Earth, that there is Mercury at the bottom 5 but towards 
the farther end, where the interval's of the wires are left, Us 
found in very great proportion. The Earth laid afide is 
pounded , and the fame operation repeated. The fine final! 
Earth, that remains after, this , and out of which they can 
waits no more Mercury , is put into Iron retorts and ftopt , be - 
caufe it fliould not fall into the Receivers , to which they are 
luted. The fire forces the Mercury into the Receivers : Ihe 
Officer unluted feveral of them to fhewus} I oblerved in all 
of them, that he fir ft poured out perfed Mercury , and after 
that came a black duft, which being wetted with water dift 
cover'd it felf to be Mercury , as the other was. They take 
the Caput mortuum and pound it, and renew the operation as 
long as they can get any Mercury out of it. 
This is the way of producing the Mercury , they call Ordi- 
nary^ which exceeds that, which is got by walking , in a very 
great proportion , as you will perceive by the, account an- 
next. All the Mercury got without the ufe of Fire , whether 
by walhing, or found in the Mines (for in the digging, fome 
little particles get together, iothat in lome places you might 
take up two or three fpoonfuls of pure Adercury ) is call'd by 
them Virgin- Mercury , and efteem'd above the reft. I in- 
quir’d of the Officer what vertue that had more, then the 
other} he told me that making an Amalgama of Gold and 
Virgin- Mercury , and putting it to the fire , that Mercury 
would carry away all the Gold with it, which common Mercu- 
ry would not do. 
TheEngins, employed in thefe Mines, are admirable} the 
Wheels, the greateft that everl faw in my life} one would 
think as great as the matter would bear : all moved by the 
dead force of the water, brought thither in no chargeable 
Aquedud from a. Mountain , 3 Miles diftant ; the water 
pumpt from the bottom of the Mine by 52 pumps, 2 6 on a 
fide, is contrived to move other wheels 5 for feveral other 
purposes. 
The Labourers work for a Julio a day, which is not above 
6 or 7 pence , and indure not long 5 for, although none ftay 
under 
