<PAGE>          1

                                                  Exhibit 10.1(a)

                LOAN AGREEMENT - FIFTH AMENDMENT

      This Loan Agreement - Fifth Amendment (hereinafter referred
to as "Fifth Amendment") is made and effective as of the 30th day
of  March, 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 and October 1, 1997 (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 Fifth 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, 1999.

      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 Fifth 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 Fourth Amendment.

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

        This  Fifth  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 Fifth Amendment
shall  not  be binding on either party except to the extent incorporated
in this Fifth Amendment and the Agreement.

                               -1-


<PAGE>          2

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

       The  consideration  for  this  Fifth Amendment  shall  be
deemed to be the  extension  of  additional credit  and  additional
time for repayment, all as  specified  in Section  1 of this Fourth
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 Fifth  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 Fifth 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

































                               -2-




<PAGE>          3


STATE OF IDAHO      )
                    )    ss.
COUNTY OF KOOTENAI  )

      On this thirtieth day of March, 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 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 Newman Lake, Washington
                              My Commission Expires:  9/12/2003


STATE OF IDAHO      )
                    )    ss.
COUNTY OF KOOTENAI  )

      On  this thirtieth day of March 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 Newman Lake, Washington
                              My Commission Expires:  9/12/2003
























                               -3-