780 Dr. B R o w N E j travels Book II. 
At Mifmills, not far from hence, they have a Way 
of getting a certain Quantity of Silver out of the Cop- 
per, by adding Lead to it whiJft it is a melting, after 
which they take out the melted Metals, mixed together 
in Spoons or Iron Dillies. After it is cold, they give 
it a quick Fire again as it lies upon crofs Bars, until 
the Silver and Lead melts and falls through. The 
Copper after by many reiterated Meltings it is made fit 
for Ufe, is cut in Pieces by very large pointed Ham- 
mers, moved by Mills, and afterwards formed into 
Plates, with other flat and round Hammers. 
36. The Surveyor of the Works of Newfol did not 
only entertain me with a Prefent of Wine and Fowls, 
but alfo gave me a Letter to the Governor of the Cop- 
per-Mine 'of Herrn-griindt^ to procure for me the fame 
Treatment there. This is a fmall Town feated very 
high between two Hills, about an Hungarian Mile from 
Hewfol: He found the high Lands thereabouts all co- 
ver’d with Snow, whereas in the Valleys between this 
Place and Newfol we met with none. We felt the Air 
very piercing at the Entrance of this Mine, being only 
in our Miners Habits, which confift only of a Linnen 
Coat and Drawers, a ftiff round Cap, like the Crown 
of a Hat, a Leather Apron turn’d behind, and two 
Pieces of Leather faftened to the Knees, to defend 
them againfl: ftriking upon the Rocks, or the Fall of 
any Earth upon them. But within the Mine it was 
warm enough. 
I pafled into this Mine through a Cuniculus called 
*Tachftoln^ and vifited mofl: of the remarkable Places in 
it ; you defeend into it by certain Trees fet upright, 
with deep Notches cut into them to reft the Foot upon. 
As this Mine lies very high in the Hill, fo they are 
not troubled with Water, but often with Duft, and 
fometimes with very pernicious Damps. In one Place 
they fhewed me how they had remedied a very pefti- 
ferous Damp, by blowing a vaft Pair of Bellows for fe- 
veral Days together. But what is moft obfervable is, 
that thofe Damps are not only to be found in thofe 
Parts of the Mines where it is full of Earth and Clay, 
but alfo where it is rocky. I faw one Place where 
there had been a very bad Damp, furrounded on all 
Sides with fo hard a Rock, that they had been forced 
to open their Way with Gunpowder ram’d into long 
Holes, and fo blown up ; for it is to be confider’d, that 
a great Part of this Mine is within the Rock, where 
confequently they need no Timber to keep it up, as 
they are forced to do in thofe Paffages, that have either 
Earth on both Sides, or Rock on one and Earth on 
the other Side. The Paflages of this Mine are neither 
horizontal, nor near to a perpendicular, but moderately 
inclining up and down, having many large Cavities 
within. 
In one Place where we defeended, we found the Paf- 
fage ftop’d by fome Earth lately fallen in j but one of 
our Guicies finding the Earth yet loofe, without more 
Ado digged his Way through, and, notwithffanding the 
Earth fell continually upon him, got through, though 
a great Heap of Earth tumbled after him, which they 
foon carried off with their Engines call’d Boggs^ and fo 
clear’d the Paflage. This Mine has very large Veins, 
fuch as they call Cumulata^ and the Ore is very rich, a 
hundred Pound Weight of Ore yielding commonly 
twenty Pounds of Copper, fometimes thirty, forty, fifty, 
and even to fixty in the Hundred ; but a great Part of 
it is firmly united to the Rock, nay, in many Places 
the Rock and Ore are one continued Stone, with this 
Difference only, that one Part of it will yield Copper, 
the other none j which is diftinguifh’d only by the Co- 
lour, and that at firft Sight, the Copper Ore being for 
the moft Part either yellow or black, the yellow being 
pure Copper Ore *, whereas the black contains alfo a 
Proportion of Silver. 
This Mineral produces white, green, and blue Vitriol, 
and a red clear traniparent ; as alfo a green Sediment 
of a green Water, call’d Berg-Green, uled by Painters. 
