VII

BOOK IV.

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89

according as the king or prince has decreed. Further, of all the moneywhich the owner of the tunnel has spent on his tunnel while driving itthrough a meer, the owner of that meer pays one-fourth part. If he doesnot do so he is not allowed to make use of the drains.

Finally, with regard to whatever veins are discovered by the ownerat whose expense the tunnel is driven, the right of which has not beenalready awarded to anyone, on the application of such owner the Bergmeistergrants him a right of a head-meer, or of a head-meer together with the nextmeer. Ancient custom gives the right for a tunnel to be driven in anydirection for an unlimited length. Further, to-day he who commences atunnel is given, on his application, not only the right over the tunnel, buteven the head and sometimes the next meer also. In former days the ownerof the tunnel obtained only so much ground as an arrow shot from the bowmight cover, and he was allowed to pasture cattle therein. In a case wherethe shafts of several meers on some vein could not be worked on account ofthe great quantity of water, ancient custom also allowed the Bergmeister togrant the right of a large meer to anyone who would drive a tunnel. When,however, he had driven a tunnel as far as the old shafts and had foundmetal, he used to return to the Bergmeister and request him to bound andmark off the extent of his right to a meer. Thereupon, the Bergmeister,together with a certain number of citizens of the town—in whose placeJurors have now succeeded—used to proceed to the mountain and mark offwith boundary stones a large meer, which consisted of seven doublemeasures, that is to say, it was ninety-eight fathoms long and seven wide,which two numbers multiplied together make six hundred and eighty-sixsquare fathoms.

XCV11I

DCLXXXVI

XCVIII

Large Area.

But each of these early customs has been changed, and we now employthe new method.

I have spoken of tunnels ; I will now speak about the division of owner-ship in mines and tunnels. One owner is allowed to possess and to workone, two, three, or more whole meers, or similarly one or more separatetunnels, provided he conforms to the decrees of the laws relating tometals, and to the orders of the Bergmeister. And because he alone pro-vides the expenditure of money on the mines, if they yield metal he aloneobtains the product from them. But when large and frequent expendituresare necessary in mining, he to whom the Bergmeister first gave the right