Account of the Gold and Silver Mines of Hungary. 23 
cold, by a few blows on an anvil the vitreous matter or slag 
which surrounds the whole contents of the crucible is broken 
off, and a button of lead retaining the silver is found. This but- 
ton is placed in a small vessel or cupel made of bone ashes, and 
again submitted under a muffle to a considerable heat, by which 
the whole is melted, and the lead, being considerably oxidated, 
is absorbed by the cupel, a little shining pearl of silver alone re- 
maining, from the weight of which the whole of this precious 
metal contained in the parcel of ore is calculated. By a similar 
process the richness in silver of the ingots is likewise ascer- 
tained. 
The silver in both cases contains gold, the quantity of which 
is still to be determined. This is effected by placing it in small 
flasks or retorts of glass, and pouring upon it twice its weight of 
nitric acid ; which being exposed in a sand-bath toa gentle heat, 
the silver is completely dissolved, and the gold falls down in 
powder. This precipitate is carefully washed, and put into a 
small conical crucible fitted with a cover; a gentle heat is ap- 
plied, and the pure gold remains in a spongy mass at the bottom. 
The solution is then evaporated to collect the silver. This 
mode of assay differs but little from the processes used in re- 
spect to the ores and metal in the gross. 
The first part of the operations used on the ores is similar to 
that at Schemnitz. When the fusion is complete, and the metal 
is let out of the furnace into the circular bed prepared for it in 
the ground, ingots of lead rich in silver are continually added as 
Jong as they will melt and unite, the crusts of slag being re- 
moved as they form on the surface. In this way a mass of metal 
is obtained holding thirty, forty, or even fifty loths of silver in 
the centner, which is then laded into flat moulds to cool. These 
are assayed previously to their being placed in a reverberatory 
furnace, fitted with a large iron cover suspended by chains by 
which it is elevated and lowered at the will of the operator ; and 
a brisk flame being made to play over the metal, the lead is 
quickly oxidated on its surface: this is removed, and a new sur- 
face being exposed to the action of the flame and air, the same 
is repeated until nothing remains on the sand forming the bot- 
tom of the surface, except the silver holding gold, which is taken 
out by ladles and poured into ingot moulds, This precious 
alloy is thence removed to the laboratory adjoining the mint, to 
undergo the operation of parting,” or the separation of the 
gold fronr the silver. 
The ingots are here melted down, and the metal whilst fluid 
poured into water, by which it is granulated, or divided into al- 
most leaf-like pieces which are in appearance exceedingly beau- 
tiful. These being dried are put into large glass retorts ex- 
+ wbaeed B4 tremely 
