1the work
of smelting, one of whom smelts, while the other takes out the
thick cakes from the forehearth. These cakes are only “dried,” and from
the “dried” cakes copper is again made.
thick cakes from the forehearth. These cakes are only “dried,” and from
the “dried” cakes copper is again made.
The “slags”30 are melted
continually day and night, whether they have
been drawn off from the alloyed metals with a rabble, or whether they adhered
to the forehearth to the thickness of a digit and made it smaller and
were taken off with spatulas. In this manner two or three liquation cakes
are made, and afterward much or little of the “slag,” skimmed from the
molten alloy of copper and lead, is re-melted. Such liquation cakes should
weigh up to three centumpondia, in each of which there is half an uncia of
silver. Five cakes are placed at the same time in the furnace in which
argentiferous lead is liquated from copper, and from these are made lead
which contains half an uncia of silver to the centumpondium. The exhausted
liquation cakes are laid upon the other baser exhausted liquation cakes, from
both of which yellow copper is made. The base thorns thus obtained are
re-melted with a few baser “slags,” after having been sprinkled with con
centrates from furnace accretions and other material, and in this manner six
or seven liquation cakes are made, each of which weighs some two centum
pondia. Five of these are placed at the same time in the furnace in which
silver-lead is liquated from copper; these drip three centumpondia of
lead, each of which contains half an uncia of silver. The basest thorns
thus produced should be re-melted with only a little “slag.” The copper
alloyed with lead, which flows down from the furnace into the fore
hearth, is poured out with a ladle into oblong copper moulds; these cakes
are “dried” with base exhausted liquation cakes. The thorns they produce
are added to the base thorns, and they are made into cakes according to the
method I have described. From the “dried” cakes they make copper, of
which some add a small portion to the best “dried” cakes when copper is
made from them, in order that by mixing the base copper with the good it
may be sold without loss. The “slags,” if they are utilisable, are re-melted
a second and a third time, the cakes made from them are “dried,” and from
the “dried” cakes is made copper, which is mixed with the good copper. The
“slags,” drawn off by the master who makes copper out of “dried” cakes,
are sifted, and those which fall through the sieve into a vessel placed under
neath are washed; those which remain in it are emptied into a wheelbarrow
and wheeled away to the blast furnaces, and they are re-melted together
with other “slags,” over which are sprinkled the concentrates from washing
the slags or furnace accretions made at this time. The copper which flows out
been drawn off from the alloyed metals with a rabble, or whether they adhered
to the forehearth to the thickness of a digit and made it smaller and
were taken off with spatulas. In this manner two or three liquation cakes
are made, and afterward much or little of the “slag,” skimmed from the
molten alloy of copper and lead, is re-melted. Such liquation cakes should
weigh up to three centumpondia, in each of which there is half an uncia of
silver. Five cakes are placed at the same time in the furnace in which
argentiferous lead is liquated from copper, and from these are made lead
which contains half an uncia of silver to the centumpondium. The exhausted
liquation cakes are laid upon the other baser exhausted liquation cakes, from
both of which yellow copper is made. The base thorns thus obtained are
re-melted with a few baser “slags,” after having been sprinkled with con
centrates from furnace accretions and other material, and in this manner six
or seven liquation cakes are made, each of which weighs some two centum
pondia. Five of these are placed at the same time in the furnace in which
silver-lead is liquated from copper; these drip three centumpondia of
lead, each of which contains half an uncia of silver. The basest thorns
thus produced should be re-melted with only a little “slag.” The copper
alloyed with lead, which flows down from the furnace into the fore
hearth, is poured out with a ladle into oblong copper moulds; these cakes
are “dried” with base exhausted liquation cakes. The thorns they produce
are added to the base thorns, and they are made into cakes according to the
method I have described. From the “dried” cakes they make copper, of
which some add a small portion to the best “dried” cakes when copper is
made from them, in order that by mixing the base copper with the good it
may be sold without loss. The “slags,” if they are utilisable, are re-melted
a second and a third time, the cakes made from them are “dried,” and from
the “dried” cakes is made copper, which is mixed with the good copper. The
“slags,” drawn off by the master who makes copper out of “dried” cakes,
are sifted, and those which fall through the sieve into a vessel placed under
neath are washed; those which remain in it are emptied into a wheelbarrow
and wheeled away to the blast furnaces, and they are re-melted together
with other “slags,” over which are sprinkled the concentrates from washing
the slags or furnace accretions made at this time. The copper which flows out