112 PLINY'S ^AT-URAL HISTORY. [Book XXXIII. 



in combination with lead 1 or with galena, 6 this last being the 

 name given to the vein of lead that is mostly found running 

 near the veins of the silver ore. When submitted, too, to tho. 

 action of tire, part of the ore precipitates itself in the form of 

 lead, 6 while the silver is left floating on the surface, 7 like oil 

 on water. 



Silver is found in nearly all our provinces, but the finest of 

 all is that of Spain ; where it is found, like gold, in unculti- 

 vated soils, and in the mountains even. Wherever, too, one 

 vein of silver has been met with, another is sure to be found 

 not far off : a thing that has been remarked, in fact, in the caso 

 of nearly all the metals, which would appear from this cir- 

 cumstance to have derived their Greek name of "mctalla."' It 

 is a remarkable fact, that the shafts opened by Hannibal 9 in 

 the Spanish provinces are still worked, their names being de- 

 rived from the persons who were the first to discover thorn. 

 One of these mines, which at the present day is still eallcdBaebeloj 

 furnished Hannibal with three hundred pounds' weight of silver 

 per day. The mountain is already cAcavated for a distance of 

 fifteen hundred 10 paces; and throughout the whole of this 

 distance there are water-bearers 11 standing night and duy, 

 baling out the water in turns, regulated by the light of torches, 

 and so forming quite a river. 



The vein of silver that is found nearest the surface is known 



4 "Plumbum nip-urn" "Black lc.nl," literally : so called by tbe ancients, 

 in contradistinction to "plumbum album,'' "white lead," our *' tin," 

 probably. 



5 Lead ore; identified with "molyWiena" in B. xxxiv. c. S3. Native 

 sulphurate of lead is now known as " galt-na." See licckinaim's Hist. inv. 

 Vol. II. p. 211, where this passage is commented upon. 



This i'cckmann considers to bo the same as the "galena" above men- 

 tioned; half-vitrifu'd load, the "glutte" of the Germans. 



' The specific gravity of lead is 11.352, and of silver only 10.474. 



8 From the words j*r' XXa, " one after another.'* 



9 It is Biipposed that these shafts were in the neighbourhood of Castillo, 

 now Cazlona, near Linares in Spain. It was at C'ttstulo that Hannibal 

 named his rich wife Ilimilco; and in tho hills north of Linares there are 

 ancient silver mints *till known as I.i,s I'ozux dc Anibal. 



10 A mile and a half. 



11 The proper reading hero, as suggested by Sillier, is not improbably 

 tl aquatini," "water-carriers." That, however, found in thcMSS. is"Aqui- 

 t:t:ii ;" but those were a people, not of Spain, but of (Jaul. Jlardouin siig- 

 ccst-s that " Accitani" may be the correct reading, a people of that name 

 iu Spain beiii mentioned 'in U. iii* c. o. 



