78 



BOOK IV. 



for among the Greeks, who called it an dpyvia, it was six feet, among the 

 Romans five feet. So this measure which is used by miners seems to 

 have come down to the Germans in accordance with the Greek mode of 

 reckoning. A miner's foot approaches very nearly to the length of a Greek 

 foot, for it exceeds it by only three-quarters of a Greek digit, but like that 

 of the Romans it is divided into twelve unciae^. 



Now square fathoms are reckoned in units of one, two, three, or more 

 " measures ", and a " measure " is seven fathoms each way. Mining 

 meers are for the most part either square or elongated ; in square meers all the 

 sides are of equal length, therefore the numbers of fathoms on the two sides 

 multiplied together produce the total in square fathoms. Thus, if the 

 shape of a " measure " is seven fathoms on every side, this number multi- 

 plied by itself makes forty-nine square fathoms. 



The sides of a long meer are of equal length, and similarly its ends are 

 equal ; therefore, if the number of fathoms in one of the long sides be multi- 

 plied by the number of fathoms in one of the ends, the total produced by the 



use in the High Peak. The following table of the principal terms gives the originals of the 

 Latin text, their German equivalents according in the Glossary and other sources, and those 

 adopted in the translation : — 



Agricola. 

 Praefedus Metallonim 

 Magister Metallicorum 

 Scriba Magister Metallicorum 

 Jurati 



Publicus Signator 

 Decumanus 

 Distributor 

 Scriba partium 

 Scriba fodinarum . . 



Praefectus fodinae 



Praefectits cuniculi 



Praeses fodinae 



Praeses cuniculi 



Fossores . . , . 



Ingestores . . 



Vectarii . . 



Discretores 



Lotores 



Excoctores 



Pur gator Ar genii 



Magister Monetariorum 



Monetarius 



Area fodinarum 



Area Capitis Fodinarum 



Demensum 



German Glossary. 



Bergamptmann 



Bergmeister 



Bergmeister's schreiber 



Geschwornen 



Gemeiner sigler 



Zehender 



Aussteiler 



Gegenschreiber 



Bergschreiber 



Steiger 



Schichtmeister 



Berghauer 



Berganschlagen 



Hespeler 



Ertzpucher . . 



Wescher und seiffner 



Schmeltzer 



Silber brenner 



Miintzmeister 



Muntzer 



Masse 



Fundgrube 



Lehen 



Term Adopted. 

 Mining Prefect. 

 Bergmeister 

 Bergmeister's clerk. 

 J urates or Jurors. 

 Notary. 

 Tithe gatherer. 

 Cashier. 

 Share clerk. 

 Mining clerk. 



Manager of the Mine. 



Manager of the Tunnel. 



Foreman of the Mine. 



Foreman of the Tunnel. 



Miners or diggers. 



Shovellers. 



Lever workers (windlass men). 



Sorters. 



Washers, buddlers, sifters, etc. 



Smelters. 



Silver refiner. 



Master of the Mint. 



Coiner. 



Meer. 



Head meer. 



Measure. 



^The following are the equivalents of the measures mentioned in this book. It is 



not always certain which " foot 

 they were probably the German. 

 Greek — 



Dactylos = .76 inches 16 

 Roman 



Uncia 

 German — 



Zoll 

 English — 



Inch 



or " fathom " Agricola actually had in mind although 



= .97 



•93 



Pous 



12 = Pes 



= 12.13 inches 6 = Orguia = 72.81 inches. 



= 11.6 



12 = Werckschuh = 11.24 



i.o 



12 



= 12.00 



5 = Passus = 58.1 



6 = Lachter = 67.5 

 6 = Fathom = 72.0 



= Foot 

 The discrepancies are due to variations in authorities and to decimals dropped. The 

 werckschuh taken is the Chemnitz foot deduced from Agricola's statement in his De Mensuris 

 et Ponderibus, Basel, 1533, p. 29. For further notes see Appendix C. 



