DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44973#0083
A Journey from Komara to the Mine~Towns in Hungary.
At Mtfmills not far from hence they get Silver out of Copper ,
which they seperate thus: They add Lead to the Copper when it is
melted, and take out the Metals melted together in Spoons or Iron
Diflies. hen it is cold they give it a strong lire again as it lies
upon cross Bars, untill the Silver and Lead melts and falls through.
When the Copper hath palled its last melting and is fit for use, they
cut it in pieces, with great Hammers which are iharp, to move every
one of which there is a Mill on purpose, which with great force lift-
eth up the Hammer : and to Ihape and form it into Vestels or Plates,
they have other Hammers, which are flat or round according as they
intend to frame the Copper.
The Governor of these Works at Newfol was highly obliging, and
besides the giving us opportunity of seeing every thing w7e desired, he
lent me a handsom present of Wine and Fowls, and wrote a Letter to
the Prxfedt of the Copper-Mine at Herrn-grundt to lhew me every
thing that was curious and observable in that Mine.
Herm-Grunat is a little Town seated very high between two Hills,
upon a part os Land of the same name, an Hungarian mile distant from
stewsol. The Country about was then all covered with Snow after we
came to such a heighth, but in the Valleys, and in our journey from
Newsol hither we met with none ; so that we found the Air very
piercing as we palled towards the entrance of the Mine in Miners ha*
bits; which habit consists of a Linen Coat and Drawers, a Iliffround
Cap, like the crown os a Hat, a leather Apron turned behind, and two
pieces of Leather tyed to the Knees, to defend those parts against any
sudden striking against the Rocks, or the fall of Earth upon them. In
the Mine we were warm enough.
I went into this Mine through a Ciiniculus called Tacbftoln, and con-
tinued divers hours in the Mine, and visited many of the most remar-
kable places in it. The steep deseents in this Mine are made by Lad-
ders or Trees set upright, with deep notches or stayers cut in them to
stay the foot upon : They are not troubled with water, the Mine lying
high in the Hill, so that the water may drain away; but they are mo-
lested with dust, which is choaking and fretting, and also with pernici-
ous damps.
In one place of the Mine they stiewed me the manner how they
had lately cured a very bad Damp by a great pair of Bellows, which
were blown continually for many days ; and in divers other places the
Damps were so strong as to hinder the Work-men very much in their
labour, and. these Damps are not only met with in places where the
Earth is sull os Clay or the like substances, but also where it is rocky,
and one place they shewed me where there had been a pernicious
Damp, and yet the Rock so hard, that it could not be broken by their
Instruments; but the deseent was all made by the means of Gun-pow-
der ramm’d into long holes in the Rock, and so blown up.
Much of this Mine lies in the Rocks where they have no need os
Wood-work to keep it open, and some pasiages lie between the Rock
and the Earth, so that they are kept open upon one side by Firr-Trees,
and on the other side with Stone, the pasiages also are not so regular as
at Chremnitz^ for many here are neither horizontal, nor near to a per-
pendicular, but moderately inclining up and down, and there are many
large Cavities within. In one place where we desended obliquely to
At Mtfmills not far from hence they get Silver out of Copper ,
which they seperate thus: They add Lead to the Copper when it is
melted, and take out the Metals melted together in Spoons or Iron
Diflies. hen it is cold they give it a strong lire again as it lies
upon cross Bars, untill the Silver and Lead melts and falls through.
When the Copper hath palled its last melting and is fit for use, they
cut it in pieces, with great Hammers which are iharp, to move every
one of which there is a Mill on purpose, which with great force lift-
eth up the Hammer : and to Ihape and form it into Vestels or Plates,
they have other Hammers, which are flat or round according as they
intend to frame the Copper.
The Governor of these Works at Newfol was highly obliging, and
besides the giving us opportunity of seeing every thing w7e desired, he
lent me a handsom present of Wine and Fowls, and wrote a Letter to
the Prxfedt of the Copper-Mine at Herrn-grundt to lhew me every
thing that was curious and observable in that Mine.
Herm-Grunat is a little Town seated very high between two Hills,
upon a part os Land of the same name, an Hungarian mile distant from
stewsol. The Country about was then all covered with Snow after we
came to such a heighth, but in the Valleys, and in our journey from
Newsol hither we met with none ; so that we found the Air very
piercing as we palled towards the entrance of the Mine in Miners ha*
bits; which habit consists of a Linen Coat and Drawers, a Iliffround
Cap, like the crown os a Hat, a leather Apron turned behind, and two
pieces of Leather tyed to the Knees, to defend those parts against any
sudden striking against the Rocks, or the fall of Earth upon them. In
the Mine we were warm enough.
I went into this Mine through a Ciiniculus called Tacbftoln, and con-
tinued divers hours in the Mine, and visited many of the most remar-
kable places in it. The steep deseents in this Mine are made by Lad-
ders or Trees set upright, with deep notches or stayers cut in them to
stay the foot upon : They are not troubled with water, the Mine lying
high in the Hill, so that the water may drain away; but they are mo-
lested with dust, which is choaking and fretting, and also with pernici-
ous damps.
In one place of the Mine they stiewed me the manner how they
had lately cured a very bad Damp by a great pair of Bellows, which
were blown continually for many days ; and in divers other places the
Damps were so strong as to hinder the Work-men very much in their
labour, and. these Damps are not only met with in places where the
Earth is sull os Clay or the like substances, but also where it is rocky,
and one place they shewed me where there had been a pernicious
Damp, and yet the Rock so hard, that it could not be broken by their
Instruments; but the deseent was all made by the means of Gun-pow-
der ramm’d into long holes in the Rock, and so blown up.
Much of this Mine lies in the Rocks where they have no need os
Wood-work to keep it open, and some pasiages lie between the Rock
and the Earth, so that they are kept open upon one side by Firr-Trees,
and on the other side with Stone, the pasiages also are not so regular as
at Chremnitz^ for many here are neither horizontal, nor near to a per-
pendicular, but moderately inclining up and down, and there are many
large Cavities within. In one place where we desended obliquely to