BOOK VI.

151

The iron block is six digits in length and width ; at the upper end it istwo digits thick, and at the bottom a digit and a half. The iron plate isthe same length and width as the iron block, but it is very thin. All of these,as I explained in the last book, are used when the hardest kind of veins arehewn out. Wedges, locks, and plates, are likewise made larger or smaller.

A —Smallest of the smaller hammers. B —Intermediate. C —Largest. D —Smallkind of the larger hammer. E —Large kind. F —Wooden handle. G —Handle

iTTrtlMIl

FIXED IN THE SMALLEST HAMMER.

Hammers are of two kinds, the smaller ones the miners hold in°ne hand, and the larger ones they hold with both hands. The former,because of their size and use, are of three sorts. With the smallest,that is to say, the lightest, they strike the second “ iron tool; ” with theintermediate one the first “ iron tool; ” and with the largest the third “ irontool” ; this one is two digits wide and thick. Of the larger sort of hammersthere are two kinds ; with the smaller they strike the fourth “ iron tool; "with the larger they drive the wedges into the cracks ; the former are three,a nd the latter five digits wide and thick, and a foot long. All swell out intheir middle, in which there is an eye for a handle, but in most cases thehandles are somewhat light, in order that the workmen may be able to strike

more powerful blows by the hammer’s full weight being thus concentrated.2 (Continued)—The Latin and old German terms for these tools were

First Iron tool =Second ,

Third ,

Fourth ,

WedgeIron blockIron plate

F err amentum primum,, secundum

„ tertium

„ quartum

CuneusLaminaBractea

Bergeisen.

Rutzeisen.

Sumpffeisen.

Fimmel.

Keil.

Pldtz.

Feder.

The German words obviously had local value and do not bear translation literally.