<PAGE>          1

                                                                 Exhibit 10.1(d)

                        LOAN AGREEMENT - EIGHTH AMENDMENT


      This Loan Agreement - Eighth Amendment (hereinafter referred to as "Eighth
Amendment") is made and effective as of the 28th day of February, 2001,  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,  March  30, 1998, December 31,  1998  and  February  9,  2000
(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
Eighth 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, 2002.




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      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 Eighth 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 Eighth Amendment.

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

     4.   Consideration.  The consideration for this Eighth Amendment shall be
deemed to  be the extension of additional credit and additional time for
repayment, all as  specified in Section 1 of this Eighth 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  Eighth
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
Eighth Amendment on the date first above written.

CONSIL CORP.                  HECLA MINING COMPANY



By:  /S/ Michael B. White          By:  /S/ William B. Booth
   ----------------------        ----------------------
Name:  Michael B. White             William B. Booth
       President                    Vice President - Environmental
                                      & Government Affairs

                                 ATTEST:



                                    /S/ Nigel Cave
                                 --------------------------
                                    Nigel Cave
                                    Secretary

<PAGE>          3


STATE OF IDAHO    )
                  ) ss.
County of Kootenai)

      On  this  28th  day  of  February, in the year of  2001,  before  me,  the
undersigned, a Notary Public in and for the State of Idaho, personally  appeared
William  B.  Booth,  known  or  identified to me to  be  the  Vice  President  -
Environmental and Government Affairs, of Hecla Mining Company, 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, Washington
                         My Commission Expires:  9/12/2003


STATE OF IDAHO    )
                  ) ss.
County of Kootenai)

      On  this  28th  day  of  February, in the year of  2001,  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 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, Washington
                         My Commission Expires:  9/12/2003