BOOK VIII.

271

lumps of ore, rich in gold or silver, are put by the sorters on the stone andbroken up with a broad, but not thick, hammer ; they either break them intopieces and throw them into one vessel, or they break and sort—whence theyget their name—the more precious from the worthless, throwing and collectingthem separately into different vessels. Other men crush the lumps of oreless rich in gold or silver, which have likewise been put on the stone, with abroad thick hammer, and when it has been well crushed, they collect it andthrow it into one vessel. There are two kinds of vessels ; one is deeper, and alittle wider in the centre than at the top or bottom ; the other is not so deepthough it is broader at the bottom, and becomes gradually a little narrowertoward the top. The latter vessel is covered with a lid, while the former is notcovered ; an iron rod through the handles, bent over on either end, isgrasped in the hand when the vessel is carried. But, above all, it behoovesthe sorters to be assiduous in their labours.

By another method of breaking ore with hammers, large hard frag-ments of ore are broken before they are burned. The legs of the workmen—at all events of those who crush pyrites in this manner with large hammersin Goslar—are protected with coverings resembling leggings, and their hands

A —Pyrites. B —Leggings. C —Gloves. D —Hammer.

mm

jjm.