EORTIa’s TRAVELS IK SWEDEN.' 467
P’ands, which fell at Stockholm for three rix-dollars, thirty-two fchillings, per fchip-pund.
Precipitation of the copper. In order to precipitate the copper in the vitriolic water, itis fuffered to fall repeatedly over old iron by different cafcades, each about twelve feethigh, and difpofed like flairs ; this water afterwards circulates in a number of fmallchannels furnifhed with old iron, and laying on level ground.
Red colour. To make this they begin with wafhing the earth, which is afterwards bakedin an oven for twelve hours ; with this they paint their houfes, mixing with it a fmallquantity of vitriolic water, mixed with flour and boiling water, which is the mofl generalpractice, or mingle with it oil of flax, which is a more expenfive mode; it is alfo mixedwith boiling vitriolic water, and a little pitch, or with pitch alone for painting the doorsand roofs : with pitch and oil of turpentine, or oil of turpentine alone; this colourpreferves wood from rotting from the generation of mofs, &c. ir-cofts two rix-dollarsthe ton, of eleven lifpunds Viet; a thoufand tons of it are annually fent to Stockholm .
For the information he afforded us, and his civility in accompanying us over everypart of the works, we are highly indebted to Mr. Gahn ; yet do we advife all who mayreceive letters of recommendation to this gentleman, to procure from him whateverthey may be defirous of knowing before they leave Fahlun ; for in fpite of the mofl;formal promifes, notwithftanding we ourfelves had furnifhed him with valuable docu-ments, of which he was highly folicitous, we yet were unable to obtain from him oneAngle anfwer to the numerous letters we wrote to him, as foon as he had gained fromus all he wifhed. Travellers cannot too ftrongly imprefs on their minds that nine tenthsof thofe perfons who have fhewn them the greatefl civility, forget them by the time oftheir arriving at the firfl flage : this we have generally experienced, notwithftandingWe have every where met with kindnefs. From Fahlun to Elfdal, by Mora, is elevenmiles.
Mora is a very conftderable parifh, fince it contains nearly fifteen thoufand inhabitants,but what renders this place the moil: remarkable is its being that where Guftavus Vafaharangued the Dalecarlians, from a ftone which is flill fhewn, and where he affembledthe troops with which he drove Chriftian II. from Stockholm . What gives further in-tereft to thefpot, Guftavus III. in 1778, harangued the fame people from the fame ftone,with equal perfuafion, and obtained from them the like affiftance, with yet a.remarkabledifference, that the enemies againft whom Guftavus III. folicited their fuccour, were notDanes. Mora is on the road to Elfdal, where are fituated thofe famous quarries ofporphyry, fo highly deferving the attention of every curious traveller. It is met with inmany different mountains, always in layers, and of various colours, fuch as black, grey,red, and brown, with white, red, and green veins. This porphyry is very hard, and re-ceives a, mofl beautiful poliffi ; it is found in great abundance ; the quarries are five innumber. The mode of formation of this ftone, which cannot be ranked among mar-bles, but rather with jafpers, contributes to render it greatly varied ; hence each quarryis of a different complexion and compofition. Porphyry of a brownifh or blackifh red,with fmall white ftones, is that of which the largeft blocks have hitherto been found. Itis precifely fimilar to the porphyry called Leucoftrios, defcribed by Pliny . In 1730 itWas a matter of doubt whether or not Dalecarlia produced porphyry, and authors begandifputing, fome affirming, others taking the negative. This difpute was determined atlength in 1786, when the fenator, Count de Bielke, then prefident of the college of mines,propofed an affectation of 2500 fhares, at 5 rix-dollars each. This project was adopted,and the quarries were begun in May 1788. The five quarries vary in the colour andveins. Some blocks are from four to five ells fquare. There are even flattering hopes
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