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Galena (PbS) 24.00 Blende (ZnS) 29.00 2 3.38 23 4.17 Ferrous oxide (FeO) contained in garnets 1.03 Oxide of manganese (MnO) contained in rhodonite and garnets 6.66 23 5.40 Lime (CaO) contained in garnets, etc. 3.40 2 22.98 Silver (Ag) .06 100.48Galena, being the softest of these, is found in the slimes to a larger extent than in the crude ore; it is also, for the same reason, in the finest state of subdivision, as is well illustrated by the fact that the last slime to settle in water is invariably much the richest in lead, while the percentages of the harder constituents, zinc blende and gangue, show a corresponding reduction in quantity, by reason of their being generally in larger sized particles and consequently settling earlier.
The fairly complete liberation of each of the constituent minerals of the ore that takes place in sliming tends, of course, to help the production of a high-grade concentrate by the use of tables and vanners, and undoubtedly a fair recovery of lead is quite possible, even with existing machines, in the treatment of fine slimes; but, owing to the great reduction in the capacity of the machines, which takes place when it is attempted to carry the vanning of the finer slimes too far, and the consequently greatly increased area of the machines that would be necessary, the operation, sooner or later, becomes unprofitable.