Chap. 21.] HOW GOLD IS rOUlS^D. . 101 



purities that escape by the chimney, as in the case of all 

 other metals, are known by the name of *' scoria." In the 

 case of gold, this scoria is broken up a second time, and melted 

 over again. The crucibles used for this purpose are made of 

 "tasconium,"^'' a white earth similar to potter's clay in ap- 

 pearance ; there being no other substance capable of with- 

 standing the strong current of air, the action of the fire, and 

 the intense heat of the melted metal. 



The third method of obtaining gold surpasses the labours 

 of the Giants^® even : by the aid of galleries driven to a long 

 distance, mountains are excavated by the light of torches, the 

 duration of which forms the set times for work, the workmen 

 never seeing the light of day for many months together. 

 These mines are known as '' arrugiaa ;"^^ and not unfrequently 

 clefts are formed on a sudden, the earth sinks in, and the work- 

 men are crushed beneath; so that it would really appear less rash 

 to go in search of pearls and purples at the bottom of the sea, 

 •so much more dangerous to ourselves have we made the earth 

 than the water ! Hence it is, that in this kind of mining, 

 arches are left at frequent intervals for the purpose of sup- 

 porting the weight of the mountain above. In mining either 

 by shaft or by gallery, barriers of silex are met with, which 

 have to be driven asunder by the aid of fire and vinegar ;*° or 

 more fi-equently, as this method fills the galleries with suffocating 

 vapours and smoke, to be broken to pieces with bruising- 

 machines shod with pieces of iron weighing one hundred and 

 fifty pounds : which done, the fragments are carried out on the 

 workmen's shoulders, night and day, each man passing them 

 on to his neighbour in the dark, it being only those at the pit's 

 mouth that ever see the light. In cases where the bed of silex 

 appears too thick to admit of being penetrated, the miner traces 

 along the sides of it, and so turns it. And yet, after all, the labour 

 entailed by this silex is looked upon as comparatively easy, there 

 being an earth — a kind of potter's clay mixed with gravel, 

 " gangadia" by name, which it is almost impossible to overcome. 

 This earth has to be attacked with iron wedges and hammers 



^"^ The cupel or crucible is still known in Spain by the name of taseo. 



38 'Who were said to hare heaped one mountain on another in their war 

 with the gods. 



33 Deep mines in Spain are still called arrugia, a term also used to 

 signify gold beneath the surface. According to Grimm, arruzi was the 

 ancient High German name for iron. ^'^' See B. xiiii. c. 27. 



