VOL. IV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 40/ 



slack, they take out the loaves, and untie the cords that fastened the bar, so 

 that both sides of the same may easily open without breaking tlie loaf. Then 

 they take the loaf, and bake it in an oven after the bread has been drawn. This 

 they repeat till it be baked firm enough. 



I must not omit telling you, that all the ground, where salt or brine is spilt, 

 is, when dug up, excellent muck for grazing ground ; and even the bricks, that 

 are thoroughly tinged with it, are very good muck, and will dissolve with other 

 muck, and fertilize land considerably (especially grazing ground) for at least 

 four years. 



On the Quicksilver Mines in Friuli. By Dr. Edward Brown. 



N'* 54, p. 1080. 



The town of Idria, in the county of Goritia and Province of Friuli, is seated 

 low, and encompassed with hills on all sides. A river of the same name runs 

 by it, which I found small and shallow at the time when I was there ; though 

 upon plentiful rain it proves sufficient to convey down the fir-trees and other 

 wood, required in working the mines, and for fuel : and to this end there is a 

 work of piles made sloping athwart the river to stop the trees, which are cut 

 down, and cast into the river above this place. What is chiefly considerable in 

 this town, are the quicksilver mines. The entrance into these mines is not 

 high, or upon a hill, as in many other mines ; but in the town itself, whereby 

 they are somewhat the more troubled with water, against which they are pro- 

 vided with many excellent engines and devices. The deepest part of the mine 

 from the entrance, is between ]20 and 130 fathoms. They make two sorts of 

 the quicksilver : The one called lungfraw, that is, virgin quicksilver ; the 

 other, plain quicksilver. Virgin mercury they call that which discovers itself 

 without the help of fire ; and is either plainly to be seen in the ore, or falls 

 down in little drops in the mine, and sometimes streams out in good quantity; 

 as about seven years ago it ran out of th6 earth, at first in a stream as small as 

 a thread, but afterwards as thick as a packthread; but ceased in three or four 

 days. That also is accounted virgin quicksilver, which having no need to pass 

 the fire, is separated by water, first in a sieve, and afterwards in a long trough, 

 having very small holes at one end. So that there are two sorts of virgin 

 mercury ; the one, running out and discovering itself without labour, the 

 other requiring some method of extraction and separation, thougli not so high 

 as by fire. Plain quicksilver they name that, which is not at first perceived by 

 the eye, or falls from the ore, but is forced out by fire. And this they obtain 

 out of the ore, or out of the cinnaber of mercury, which is dug out of this 



