Tut. The names may slip your memory, but you cannot see metals at all used, without being sensible of the things.
Geo. But what are ores? I remember seeing a heap of iron ore which men were breaking with hammers, and it looked only like stones.
Tut. The ore of a metal is the state in which it is generally met with in the earth, when it is so mixed with stony and other matters, as not to show its proper qualities as a metal.
Har. How do people know it, then?
Tut. By experience. It was probably accident that in the early ages discovered that certain fossils by the force of fire might be made to yield a metal. The experiment was repeated on other fossils; so that in length of time all the different metals were found out, and all the different forms in which they lie concealed in the ground. The knowledge of this is called mineralogy, and a very important science it is.
Geo. Yes, I suppose so: for metals are very valuable things. Our next neighbour, Mr. Stirling, I have heard, gets a great deal of money every year, from his mines in Wales.
Tut. He does. The mineral riches of some countries are much superior to that of their products above ground, and the revenues of many kings are in great part derived from their mines.
Har. I suppose they must be gold and silver mines?
Tat. Those, to be sure, are the most valuable, if the metals are found in tolerable abundance. But do you know why they are so?
Har. Because money is made of gold and silver.