the Quicksilver Mines of Idria in Illyria. 307 



of the earth, they ceased their researches when they no longer 

 found this metal in the Hquid state, or in the form of cinnabar. 



A comjjanv of mining adventurers succeeded, guided by the 

 hopes of better success, and instructed by scientific men, among 

 wliom the names of Witig Tholhauser and Florian Thater occur. 

 This company commenced a scries of operations suited to the 

 state of knowledge at the time : thev opened a vertical well for 

 extracting the produce (which is still shown by the name of St. 

 Agatha) on the side opposite to the first experiments. 



In 1510 the Venetians, in making war upon the people who 

 inhabited the Frioul, in which Idria is situated, seized the works 

 by force of arms. This conquest, however, was not of long du- 

 ration ; for soon afterwards Maximilian, emperor of Germany, 

 who was then at war with the Venetians, retook the country, and 

 restored the mhies of Idria to the original proprietors. 



In 1525 a catastrophe destroyed the greater part of there- 

 suit of fifteen years labours. A violent earthquake threw down 

 almo';t the whole of the galleries; mountains which skirted along 

 the valley vv^ere thrown down and precipitated into the torrent 

 called the Idrixa, the course of which was changed in some 

 places : and this unexpected accident ruined the company of 

 miners. 



The next adventurers were from Saltzburg; and about the 

 year 1572 the labours were resumed with new activity, and in a 

 regular manner. 



In 1575 the Archduke Charles of Austria took possession of 

 the mines as a conqueror, and he was the first who set 

 about creating a regular administration for the benefit of the 

 state. 



Francis Toichel, who was sent as deputy from the Govern- 

 ment to establish it, dug the vertical pit known by the name of 

 Santa Barba: he contrived furnaces for separating the mercury 

 from the substances which mineralize it in the bowels of the 

 earth, and suggested the mixing of the sulphuret of mercury 

 with lime, in orde»- to isolate the metal from the sulphur. It 

 was he also who gave the first ideas of the fabrication of saline 

 mercurial productions. 



The administration of Idria was then composed of a president 

 who was chief director, five counsellors, and a secretary. 



In 1803 a fire broke out in the inside of the mines, and oc- 

 ca^iioned great damage ; but by the sage counsels of M. Fihold, 

 who then directed the subterranean works, its ravages were 

 stopped by introducing water into the interior. Several persons 

 were suffocated in the act of assisting their comrades. M. Vo- 

 rauer, sub-engineer, remained a long time insensible, but was 

 U 2 at 



