Agricola, Georgius
,
De re metallica
,
1912/1950
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Table of figures
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1 - 30
31 - 60
61 - 90
91 - 120
121 - 150
151 - 180
181 - 210
211 - 240
241 - 270
271 - 300
301 - 312
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1 - 30
31 - 60
61 - 90
91 - 120
121 - 150
151 - 180
181 - 210
211 - 240
241 - 270
271 - 300
301 - 312
[out of range]
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method of grinding requires the millstone to be now raised and now
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lowered, the timber in whose socket the iron of the pinion axle revolves, rests
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upon two beams, which can be raised and lowered.</
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>There are three mills in use in milling gold ores, especially for quartz
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11
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which is not lacking in metal. </
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>They are not all turned by water-power,
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but some by the strength of men, and two of them even by the power
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of beasts of burden. </
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>The first revolving one differs from the next only
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in its driving wheel, which is closed in and turned by men treading it, or by
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horses, which are placed inside, or by asses, or even by strong goats; the
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eyes of these beasts are covered by linen bands. </
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>The second mill, both
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when pushed and turned round, differs from the two above by having an
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upright axle in the place of the horizontal one; this axle has at its lower end
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a disc, which two workmen turn by treading back its cleats with their feet,
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though frequently one man sustains all the labour; or sometimes there
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projects from the axle a pole which is turned by a horse or an ass, for which
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reason it is called an
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asinaria.
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> The toothed drum which is at the upper end
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of the axle turns the drum which is made of rundles, and together with it the
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millstone.</
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>The third mill is turned round and round, and not pushed by hand; but
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between this and the others there is a great distinction, for the lower
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millstone is so shaped at the top that it can hold within it the upper millĀ
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stone, which revolves around an iron axle; this axle is fastened in the
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centre of the lower stone and passes through the upper stone. </
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<
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>A workman,
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by grasping in his hand an upright iron bar placed in the upper millstone,
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moves it round. </
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>The middle of the upper millstone is bored through, and
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the ore, being thrown into this opening, falls down upon the lower millstone
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and is there ground to powder, which gradually runs out through its opening;
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it is washed by various methods before it is mixed with quicksilver,
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which I will explain presently.</
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<
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>Some people build a machine which at one and the same time can crush,
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grind, cleanse, and wash the gold ore, and mix the gold with quicksilver.
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<
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>This machine has one water-wheel, which is turned by a stream striking its
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buckets; the main axle on one side of the water-wheel has long cams, which
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raise the stamps that crush the dry ore. </
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<
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>Then the crushed ore is thrown
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into the hopper of the upper millstone, and gradually falling through the
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opening, is ground to powder. </
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<
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>The lower millstone is square, but has a round
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depression in which the round, upper millstone turns, and it has an outlet
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from which the powder falls into the first tub. </
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<
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>A vertical iron axle is doveĀ
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tailed into a cross-piece, which is in turn fixed into the upper millstone;
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the upper pinion of this axle is held in a bearing fixed in a beam; the drum
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of the vertical axle is made of rundles, and is turned by the toothed drum
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on the main axle, and thus turns the millstone. </
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<
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>The powder falls continually
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into the first tub, together with water, and from there runs into a second tub
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which is set lower down, and out of the second into a third, which is the
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lowest; from the third, it generally flows into a small trough hewn out of a </
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