142 SILVER MINES OF ANDREASBERG, 



mal hue, bloody as the veriest witch could desire, that came with the 

 careering throng to cleanse her gore-stained hands in the " Witches' 

 Wash-basin" upon the summit. The mountaineers will have it that that 

 same wash-basin, which is nothing else than a singular cavity in one of 

 the flat rocks upon the mountain top, is always full of water. 



J'rom the ''Devil's Pulpit," we had a fine view of the rising sun 

 upon the morning of the first of May, 1S43. It was a cold morning ; 

 the banks of snow that still hung upon the sides of the mountain, chill- 

 ed the air, and there was no inducement to remain longer upon the sum- 

 mit, so we swung our knapsacks upon our backs, and commenced the 

 descent. We had approached the Brocken from the north, by the ro- 

 mantic valley of the lis, (Ilsenthal;) we descended towards the west, 

 over a waste wild heath. Our path led frequently through peat bogs, 

 in some places so soft that a single step to the side would have sunk 

 one from two to three feet into the reddish grassy mire. Where the 

 peat was more solid, its elasticity made it a pleasant substitute for the 

 rough causeway that was our guide down the side of the mountain. 



Not to detain you any longer upon the Brocken — before noon we 

 reached the artificial lake of the Andreasberg mines. Steam would be 

 too expensive where fuel is so scarce, and, as much power is needed for 

 carrying on the works, they have been compelled to undertake an im- 

 mense task, viz: the formation of an artificial lake away up in the moun- 

 tain, where water enough can be collected during the winter and spring, 

 to supply the mines with the necessary motive power during the sum- 

 mer. An immense dyke has been thrown across a narrow valley dam- 

 ming up the innumerable mountain torrents fed by the snows and fre- 

 quent rains of this part of the Harz. The principal stream whose 

 course has thus been interrupted, is the Oder, which gives its name to 

 the basin thus formed, the Oderteich. The conduit, (called Rehberger 

 Graben,) by which the contents of this body of water, larger than some 

 Swiss lakes of note, are guided to the mines of Andreasberg, winds 

 along the right side of the Oderthal, with so great an inclination that 

 the stream rushes down with great rapidity. A carriage road lined up- 

 on the left with trees, accompanies it all the way, about six miles. 



Andreasberg is half hid among the hills. A few fine houses, occu- 

 pied by the government ofilcers who superintend the works, form a 

 striking contrast to the humble cottages oi^ the miners. But there did 

 not seem to be much poverty here. 



We deposited our knapsacks in the guest-room of the principal inn, 

 and despatched a servant for a "permit." This was easily obtained, 

 and we now made our appearance at the entrance of the mines. We 



