In examining "logical" explanations of anything in references
one must be very careful.  While what follows is not ancient history, it
has a bearing on how critical one should be in reading history.
           The first mineral deposit discovered in British Columbia was
(without doubt) the "Ledge" at Riondel on Kootenay lake.  This was
reported by at least two officials of the Hudson's Bay Company in the
early 1800's and many histories report that "it was known even earlier
by the native Indians who used to cast musket balls from it."  Consider
the following points:
    1. This deposit of lead and zinc sulphide ores (galena) was not
economically
            mined until the 1950's when the C.M.&S. company (later
Cominco)
            applied to the ore the process of differential flotation
they had
            developed for the ore of the Sullivan Mine.  The zinc
content  caused
            smelting problems.
    2. Galena has few of the properties of pure lead - it isn't
malleable
        and it doesn't melt easily.
    3. The Kootenay Indians west of the Rockies didn't obtain fire arms
            until David Thompson brought them into the area in 1810 (and
thus
            incurred the wrath of the Pighin Indians on the east side of
the
            mountains, who had attempted to keep fire arms away from the

            western tribes.
    3.    At that time Thompson penetrated to the southern end of
Kootenay
            Lake ( within less than 40 miles of "the Ledge").
                It follows that if the natives did indeed cast musket
balls at the site, some fir trader must have taught them how to roast
the lead (and how to make musket balls using equipment he provided -
there is no suggestion that the Indians knew how to work iron).  The
ancients certainly knew how to smelt various ores, but it is most
unlikely that they picked up pure copper or pure lead.  I can think of
several possible scenarios whereby an ancient may have stumbled upon
smelting, but my ideas would have no historical
significance.
        Incidentally, placer gold was traded to the HBC by native
Indians for several years before the gold rush of 1858, but HBC "free
trappers" (mostly Iroquois Indians from eastern Canada) were involved,
and HBC factors brought in crude tools for extracting placer gold and
instructed the natives in their use. While the records of the first
deposits discovered by the white miners during the gold rush may be a
little less than reliable, there
are absolutely no records of this earlier mining - other than the
reports of the gold being traded in HBC documents - and one report of a
conflict with Indians because the miners were trespassing on their gold
streams - a conflict resolved in favour of the white miners. I hesitate
to suggest that in this last case historical accuracy was sacrificed for
greed.  Surely that never happens?
        And all this took place less than 200 years ago!



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