The Author's Preface. xiii 



nufactures ; but many, without mines •, mofl: 

 without ferviceable ores -, many, efpecially on the 

 fcore of fituation, fcarcity of wood and water, 

 unfit for carrying on the bufinefs of mining. In 

 a word, mines are, as it were, a privilege pecu- 

 liarly beftowed on fome countries, exclufive of 

 others, and therefore to be highly efteemed. But 

 to conclude, what are all the fubjedls of the grand 

 manufactures in Mifnia other than thofe fupplied 

 us by mines ? For inftance, the famous fmalt- 

 work at Schneeberg, which has yielded fo many 

 millions both to the prince and adventurers, is no 

 where in the world to be matched, and confe- 

 quently to be deemed a peculiar treafure. Our 

 falt-fprings too are a kind of mines. Tin is a 

 metal become very necefTary in common life, and 

 yet, in fome meafure, the rareft of all others. 

 There are but few tin- mines in Germany ; nay, in 

 refpect of other metals, few in Europe. All in 

 Germany, as far as I know, are thofe in Mifnia, 

 Bohemia, and Carinthia, and formerly in the 

 Fichtelberg at Wonfiedel. Whole kingdoms, as 

 Sweden, Denmark, Norway, &c. have no fuch 

 mines, but are objiged to 1x fupplied with tin 

 From England : and all Germany, from Mifnia, 

 Bohemia, add England too. 



5. That our Mifnian mines in particular have 

 by far the preference to all others in Germany. 

 Two things, namely levels and wood, are indif- 



penfibjy 



