The quick-silver ore of this mine is the richest I have ever seen. Normally, it contains half quick-silver, meaning that in two parts of ore, one part is quick-silver. Sometimes, the ore is even richer: in three parts of ore, two parts are quick-silver. This makes the mine one of the most valuable I have visited.
Entering the Mine
I entered the mine through the Pit of St. Agatha and came out through the Pit of St. Barbara. The descent and ascent were made using ladders. I climbed six hundred and thirty-nine steps, which is about eighty-nine fathoms in depth The Importance of the Quicksilver Mines.
Some writers, like Siferus in Kircher’s Mundus Subterraneus, describe this mine in a way that seems very dangerous and frightening. His description could discourage anyone from entering. However, I believe he may have never been in a mine where the descent is done carefully with ladders. With proper preparation, the mine is manageable and safe.
Laboratory for Quick-Silver Extraction
Inside the laboratory, the quick-silver is separated from the ore using fire. I saw a large collection of sixteen thousand iron retorts. Each retort costs a crown and is obtained from the iron furnaces in Carinthia. At one time, eight hundred retorts were used together, with an equal number of containers to collect the quick-silver.
The retorts were arranged in sixteen furnaces, with fifty retorts in each furnace. Each side of a furnace had twenty-five retorts: twelve on the top row and thirteen on the bottom row. This arrangement allowed the workers to extract the quick-silver efficiently and continuously Round Tours Turkey.
Transporting Quick-Silver
On June 12, 1669, I observed forty faumes of quick-silver being transported to foreign regions. Each faume weighed three hundred and fifteen pounds, which is very valuable. The total value of the quick-silver being transported could be estimated at four thousand ducats of gold.
Transporting this mineral is not easy. It is carried on the backs of horses, with two small barrels on each horse. Despite the difficulty, some quick-silver is sent as far as Chremnitz in Hungary for use in gold mining, and some is transported to Sweden and other distant countries.
This mine is remarkable not only for its rich ore but also for the skill and organization involved in extracting and transporting quick-silver. From the deep descent by ladders to the large-scale operation of furnaces and retorts, the mine demonstrates the value and effort required in working with such a precious mineral. Its products reach faraway lands, supporting gold mining and trade in many parts of Europe.
