2J[6 Mifcellanea Curiofa. Vol. III. 



be at the charges of fetching their Water 

 from thence. Divers are of the opinion, 

 that, befides the Water, the Town lying in 

 a bottoin, enviorn'd with Hills and Morafs 

 adjoyning, the Air may be infeded, and con* 

 tribute to its unhValthfulnefs. 



Melwilke or the New Mine^ fb called, be- 

 caufe it was but lately found out (or at leaft 

 permitted to be made ufe of) in the Year 

 1^70. it had then a Year employed the Min- 

 ers, but it was forbidden, and lay unoccupied 

 till i<573, when complaint being rtiade at 

 Ouoleur^ that the Vein was worn out, th^ 

 King again licenfed its fettlement. The 

 Earth they Mine in, is very red, and many 

 of the Stones found there, have of it {tick- 

 ing to them, as if it had clung there while 

 they were of a foft glutinous Subllance, and 

 had not attained their hardnefs, maintain^ 

 ing its Colour on its Skin (feeming to be 

 roughncd with it) that it cannot be fetch'd 

 out by grinding on a rough Stone with Sand, 

 which they make ufe of to clean them. The 

 Stones are generally welKhaped, their fize 

 from 5 or 5 in a mangelken to thofe of 14 or 

 1 5 each, and fome bigger ; but greateft quan« 

 tities of the middle forts : Molt of them have 

 a thick dull Skin, incline to a yellowifli Wa- 

 ter, not altogether fo ftrong and lively as 

 of the other Mines ; very few of them of a 

 cry/lalin Water and Skin.They are reported to 

 be apt to fiawinfplitting,whichoccafionsthefe 

 People to efteem them fomething fofter than 

 the Produd of many of the other Mines ; 

 Several that flatter by their feeming white- 

 nefs when rough, difcover their cieceitfulneft 



. ha- 



