MINES OF SCHEMNITZ. 387 
May 19. — Their Highnesses set out this day ^ 
CHAP. 
to visit the mines of Newsohl and Cremnitz. A 
mechanist of Schemnitz brought to us a very 
ingenious model, representing the interior of one 
of those buildings now estabhshed in many parts 
oi Hungary where there are mines, and called 
" a wash-house" This sort of building is also, 
and most properly, denominated " a house of 
economy.'' As we brought this model to England, 
where we have never seen any building of the 
same kind, we shall give a brief description of a 
wash-house that we visited near JVind-schadt, in 
company with the Conseiller des Mines. This 
gentleman assured us, that since the establish- 
ment of wash-Jiouses has become general, the 
gains derived from them equal the whole profit 
of working the mines. They afford a curious 
proof of the truth of the old adage, that "neces- 
sity is the mother of invention;" for there is 
every reason to believe, if the produce of the 
mines had not diminished, the luash-houses would 
never have existed. For these houses, all the 
discarded minerals are now collected, which have 
for ages been heaped as waste; and all the 
stones used in filling void places in the mines. 
Women and children are employed upon these 
minerals, in the wash-houses, at the low rate of 
four or five kreutzers for each day's labour, 
c c 2 
