368 MINES OF CREMNITZ. 
CHAP, procured are added to the compound of lead, 
^' . silver, and gold: and the whole is fused; not 
with charcoal, but by means of a flame drawn 
over the superficies, uninterruptedly, for twenty- 
four hours at the least. During this process, 
the lead becomes calcined. A portion of it is 
absorbed by the bottom of the furnace, consist- 
ing of wood-ashes and sand; another portion 
escapes in a gaseous form ; but the greater 
part is raked off as it rises to the surface, in 
the form of galena, by men employed with 
instruments for that purpose. During all this 
operation, the gold and silver concentrate more 
and more; until at the last they are found, pure 
and combined together in a cake of metal, at 
the bottom of the purification furnace. Then 
follows the sixth, and the most beautiful of all 
the operations — namely, that of separating the 
gold from the silver. 
Beautiful VI. Thc ccike, OY combincd rcgiilus oi s^old and 
process of _ ^ o o 
separating sHver obtaiucd from the purification furnace, is 
the Gold J . _ . . , . 
from the Separated mto thm pieces m this manner. It 
is melted, and, in a state of fusion, cast into 
cold water. By this means it is obtained with 
a very extended superficies, and easily divided 
into a number of thin scales. These are put 
■ into immense glass retorts, of a spherical form. 
Silver. 
