78 



BOOK IV. 



for among the Greeks, who called it an opyvia, 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- 

 phed 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 : — 



German Glossary. 



Bergamptmann 



Agricola. 

 Praefedus Metallorum 

 Magisier Metallicorum 

 Scriba Magisier Metallicorum 

 Jurati 



Piiblicus Signaior 

 Decumanus 

 Distributor 

 Scriba pariium 

 Scriba fodinarum . . 

 Praefectus fodinae 

 Praefedus cuniculi 

 Praeses fodinae 

 Praeses cuniculi 

 Fossores . . 

 Ingestores . . 

 Vectarii . . 

 Discreiores 

 Lotores 

 Excociores 



Pur gator Argenti . . 

 M agister Moneiariorum 

 Mondarius 

 Area fodinarum 

 Area Capitis Fodinarum 

 Demensutn 



Bergmeister's schreiber 



Geschwornen 



Gemeiner sigler 



Zehender 



Aussteiler 



Gegenschreiber 



Bergschreiber 



Steiger 

 Schichtmeister 



Berghauer 



Berganschlagen 



Hespeler 



Ertzpucher . . 



Wescher und seiffner 



Schmeltzer 



Silber brenner 



Miintzmeister 



Miintzer 



Masse 



Fundgrube . . 



Lehen 



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

 not always certain which " foot " or " fathom " Agricola actually had in mind although 

 they were probably the German. 



Term Adopted. 

 Mining Prefect. 

 Bergmeister 

 Bergmeister's clerk. 

 Jurates 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. 



Greek — 



Dadylos = 

 Roman 



Uncia = 

 German — 



Zoll 

 English 



Inch 



.76 inches 16 = Pous 



12.13 inches 6 = Orguia — 72.81 inches. 



= -97 



= -93 



12 = Pes 



12 = Werckschuh 

 12 = Foot 



11.6 



5 = Passus = 58.1 



6 = Lachier = 67.5 

 6 = Fathom = 72.0 



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. 



