Letter – Nicholas Walton to Peter Mulcaster – 15 Dec 1775

Mr. Mulcaster							Farnacres 15 December 1775.



      The two Cakes of Bullion last sent weighed as follows.   That for Operation ending 4 Novr 824 Oz & 10 Dwt

	That for Operation ending 30 Decr 688 Ounces

	The Assays for the 4th Novr. Operation prod. 862 Ozs.8 Dwt. which is more than the real produce 37 Ozs & 18 Dwt.   Silver left in the Lead after Refined is at the rate of 13 dwt. 11 4/10 Gr[ain]s. P[er]Fodder.

	The Assays for the 30th December Operation prod. 749 Ozs. 14 Dwt. which is more than the real produce 61 Ounces 14 Dwt.   Silver left in the Lead after Refined by one of the Assays, is at the rate of 12 Dwt. 6 Gr[ain]s and by the other Assay 18 Dwt. 9 Gr[ain]s.

      We did observe that the produce of Lead after Refined in Operation ending 4th November was considerably short of what had been usual for some time but as we see the produce by the two Experiments 7 & 8 to be less than a Twelfth, we hope you get better coals again than you had in the Operation where the produce fell short, and even this last Operation (wherein the Charcoal Experiments have some of them been made & by which There has been a falling short) there is not an eleventh part loss whereas in the Operation of the 4 Novr. there was a loss of between a Tenth and Eleventh.  

	You receive herewith an Account of the several Experiments from which we think it will not answer to make use of Charcoal in any way unless it is by working off the Furnace in the same manner as done in Experiment 9 and tho perhaps it will be using more Charcoal than you have done in any other of your experiment we would have you try one more almost in the same way as 9 – Viz Mix the Litharge with Coal and work down the Furnace with Charcoal in the doing of which we would not have you break it except any of the pieces shd be large and employ all the Charcoal you have left in this last Experiment.

	Mr Walton will be glad to see you at any time, whenever it is convenient to you only would like to know a day or two before lest he should be out of the way.   

      We are      Your hble Servts   NW JS



PS. We would have you be very attentive to the examining places for Slag Hearth Stones when your Nephew Plows his N Meadow Close. Glad to hear you are getting forward as to Bedding for the Smelters & with the Water Race.





[Note: This table of results of experiments is undated, unaddressed and unsigned but is assumed to be the account of experiments referred to in the letter of 15 Dec 1775]



November  & December 1775.

Result of several Experiments to Reduce Litharge of Lead with Charcoal, Coal and Charcoal mixed, and Coal alone as hitherto used.



[There follows a table not reproduced here but available in the corresponding copy of the letter contained in the PDF file of this collection.]