0,0^6 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSESHOEING. 



it only ends with the gradual spread of Christian civil- 

 ization. 



Numerous traces of iron-mining in these distant ages 

 yet exist in the Swiss and Jura Alps, Burgundy, and the 

 Pyrenees. In the latter mountains, the refuse of these 

 mines yet remain as when formed. The so-called cras- 

 siers, or ancient depots of iron scoriae, are found in the 

 vicinity of Digoin ; they abound near Perigueux, at Royan 

 (Drome), Pont-Gibaud (Auvergne), between Hyeres and 

 Toulon, and on Mount Cenis, at 1800 metres elevation. 

 There were then forests where to-day there are glaciers. 

 On the rich strata of Thortes and Beauregard (Cote d'Or), 

 M. Guillebot de Merville noted the existence of seventy 

 or eighty fragments of scoriae of Gallo-Roman iron, the 

 age of which is perfectly characterized by the peculiar 

 tiles and the debris of every kind accompanying them.' 



The remains of the Celtic furnaces M. Quiquerez 

 discovered in the Jura are identical with, though much 

 smaller than, the Catalan furnaces now at work in Ariege, 

 Carinthia, and Dalecarlia. 



In Carinthia, this is the primitive mode, according to 

 Malot, by which the iron is extracted from the ore : As 

 soon as a sufficient quantity of live coal has been accumu- 

 lated in the pit, portions of very pure mineral are spread 

 over it, then a layer of coal, then mineral, layer after 

 layer, until it is judged that the ore is sufficiently re- 

 duced, when the fire is extinguished, and some scraps of 

 iron are found among the cinders. In Dalecarlia, the 

 method is the same, only the pit is larger and encircled 

 by a circular stone wall.^ 



' Foiinu't. Op. cit. ■' Gmt'lin. Metallurgie du Fer. 



