, having followed the bottom level or drift, you are under the bluff, your distance from the surface is rising of 600 feet. Great as this the European mines it is but inconsiderable. Those depth appears, in comparison with that of some of of Sweden, and Germany, and Cornwall, are often from 1200 to 1500 feet in depth; that of Catorce in Zacatecas is about 2000; while there is one in the valley of the Inn, near Innspruck, in the Tyrol that of Kutz Puhl-which reaches the startling profundity of 3300 feet. Lower than this, it is perhaps found impracticable to go, from the difficulty of procuring a good air for respiration. shafts, all of which are in use, though but one In the Cliff Mine there are at this time three penetrating to the lowest drift. The longest drift has a length of 1100 feet. In pursuit of what is most remarkable in the mine, and, especially the largest specimens of mass copper, you will follow the drifts on each level with still excited and unsated curiosity. As your guide points out to you at a loss to know with what facility he distinguishes the indications of copper over your head, you are the lode or metalliferous portion of the rock, from the " poor stuff" or 46 tute of copper. To your eye the whole appearuses to designate those portions which are desticountry "-terms which he ance will be very similar; and, save where you see the copper, either in bent projections, or in jagged bunches, or in ponderous masses, already laid bare, and prepared for cutting into manageable blocks, you will be at a loss, without some experience, and much trial, to distinguish with certainty the vein-stone from the trap. This |