GUNPOWDER, 173 



very well convinced of the truth of the above tradition, because 

 the fathers of my informers might be very well acquainted with 

 the mincries that introduced blasting among them." In addition 

 to this account I would observe, that the manner of splitting rocks 

 by gunpowder, as practised at Liege, was published by the Royal 

 Society, in 1665 ; and that it was not till about the year l6'84, that 

 the miners in Somersetshire began to use gunpowder*. In the 

 year 1668 Prince Rupert was chosen governor of the Society for 

 the Mines Royal + ; and as he lived fourteen years after that appoint, 

 ment, it is not improbable that he might send for the German 

 miners in consequence of his connection with that society. 



Before the discovery of blasting rocks by gunpowder, it was the 

 custom in our English mines, as well as in Germany, to split them 

 by wood fires. This method is minutely described by Agricola+, 

 and it is not yet wholly fallen into disuse . It is a very ancient 

 mode of mining, being mentioned by Diodorus Siculus, as practised 

 in some Egyptian mines|| : he gives us, in the place here referred 

 to, such a melancholy account of the condition of the poor slaves 

 who were employed in those mines, as must make the heart of 

 every humane man, who has a rational respect for the natural rights 

 of every individual of our species, swell with indignation, and 

 thrill with horror. Would to God, that the clemency of the task- 

 masters in the mines of Peru, and in other settlements of European 

 Christians, could induce us to believe that Diodorus Siculus had 

 exaggerated the barbarity of Heathen policy ! But there is much to 

 be done, much, I fear, to be suffered, by all the states of Christen, 

 dom, before the Gospel of Christ can be said to be established 

 amongst them as a rule of life influencing their conduct. 



It is related of Hannibal, that he opened himself a passage 

 through the Alps, by applying fire and vinegar to the rocks which 

 opposed his route. This mode of splitting rocks was, probably, 

 not invented by Hannibal ; he might have had frequent opportu- 

 nities of observing a similar practice in the silver mines in Spain, 

 which daily afforded him three hundred pounds weight of silver ft 



* Philos. Trans. 



t Account of Mines, p. 20. 



De Re Metal. 



Philos. Trans. 1777, p. 414. 



|| Lib. III. 



1 Minim ad hue per Hispanias ab Hannibale inchoatos puteos durare, siia ah 

 inventoribus noinina habentes. Ex qneis Bebulonppellaturhodieque, qui CCC 

 pondo Hannibali subninUterabat indies ! Plin. Hist. Nat. L. 33. s. 31 , 



