1whatever cause the heat of
flame had swallowed up the forests with a frightful
crackling from their very roots, and had thoroughly baked the earth with
fire, there would run from the boiling veins and collect into the hollows of the
grounds a stream of silver and gold, as well as of copper and lead.”18 But
yet the poet considers that the veins are not laid bare in the first instance
so much by this kind of fire, but rather that all mining had its
origin in this. And lastly, some other force may by chance disclose the
veins, for a horse, if this tale can be believed, disclosed the lead veins at
Goslar by a blow from his hoof19. By such methods as these does fortune
disclose the veins to us.
crackling from their very roots, and had thoroughly baked the earth with
fire, there would run from the boiling veins and collect into the hollows of the
grounds a stream of silver and gold, as well as of copper and lead.”18 But
yet the poet considers that the veins are not laid bare in the first instance
so much by this kind of fire, but rather that all mining had its
origin in this. And lastly, some other force may by chance disclose the
veins, for a horse, if this tale can be believed, disclosed the lead veins at
Goslar by a blow from his hoof19. By such methods as these does fortune
disclose the veins to us.
But by skill we can also investigate hidden and concealed veins, by
observing in the first place the bubbling waters of springs, which cannot be
very far distant from the veins because the source of the water is from
them; secondly, by examining the fragments of the veins which the torrents
break off from the earth, for after a long time some of these fragments are
again buried in the ground. Fragments of this kind lying about on the
ground, if they are rubbed smooth, are a long distance from the veins,
because the torrent, which broke them from the vein, polished them while
it rolled them a long distance; but if they are fixed in the ground, or if
they are rough, they are nearer to the veins. The soil also should be con
sidered, for this is often the cause of veins being buried more or less deeply
under the earth; in this case the fragments protrude more or less widely
apart, and miners are wont to call the veins discovered in this manner
“fragmenta.”20
observing in the first place the bubbling waters of springs, which cannot be
very far distant from the veins because the source of the water is from
them; secondly, by examining the fragments of the veins which the torrents
break off from the earth, for after a long time some of these fragments are
again buried in the ground. Fragments of this kind lying about on the
ground, if they are rubbed smooth, are a long distance from the veins,
because the torrent, which broke them from the vein, polished them while
it rolled them a long distance; but if they are fixed in the ground, or if
they are rough, they are nearer to the veins. The soil also should be con
sidered, for this is often the cause of veins being buried more or less deeply
under the earth; in this case the fragments protrude more or less widely
apart, and miners are wont to call the veins discovered in this manner
“fragmenta.”20
Further, we search for the veins by observing the hoar-frosts,
which whiten all herbage except that growing over the veins, because the
veins emit a warm and dry exhalation which hinders the freezing of the
moisture, for which reason such plants appear rather wet than whitened by
the frost. This may be observed in all cold places before the grass has grown
to its full size, as in the months of April and May; or when the late crop of
which whiten all herbage except that growing over the veins, because the
veins emit a warm and dry exhalation which hinders the freezing of the
moisture, for which reason such plants appear rather wet than whitened by
the frost. This may be observed in all cold places before the grass has grown
to its full size, as in the months of April and May; or when the late crop of