Jars, Gabriel

, a French mineralogist, was born at Lyops in 1732. His father was concerned in the mines of the Lyonnois, and as the son discovered an early attachment to the art of metallurgy, he was placed in the establishment, under Trudaine, for the construction of bridges and causeways, in order to obtain a practical knowledge of the business of a miner and civil engineer. He was soon, fixed on as a fit person for introducing improvements into the art of working mines in France; and with this view, in 1757, &c. he visited and strictly scrutinized most of the mines on the continent, and in 1765 those in Scotland and England. On his return he set about arranging the observations which he had been able to make, when a sudden death, in 1769, broke off his designs. His works were published by his brother at Lyons, entitled “Voyages Metallurgiques, ou Recherches et Observations sur les Mines et Forges de Fer, la Fabrication de l’Acier, celle du Ferblanc, et plusieurs Mines de Charbon de Terre, &c.” in three vols, 4to, 1774 1777. They are said to form a complete collection of theoretical and practical metallurgy, down to the time in which the observations were made. ¹