(Born: 1828; Died: 1902) French mining expert.

Cumenge was assigned as engineer to the École des Mines in 1851, but was dismissed the following year. For the remainder of his life, he worked as a consultant in numerous countries including Spain, Italy, Greece, Venezuela, Colombia, The United States, Mexico, and Transylvania. At a copper deposit near Boleo in Baja, Mexico, Cumenge recovered two new mineral species, which were named by Mallard, boleite and cumengeite.

Biographical references: Wilson, W.E., "Edouard Cumenge (1828-1902): Engineer Mineralogist Responsible for Initial Discoveries of Lead and Copper Chlorides in Boleo, Baja California, Mexico", Mineralogical Record, 29, (Jan.-Feb., 1998), 23-5.

1. French, 1898.
L'Or | Dans La Nature | [Next 3 lines in red:] | Mineralogie, Geologie, | Étude Des Principaux Gites Auriferes | Statistique | Par | [The authors set in two columns seperated by a vertical rue:] E. Cumenge | Ingénieur en chef honoraire des Mines | [vertical rule] | F. Robellaz | Ingénieur civil des Mines | [short rule] | Premier Fascicule | [short rule] | Paris | P. Vicq-Dunod Et C^ie, Éditeurs | Libraires des Corps Nationaux des Ponts et Chaussées, des Mines et des Télègraphes | 49, Quai Des Grands-Augustins, 49 | [short rule] | 1898 | Droits de traduction et de reproduction réservés.

8°: π¹ 1-7⁸; 57l.; [2], [1]-106, [2], [i]-iv p., 13 photographic plates (showing various specimens of gold).

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; [1]-4, "Préface."-signed E. Cumenge & F. Robellaz.; [5]-63, Text, part 1.; 64-74, Text part 2.; 75-106, Text, part 3.; [1 pg], "Sommaire Du Prochain Fascicule."; [1 pg], Blank.; [i]-iv, "Table Des Matières."

Scarce. Co-authored with Fernand Robellaz. This is the premier fascicule of which no more were published of what was to be an authoritative work on metals. The text describes gold and its associated minerals. The first portion covers native gold and provides information on the physical properties, crystallography, and chemical and thermal properties. Specimens of native gold are described and illustrated on the plates as are mineral species and rock types that are associated with native metal. The second part describes mineral species that contain gold, such as electum, amalgam, calaverite, petzite, sylvanite, etc. A third section provides an historical introduction to gold and its history in Africa, Asia and Europe. Modern uses and discoveries are then described and include America and Australia. The series of 13 excellent plates represent natural specimens of exceptional beauty of crystallization.

Bibliographical references: American Journal of Science: 4th Series, 6 (1898), 276 [review]. • NUC: 129, 278 [NC 0831011].

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