6l2

APPENDIX B.

The importance of the bearing of the junctions of veins and stringers on enrichment is elabor-ated upon, and veins of east-west strike lying upon a south slope are considered the best.From the following notes it will be seen that two or three other types of deposits besides veinsare referred to.

In describing silver veins, of peculiar interest is the mention of the association of bismuth{wismuth), this being, we believe, the first mention of that metal, galena ( glantz), quartz ( quertz ),spar {spar), horns tone ( hornstein ), ironstone and pyrites {kies), are mentioned as ganguematerials, “ according to the mingling of the various vapours.” The term glasertz is used,but it is difficult to say if silver glance is meant; if so, it is the first mention of this mineral.So far as we know, this is the first use of any of the terms in print. Gold alluvial is described,part of the gold being assumed as generated in the gravel. The best alluvial is in streamsrunning east and west. The association of gold with pyrites is mentioned, and the pyrites isfound “ in some places as a complete stratum carried through horizontally, and is called aschwebender gang.” This sort of occurrence is not considered very good “ because the workof the heavens can be but little completed on account of the unsuitability of the position.”Gold pyrites that comes in veins is better. Tin is mentioned as found in alluvial, and also inveins, the latter being better or worse, according to the amount of pyrites, although the lattercan be burned off. Tin-stone is found in masses, copper ore in schist and in veins sometimeswith pyrites. The ore from veins is better than schist. Iron ore is found in masses, andsometimes in veins ; the latter is the best. “ The iron veins with good hanging- and foot-“ walls are not to be despised, especially if their strike be from east to west, their dip to the“ south, the foot-wall and outcrop to the north, then if the ironstone is followed down, the“ vein usually reveals gold or other valuable ore”. Lead ore is found in schwebenden gangand stehenden gang. Quicksilver, like other ore, is sometimes found in brown earth, andsometimes, again, in caves where it has run out like water. The classification of veins is thesame as in De Re Metallica . 12 The book generally, however, seems to have raised Agricola’sopposition, for the quotations are given in order to be demolished.

Probierbuchlein. Agricola refers in the Preface of De Re Metallica to a work in German

on assaying and refining metals, and it is our belief that it was to some one of the little assay

books published early in the 16th century. There are several of them, seemingly revisededitions of each other; in the early ones no author’s name appears, although among thelater editions various names appear on the title page. An examination of these little booksdiscloses the fact that their main contents are identical, for they are really collections ofrecipes after the order of cookery books, and intended rather to refresh the memory of those

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12 See p. 44