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                                                  Exhibit 10.1(b)

                LOAN AGREEMENT - SIXTH AMENDMENT

      This Loan Agreement - Sixth Amendment (hereinafter referred
to as "Sixth Amendment") is made and effective as of the 31st day
of  December,  1998,  by  and between  Hecla  Mining  Company,  a
Delaware corporation, whose address is 6500 Mineral Drive,  Coeur
d'Alene,  Idaho 83815-8788 (hereinafter referred to as  "Hecla"),
and  ConSil Corp., an Idaho corporation, which has an address  at
6500  Mineral Drive, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815-8788 (hereinafter
referred to as "ConSil").

                    RECITALS AND DEFINITIONS

      WHEREAS,  Hecla and ConSil entered into that  certain  Loan
Agreement  dated  June 28, 1996, as amended  February  19,  1997,
April  16,  1997, August 1, 1997, October 1, 1997 and  March  30,
1998  (hereinafter referred to, as amended, as  the  "Agreement")
pursuant  to which ConSil borrowed certain funds from Hecla,  and
Hecla  loaned  certain  funds to ConSil, all  on  the  terms  and
conditions contained in the Agreement;

      WHEREAS, Hecla and ConSil wish again to amend the Agreement
with  this Sixth Amendment, on the terms and conditions specified
herein;

      NOW,  THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and  the
following   mutual   promises,  covenants,   considerations   and
conditions, the parties, intending to be legally bound, do hereby
agree as follows:

                            AGREEMENT

      1.   Amendment  of Principal Amount of Loan;  Interest  and
           ------------------------------------------------------
Term:
----

        Section  1  of  the  Agreement shall be deemed  to  read  in  its
entirety as follows:

           Until further notice, and on the condition that ConSil
     not  be in default with respect to any of the terms of  this
     Loan  Agreement,  or  with respect to any  outstanding  note
     evidencing  any  advance made hereunder,  Hecla  shall  make
     available  to  ConSil  a loan not to  exceed  SEVEN  HUNDRED
     TWENTY   FIVE   THOUSAND  DOLLARS  ($725,000)   (hereinafter
     referred to as the "Principal Sum"), on which Principal  Sum
     ConSil   shall  pay  interest  thereon  from  the  date   of
     advancement  of  such funds, at the prime rate  of  interest
     specified in the Wall Street Journal, plus one and  one-half
     percent (1.5%) per year until paid, (hereinafter referred to
     as  the  "Loan"), which Loan shall be repaid  on  demand  by
     Hecla, but in no event later than March 31, 2000.

      2.   Execution of Replacement Note, Assignments  and  Other
           ------------------------------------------------------
Certificates.
------------

        ConSil   shall  execute   a   replacement   note
substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A,  together
with a certificate of its corporate Secretary certifying that:

          (i)  the individuals executing this Sixth Amendment and
          all documents delivered in accordance herewith were the
          duly appointed officers of ConSil, authorized to
          execute and deliver the same; and

          (ii)  all  representations, warranties  and  conditions
          precedent  set  forth in the Agreement are  and  remain
          true, accurate, correct and fulfilled as of the date of
          the delivery of this Sixth Amendment.



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       3.   Entire  Agreement.
            -----------------

        This  Sixth  Amendment  and  the Agreement shall constitute the
entire  agreement  between  the parties with respect to the transactions
contemplated herein  and therein,  and  any prior understanding or
representation  of  any kind  preceding  the date of this Sixth Amendment
shall  not  be binding on either party except to the extent incorporated
in this Sixth Amendment and the Agreement.

       4.   Consideration.
            -------------

        The  consideration  for  this  Sixth Amendment  shall  be  deemed
to be the  extension  of  additional credit  and  additional time for
repayment, all as  specified  in Section  1  of this Sixth Amendment, the
receipt and adequacy  of which ConSil and Hecla hereby expressly acknowledge.

      5.   Loan  Agreement  Effective and  Otherwise  Unaffected.
           -----------------------------------------------------

        Hecla  and  ConSil  expressly  acknowledge  and  agree  that  the
Agreement  is  in full force and effect, no default has  occurred
and  except  as  expressly amended by this Sixth  Amendment,  the
Agreement   shall  govern  the  terms  and  conditions   of   the
transactions contemplated herein and in the Agreement.

      IN  WITNESS WHEREOF duly authorized officers of the parties
executed this Sixth Amendment on the date first above written.

CONSIL CORP.                  HECLA MINING COMPANY



By /S/ Michael B. White       By /S/ John P. Stilwell
  --------------------------    -------------------------------
Name:  Michael B. White            John P. Stilwell
Title: Vice President              Vice President
                                   Chief Financial Officer

                              ATTEST:



                               /S/ Nathaniel K. Adams
                               --------------------------------
                                   Nathaniel K. Adams
                                   Assistant Secretary



















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STATE OF IDAHO      )
                    )    ss.
COUNTY OF KOOTENAI  )

      On  this thirty-first day of December, in the year of 1998,
before me, the undersigned, a Notary Public in and for the  State
of  Idaho, personally appeared John P. Stilwell and Nathaniel  K.
Adams, known or identified to me to be the Vice President - Chief
Financial  Officer and the Assistant Secretary, respectively,  of
HECLA MINING COMPANY, the officers who executed the instrument on
behalf  of  said corporation, and acknowledged to  me  that  such
corporation executed the same.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
my notarial seal the day and year in this certificate first above
written.



                               /S/ Tami D. Hansen
                              ----------------------------------
                              Notary Public
                              Residing at: Otis Orchards, Wash.
                              My Commission Expires:  9/12/2003


STATE OF IDAHO      )
                    )    ss.
COUNTY OF KOOTENAI  )

      On  this thirty-first day of December in the year of  1998,
before me, the undersigned, a Notary Public in and for the  State
of   Idaho,  personally  appeared  Michael  B.  White,  known  or
identified  to me to be the Vice President of ConSil  Corp.,  the
officer   who   executed  the  instrument  on  behalf   of   said
corporation,  and  acknowledged  to  me  that  such   corporation
executed the same.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
my notarial seal the day and year in this certificate first above
written.



                               /S/ Tami D. Hansen
                              -----------------------------------
                              Notary Public
                              Residing at Otis Orchards, Wash.
                              My Commission Expires:  9/12/2003














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