7 8
BOOK IV.
for among the Greeks, who called it an opyvta, it was six feet, among theRomans five feet. So this measure which is used by miners seems tohave come down to the Germans in accordance with the Greek mode ofreckoning. A miner’s foot approaches very nearly to the length of a Greekfoot, for it exceeds it by only three-quarters of a Greek digit, but like thatof the Romans it is divided into twelve unciae 2 .
Now square fathoms are reckoned in units of one, two, three, or more“ measures ”, and a “ measure ” is seven fathoms each way. Miningmeers are for the most part either square or elongated ; in square meers all thesides are of equal length, therefore the numbers of fathoms on the two sidesmultiplied together produce the total in square fathoms. Thus, if theshape of a “ measure ” is seven fathoms on every side, this number multi-plied by itself makes forty-nine square fathoms.
The sides of a long meer are of equal length, and similarly its ends areequal; therefore, if the number of fathoms in one of the long sides be multi-plied by the number of fathoms in one of the ends, the total produced by the
use in the High Peak. The following table of the principal terms gives the originals of theLatin text, their German equivalents according in the Glossary and other sources, and those
adopted in the translation :—
Agricola.
German Glossary.
Term Adopted.
Praefectus Metallorum
Bergamptmann
Mining Prefect.
Magister Metallicorum
Bergmeister
Bergmeister’s schreiber.
Bergmeister
Scriba Magister Metallicorum
Bergmeister’s clerk.
Jurati
Geschwornen
Jurates or Jurors.
Publicus Signator
Gemeiner sigler
Notary.
Decumanus
Zehender
Tithe gatherer.
Distributor
Aussteiler
Cashier.
Scriba partium
Gegenschreiber
Share clerk.
Scriba fodinarum
Bergschreiber
Mining clerk.
Praefectus fodinae ..
Steiger
j Manager of the Mine.
Praefectus cuniculi
[ Manager of the Tunnel.
Praeses fodinae
Praeses cuniculi
Schichtmeister
j Foreman of the Mine.
{ Foreman of the Tunnel.
Fossores
Berghauer
Miners or diggers.
Ingestores
Berganschlagen
Shovellers.
Vectarii
Hespeler
Lever workers (windlass men).
Discretores
Ertzpucher ..
Sorters.
Lotores
Wescher und seiffner .
Washers, buddlers, sifters, etc.
Excoctores
Schmeltzer
Smelters.
Pur gator Argenti
Silber brenner
Silver refiner.
Magister Monetariorum
Miintzmeister
Master of the Mint.
Monet arius
Miintzer
Coiner.
Area fodinarum
Masse
Meer.
Area Capitis Fodinarum
Fundgrube
Head meer.
Demensum
Lehen
Measure.
2 The following are the equivalents of the measures mentioned in this book- It isnot always certain which “ foot ” or “ fathom ” Agricola actually had in mind althoughthey were probably the German.
Greek—
Dadylos = .76 inches 16 = Pous = 12.13 inches 6 = Orguia = 72.81 inches.
Roman
Uncia = .97 „ 12 = Pes = 11.6 „ 5 = Passus = 58.1 „
German—
Zoll = -93 „ 12 = Werckschuh = 11.24 » 6 = Lachter = 67.5 „
English—
Inch = 1.0 ,, 12 = Foot = 12.00 ,, 6 = Fathom = 72.0 „
The discrepancies are due to variations in authorities and to decimals dropped. Thewerckschuh taken is the Chemnitz foot deduced from Agricola’s statement in his De Mensuriset Ponderibus, Basel, 1533, p. 29. For further notes see Appendix C.