1826.] as carried on in Germany. 269 



processes, waste is avoided, and the temptation to pilfering of 

 the valuable metals by the workmen is diminished. A short 

 review of these arrangements may not, therefore, be improper, 

 as thereby the connexion between the different parts of the 

 establishment may be better understood. 



The works consist of three main buildings, which form three 

 sides of a quadrangle ; the fourth side of which forms the 

 entrance. In the centre is the forcing engine, for the purpose of 

 supplying water in case of fire. One of the three buildings is 

 much shorter than the other two, and contains only furnaces and 

 a charging floor. The others contain each the same number of 

 furnaces and conveniences for mixing and charging the ore, and 

 in addition thereto machinery and apparatus required in the 

 other processes. The principal building containing the barrels 

 may be in length about 200 feet by about 48 feet in breadth. It 

 is divided by stone walls into four divisions. 1 he first division, 

 which is by far the largest, contains on the ground-floor a set 

 of calcining furnaces ; over these is a charging floor, and above 

 that a salt magazine. Next to this is the part used for milling. 

 This contains on the upper, or fourth story, a coarse riddle, and 

 below it a fine riddle. Under these are five mills, extending 

 with the sieves attached thereto to the floor. The third division 

 contains, on the third story, a floor from whence the amalgama- 

 tion barrels are charged ; on the second floor the barrels ; and 

 under these, on the ground floor, the washing tubs. In the 

 fourth division is a storehouse for quicksilver ; on the second 

 story, and under this, the four distilling furnaces. The third and 

 fourth stories of the building, it is to be observed, are in the roof, 

 which is made very steep, the walls of the work being only two 

 floors in height. 



In describing the machinery, it is not necessary to be very 

 minute. It consists of cog wheels and wooden lanterns, an 

 arrangement very commonly adopted on the continent, but 

 evidently inferior to the machinery of this country, as the bear- 

 ing of the wooden cogs on the round staves of the hollow 

 lanterns cannot be as true as when two well constructed tooth 

 wheels work together; nor are the face wheel and the lantern 

 pinion at all equal to our bevil gear. The construction of the 

 mills is far less simple than that of our grist mills, in which 

 several pairs of stones are often driven by a single spur wheel. 

 The whole of the machinery is driven by water. In the principal 

 building before referred to are two large overshot wheels, of 

 which one works the screens, mills, and sieves, and the other 

 the barrels. 



The arrangement for the latter is as follows : Attached to the 

 shaft of the barrel water wheel is a large cog wheel that works 

 two lantern pinions placed above it. On the shaft, from each of 

 these pinion wheels are five small cog wheels, so arranged that 



