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BOOK VIII. 



If the ore is rich in metal, the earth, the fine and coarse sand, and the 

 pieces of rock which have been broken from the hanging-wall, are dug out of 

 the dump with a spade or rake and, with a shovel, are thrown into a large sieve 

 or basket, and washed in a tub nearly full of water. The sieve is generally 

 a cubit broad and half a foot deep ; its bottom has holes of such size that the 

 larger pieces of broken rock cannot pass through them, for this material rests 

 upon the straight and cross iron wires, which at their points of contact are 

 bound by small iron clips. The sieve is held together by an iron band and by 

 two cross-rods likewise of iron ; the rest of the sieve is made of staves in the 

 shape of a little tub, and is bound with two iron hoops ; some, however, 

 bind it with hoops of hazel or oak, but in that case they use three of them. 

 On each side it has handles, which are held in the hands by whoever washes 

 the metalliferous material. Into this sieve a boy throws the material to be 

 washed, and a woman shakes it up and down, turning it alternately to the 



A — Sieve. B — Its handles. C — Tub. D — Bottom of sieve made of iron wires. 

 E — Hoop. F — Rods. G — Hoops. H — Woman shaking the sieve. I — Boy supplying 

 IT with material which requires washing. K — Man with shovel removing from 

 the tub the material which has passed through the sieve. 



