36

MINES OF ASIA

CHAP. II.

That they were the work of a Nomadie people,probably the Scythians , is conjectured from therebeing no remains of buildings of masonry nearthem. The extent of the works show that theworkmen must have been numerous, whilst aninspection of them proves that only the first rudi-ments of the science of mining could have beenknown to them.

Besides some implements the use of which isunknown, there were wedges and hammers, allof copper 1 , that had been smelted, but withoutany particles of gold in them. Instead of sledges,they seem to have used large stones of a longshape, on which are to be seen marks whichshow that handles had been fastened to them 2 .They seem to have scraped out the gold withthe fangs of the boars, and collected it in lea-ther bags or pockets, some of which have beenfound. With such imperfect implements, thework of excavation must have required thelabour of a great number of hands for a longtime, and in some cases must have exhaustedtheir patience.

In one instance, after having proceeded tosome depth, and reached a bed of hard stones,the work, after penetrating a little way, had beenabandoned. Some of the pits are twenty fathomsin depth, shaped like a well, and are about seven

1 Pallas Reise, vol. 2. sect. 608.

2 Lepechin, part 2. sect. 89.