118 The Hartz. 



earth, which is entirely void of vegetation for some distance around, 

 having been destroyed by the deleterious vapors. Those estab- 

 lishments that we have hitherto visited, appertaining to private indi- 

 viduals, more or less circumscribed in their capacity by pecuniary 

 considerations, scarce suffice to give an idea of these justly termed 

 royal works. The hills of scoria collected around the immense 

 black constructions, glaring with the light of die furnaces, the whole 

 half disappearing amid the volumes of dense vapors which cloud the 

 heavens in the vicinity, produce an aspect really imposing. The 

 traveller's first visit into the interior of the works, gives him but a 

 confused idea of the great regularity and remarkable simplicity that 

 constantly reign throughout the series of multiplied operations which 

 on the first superficial glance appears to be so complicated. 



The quantities and low price of lead, thrown into circulation by the 

 mining operations in Spain, has occasioned a great deal of uneasiness 

 throughout the Hartz. The greatest possible activity is now every 

 where displayed, and the quantity of precious metal produced has 

 become the principal object of the treatment, and thus assays have been 

 made with a view of introducing more economy, into their opera- 

 tions ; the result of these as will be seen, was very happy, so much 

 so, diat new and more advantageous methods have been substituted 

 in place of those heretofore employed, which might be chosen as 

 land marks, to show the advancement of Science. We have en- 

 tered into certain details respecting the ancient methods, to make 

 more evident the cause and successful result of these extremely in- 

 teresting assays which we copied ourselves from the note books of 

 the different works. 



Franckinscharner Hutte, is the name of the great central works, sit- 

 uated about one mile and a half from Clausthal, in a valley which re- 

 ceives the waters of several mines. Upon this small stream, there are 

 twenty one bocards for the mechanical preparation of the ore treated at 

 the works. Franckenschamer Hutte gives employment to one hun- 

 dred and sixty workmen, who together with those engaged in the 

 mines that supply the works, amount to upwards of three thousand 

 hands. The mettallurgic works, properly speaking, appertain to 

 the crown of England ; the bocards to private individuals, and the 

 mines are generally explored by companies ; the ore extracted is 

 purchased by government, and the value of each schlich (washed 

 ore) is verified by three assays, one made on the part of the mines, a 

 second for the works, and a third as the verification of the other two. 



These assays have another very important advantage, that of procuring 



