840 Slalistkal Account of 



The ores when drawn up from the pits are conveyed by work- 

 men to the washing-rooms, where the richest are set apart. The 

 uiifidhni;- sort* aie picked also, and arrani^:ed according to their 

 *ahie. Men and hoys are emph^ved in this business. 



Tlie wiitwork or sieves which serve for washini^ the ores are 

 of seven numbers, and each has its character of fineness ; lor 

 the ores are of various sizes, and contain a very great munher 

 of particles very lich in mercury. 



Afterwards an expert set of workmen put tlie same ores into 

 other sieves : th.ese are suspended over a cistern filled with 

 water, into which the workmen immerge them constantly, taking 

 care to shr.ke the sieve, in order that tlie heaviest molecules may 

 fall to the bottom. The lighter portions at the surface are de^ 

 canted, and great care is taken to collect those which appear 

 red, a? they contain cinnabar. 



The ores after thus ])assinj^ through the various sieves are 

 called ki-ins, No. 1 , 2, », i, r>l 6, 7- ^ 



The ores v/hich have passed through the sieves, and which 

 •ire separated and rejected, are the coarsest. They arc placed 

 rnider stampers to he reduced into powder, and afterwards ini- 

 dcrgo with the rest a new concentration in washing-houses with 

 tables forming inclined planes. 



There are two kinds of inclined tables: some are moveable, 

 and the mineral dust wh.ich comes from them is called stosherd 

 schl/eh: othc)-s are fixed, and what comes from them is known 

 bv the name oi schlietks, No, 1, 2,3, A, and o. 



The regvdatious of th© mines of Idria require that the ores in 

 powder, called sc/iliecks, should never be less than / per cent, of 

 mercury. When, after the analysis which the assayer makes every 

 week, it is ascertained that these metals do not contain the re- 

 cpiisite quantity of metal, the w'orkmen are not paid their wages, 

 and they are obliged to recommence the labour of concentration, 

 gratuitously. 



In the washing-houses the ores in powder are weiglied and 

 put into the depot on Friday every week; from thence they are 

 carried to the furnaces. 



Before, however, submitting the ores to the action of the fire 

 they are ])reviously analvsed by the assayer, and the quantity 

 which ought to compose a charge, both coarse and fine, is sub- 

 jecled by an ofilccr apjiointed for the purpose to a rigorous ad- 

 measurement by weight ; so that the quantity of mercury to 

 be expected from the operation may be ascertained beibrehand 

 with tolerable precision. 



As the ores are of two kinds, in resj)ect of size, there are also 

 two sets of furnaces for treating them. 



These furnaces are forty fathoms long by eight broad, iiv 

 eluding the external walls. The 



