68 Original Articles. [Jan., 



We have described two operations, entering the mine and working 

 in the rock, at some length, but when they are well considered, they 

 will render the remaining portion more intelligible. When the explo- 

 sion is made, the miner rushes to it with his candle, he is anxious to 

 know what treasures have been sent to him from the hitherto invisible 

 world, and if he has taken the work for himself he is doubly anxious. 

 Yet why should he go ? he must not remain, as the smoke blinds and 

 chokes him, helping also to extinguish his light ; he is obliged to 

 return and sit down half an hour till the smoke clears away. This is 

 idle time, and in a mine there is a good deal of time that may be 

 spent without violent work. To avoid this difficulty of measuring 

 labour, the plan of tribute work is sometimes adopted. The men 

 make otters for a certain piece of ground and take their chance with it. 



We must not lose sight of the blast. When the rock splits it may 

 strike persons not carefully stationed, and when some portions are 

 displaced, others may fall and do grievous injury. These are 

 accidents of no uncommon kind. Even when the loose rocks are 

 of no value, they may be taken up to the surface so as to get rid of 

 them, but they may also be used to fill up spaces that have been worked 

 out, in which case, they are built up like walls These walls vary 

 as much in construction as do the Pyramids and an Irish cabin. Some 

 cannot bear touching ; other places have great masses supported by 

 wooden beams, and this wood decays. There are walls also built with 

 the greatest firmness, neatness, and security ; this is remarkably so 

 in German mines. The long galleries are called levels, but more 

 properly speaking a level is a story, with passages in it. A shaft 

 may lead to a story lower, and there maybe shafts communicating at 

 various points, with these levels or stories. These shafts are called 

 winzes. When you are moving along the passages, careful that you 

 should not strike your head against the roof, you are told to mind 

 your light ; as the water is dropping, you feel the rain and become at- 

 tentive to the candle. Then you are told to mind your feet, as it is 

 very wet, but you become reckless and step into any depth of mud. 

 Then you are told to be attentive as there is a deep hole, a shaft or 

 winze near, and only a plank across it, not a very safe one ; or per- 

 haps it is the mouth of a sump or perpendicular cut. You imme- 

 diately attend to the plank, but no, you must not forget your head. 

 Persons rush forward looking to their feet, and dash their heads un- 

 happily. We must watch the rocks above and below, with our elbows 

 feeling the wet sides, and our hands on the candle, ready, however, to 

 grasp the plank should we trip. There must be no inattention when 

 walking through a mine. You pass this hole and move on, you find 

 that the current of air made at the opening ceases entirely ; you see 

 no way forward until you are told that the heap of stuff lying in the 

 way does not reach quite to the roof, and you have room to crawl over 

 it and reach the Ovi^er side. Up to this time you may have fancied 

 that you were keeping yourself moderately free from the mud around 

 you, although your hands were covered with clay, and the candle- 

 grease had mixed with it, but here you relinquish all such ideas, and 

 abandon yourself to your fate. No miner comes out so brown as you, 



