440 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I67O. 



wheel, falls no lower into the mine, but passes away through a cuniculus made 

 on purpose, through which both this and the other water, pumped from the 

 deepest parts of the mine, run out together at the foot of a. hill. 



Trinity mine is 70 fathoms deep; built and kept open with underwork at a 

 great expense. Much of this mine being in an earthy soil, the ore of it is 

 much esteemed. Divers veins lie north ; and other rich veins run to the north- 

 east. When two veins cross one another, they esteem it fortunate. So that all 

 veins of ore keep not the same point even in the same mine; which would be 

 an help to discover them ; but they have no certain way to know either which 

 way they run, or where they are, till by the industrious persevering in the 

 labour of the mines they are at last found out. They use not the virgula divina, 

 but dig always as the adventurers desire. They showed me one place, which 

 they had digged straight on six years, when the ore was but two fathoms distant 

 from the place where they first began : And in another place they digged 12 

 years outright, and at last found a vein, which in a short time paid their 

 charges. 



There is often found a red substance, which grows to the ore, called cinna- 

 ber, cinnaber of silver, cinnabaris nativa, minium nativum, or berg-cinober ; of 

 which I have sent you some by itself, and some also sticking to the ore. This 

 substance ground down with oil makes a vermilion, equal to, if not surpassing, 

 the cinnaber made by sublimation. I discovered a sulphur in it, by casting it 

 upon a hot iron-plate, on which it burned blue. Whether it also contains quick- 

 silver, I have not tried, because I would not diminish that small quantity here 

 sent. The miners say they meet not with any. 



There are also found in these mines, crystals, amethysts or amethistine mix- 

 tures in the clefts of the rocks, and sometimes nigh or joined to the ore; as 

 also vitriol, naturally crystallized in the earth in divers of these mines, and par- 

 ticularly in a mine in Paradise-hill near Schemnitz. 



As there is great variety in the silver ore, as to its mixtures with earth, 

 stones, marcasite, cinnaber, vitriol, &c. so also in its richness, some holding a 

 great proportion of silver in respect of other. A hundred pound weight of 

 ore sometimes yields but half an ounce or an ounce of silver; sometimes 2 

 ounces, 3, 4, 5, and unto to 20 ounces. What is richer is very rare; yet some 

 has been found to hold half silver, and I have seen of it so rich as to be cut 

 with a knife. 



As Chremnitz gold ore has silver in it, so most of the Schemnitz silver ore 

 holds some gold ; which they separate by melting the silver, then granulating 

 it, and afterwards by dissolving it in aquafortis, whereby the gold is left at the 



