DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44973#0081
A Journey from Komara to the Mine-Towns in Hungary. 6 5
Gold-Ore of small pointed parts like needles, of a purple colour, and
shining, the mother of which is yellow like brimslone, it is called by
them Antimony of Gold. There are Crystals found here, and some
tinctured yellow.
There is a Vitriol-Mine in these Hills nigh the Gold-Mine, about
eighty fathoms deep. The Earth or Ore whereof is reddish, and
sometimes greenilli. This Earth is inlused in water, and after three
days the water is poured oss, and boyled seven days in a leaden Vellel,
till it comes to a thick granulated whitish subslance, which is after-
wards reduced to a Calx-in an Oven, and lerves in the making os
Aqua fort is, or the separating water used at Schemnitz.
Where they pound the Gold- Ore, they lay a foundation three yards
deep of wood, upon which they place the Ore, over which there
are sour and twenty Beams armed at the bottom with Iron, which
break and grind the Ore, it being covered all the while with water.
These Beams are moved by four Wheels, one Wheel to six Beams, the
water which comes out from the pounded Ore, is let into little Pits
or Chests commonly seven or eight one after another; and afterwards
into a large Pit os almosl half an Aker of ground, and then after set-
ling let out.
The Gold-Ore in powder or pounded is called Slick, of which that
is the richesl which is nearesl to the Beams where it is first pounded.
They work thus day and night continually. The Candles which they
make use of are of Firr or some Resmous wood.
They take the Slick waslied so long as perhaps in an hundred pound
weight, there may be half an ounce or an ounce of Gold and Silver,
the greatesl part ordinarily Gold, two thirds generally, (for the Ckrem-
nitz Gold-Ore is seldom without some mixture os Silver, and the belt
of the Schemnitz Silver-Ore yields an eighth par^os Gold in pro*
portion to the Silver;) to this Slick they add Limeitone and Slacken,
and melt them together in the melting Furnace.
This firsl melting produces a subslance called Lech ; this Lech
they burn with Charcoal to make it lighter, to open its body and
render it porous, and then it is called RoJL
To the Roft they add Sand as they see occasion, and melt it again
in the melting Furnace; then let it out into the Pan, and proceed
as in the melting of Silver.
They have divers other ways to get the Gold out of the pounded
Ore, and I capnot omit to set down this one, in which they proceed
without Lead. '
They walk the pounded Ore often, and lay it in powder upon
Cloths, and by the gentle oblique descending of the water over it,
and their continual liirring it, the earthy, clayilh, and lighter parts
are waikt away, while the heavier and metalline remain in the Cloth:
not much unlike to this proceeding is that with Sheep-skins and Wooll,
which they place either in the water which comes from the works, or
in rivulets which have their Heads hid in Hills and Mountains rich in
Gold ; so that while the water and ssuid parts pass through or over
them, the more solid, heavy and metalline are insnared ; and by this
way some have obtained the Golden Fleece. But to continue the man-
ner of working with cloths, they walk the cloths in which the Ore
doth slick in several Tubs, and the water after some setling is pour’d
K '
Gold-Ore of small pointed parts like needles, of a purple colour, and
shining, the mother of which is yellow like brimslone, it is called by
them Antimony of Gold. There are Crystals found here, and some
tinctured yellow.
There is a Vitriol-Mine in these Hills nigh the Gold-Mine, about
eighty fathoms deep. The Earth or Ore whereof is reddish, and
sometimes greenilli. This Earth is inlused in water, and after three
days the water is poured oss, and boyled seven days in a leaden Vellel,
till it comes to a thick granulated whitish subslance, which is after-
wards reduced to a Calx-in an Oven, and lerves in the making os
Aqua fort is, or the separating water used at Schemnitz.
Where they pound the Gold- Ore, they lay a foundation three yards
deep of wood, upon which they place the Ore, over which there
are sour and twenty Beams armed at the bottom with Iron, which
break and grind the Ore, it being covered all the while with water.
These Beams are moved by four Wheels, one Wheel to six Beams, the
water which comes out from the pounded Ore, is let into little Pits
or Chests commonly seven or eight one after another; and afterwards
into a large Pit os almosl half an Aker of ground, and then after set-
ling let out.
The Gold-Ore in powder or pounded is called Slick, of which that
is the richesl which is nearesl to the Beams where it is first pounded.
They work thus day and night continually. The Candles which they
make use of are of Firr or some Resmous wood.
They take the Slick waslied so long as perhaps in an hundred pound
weight, there may be half an ounce or an ounce of Gold and Silver,
the greatesl part ordinarily Gold, two thirds generally, (for the Ckrem-
nitz Gold-Ore is seldom without some mixture os Silver, and the belt
of the Schemnitz Silver-Ore yields an eighth par^os Gold in pro*
portion to the Silver;) to this Slick they add Limeitone and Slacken,
and melt them together in the melting Furnace.
This firsl melting produces a subslance called Lech ; this Lech
they burn with Charcoal to make it lighter, to open its body and
render it porous, and then it is called RoJL
To the Roft they add Sand as they see occasion, and melt it again
in the melting Furnace; then let it out into the Pan, and proceed
as in the melting of Silver.
They have divers other ways to get the Gold out of the pounded
Ore, and I capnot omit to set down this one, in which they proceed
without Lead. '
They walk the pounded Ore often, and lay it in powder upon
Cloths, and by the gentle oblique descending of the water over it,
and their continual liirring it, the earthy, clayilh, and lighter parts
are waikt away, while the heavier and metalline remain in the Cloth:
not much unlike to this proceeding is that with Sheep-skins and Wooll,
which they place either in the water which comes from the works, or
in rivulets which have their Heads hid in Hills and Mountains rich in
Gold ; so that while the water and ssuid parts pass through or over
them, the more solid, heavy and metalline are insnared ; and by this
way some have obtained the Golden Fleece. But to continue the man-
ner of working with cloths, they walk the cloths in which the Ore
doth slick in several Tubs, and the water after some setling is pour’d
K '