Here are alfo found Stones of a beautiful green and 
blue Colour, and one Sort upon which Turcoifes have 
been found, and therefore call’d the Mother of ’Turcois, 
jy. But above all the reft, there are two Springs of 
Vitriolate Water here (call’d the New and the Old Zi~ 
rnent) which turn Iron into Copper, and confequently 
deferve our peculiar Obfervation. Thefe Springs lie 
very deep in the Mine, and commmnly the Iron laid in 
it, is turn’d into good Copper in about fourteen Days 
Time, with this further Advantage, that the worft and 
moft ufelefs Iron is turn’d into the pureft Copper, much 
exceeding in Goodnefs that of the Ore, which muft run 
through many Fires before it is render’d ufeful, whereas 
this made by the Vitriolate Springs is very malleable, 
and eafily melted ; for I myfelf have melted it, without 
the Addition of any other Subftance. I took a good 
Quantity of this Copper out of the Old Ziment, and 
among the reft a Piece of Copper of the Figure of a 
Heart, which had been laid in it eleven or twelve Days 
before, having the fame Figure, but was as perfectly 
Iron then, as it is Copper at this Day. Some will not 
allow this to be a Tranfmutation of one Metal into an- 
other, but that this Water being faturated with the VB 
triolum Veneris, and meeting with a Body fo apt to re- 
ceive if, as the Mars, or Iron, it depofes Venus, who 
immediately infinuating herfelf into Mars, precipitates 
his Subftance, and in Lieu thereof fubftitutes her own 
Body. But this Opinion is fufliciently contradicted by 
Experience ; for though, in the Changing of Iron into 
.Copper, many Parts are feparated, and lie at the Bot- 
tom of the Ziment, yet the fame melted produces no 
Iron, but an excellent Copper, as I found it by my own 
Experience. I have fince feen fuch a Kind of Tranf- 
mutation attempted by Art, and not without Succefs, 
which deferves Confideration. After having taken a 
full View of the Mine, I was recondudled to the Survey- 
or’s Houfe, who entertain’d me very handfomely, pre- 
fented me with a Chain of Copper tranfmuted in thole 
Springs ; and among other Curiofities fhew’d me an 
exaft Map of this Mine, with moft curious Delineations 
of all its Paffages, with a Scale to meafure theDiftances 
of the Places in the Mine ^ which, for its Extent, Num- 
ber of People, and admirable Order, might. well be 
compared to a very confiderable fubterraneous City. I 
faw him take fome Copper Ore, which being well heat- 
ed and caft into common Water, made it like the na- 
tural Baths which arife near thefe Hills. At parting 
we drank out of a Cup made of this tranfmuted 
Iron, gilt over, having a rich Piece of Silver Ore faften- 
ed in the Middle of it, with this infeription engraven, 
on the Outfide : 
Eifen ware ich, Kupfer bin icb 
Silberg trag ich, Goldt bedeckt mich. i. e.' 
Copper I am, but Iron I was of old ; 
Silver I carry, cover’d am with Gold. 
The yearly Profit arifing to the Emperor from his 
Mines, is computed at 120,000/. Sterling. But if 
more of thefe Vitriol Springs Ihould be difeovered (as 
fome have already been at Zolnock, and other Places 
near the Carpathian Hills) the fame would be confider- 
ably increafed. But if like Springs faturated with the 
Vitriol of Silver, Ihould be difeovered near the Silver 
Mines, and the fame by a skilful Artift improved to 
the belt Advantage, the Profit likely to arife from fuch 
a Tranfmutation would amount to an immenfe Sum. , 
38. From Herrn-grundt we travel’d to Stubn, about 
twenty Englifh Miles from Newfol, and fourteen from 
Chremnitz. Here we faw, near a Brook, feveral hot 
Baths, highly efteem’d, and much frequented ; the Wa- 
ter is very tranfparent, of a fulphureous Smell, with a 
green Sediment ; it colours the Wood over it green 
and black, but does not change the Colour of Metals 
fo foon as moft others : I left Money in it a whole 
Night, which I found but faintly colour’d. 
There are feven Baths here : i. The Nobleman’s 
Bath. 2. The Gentleman’s. 3. The Country-man’s. 
4. The Country-woman’s. 5. The Beggar’s Bath. 6. For 
fuch as are infefled with the French Difeafe. 7. The 
Gypfies Bath. They are much of the fame Degree of 
Heat as the King’s Bath in England, in a fine Plain fur- 
rounded with Mountains, thofe to the Eaft being tho 
■ fame 
