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148 REGNARD’S JOURNEY TO LAPLAND.
arrives at it, by the fmoke which iffues from all quarters, and which makes it appear
to be rather the fhop of Vulcan than the refidence of men. We behold on all fides
nothing but furnaces, fires, charcoal, fulphur, and cyclops, who tend to complete this
infernal picture. But let us defcend this aby{s, the better to conceive its horrible na-
ture. We were firft conducted into a chamber where we changed our drefs, and were
each furnifhed with a {tick fhod with iron, for the purpofe of fupporting us in the moft
dangerous places. From hence we entered the mouth of the mine, which is dreadfully
Jong and deep : we were unable to fee the people working at the bottom, fome of whom
were raifing {tones, while others were throwing earth; fome were blowing rocks, by
fires prepared for the purpofe; and, in fine, every one had his employment. We
defcended this pit by a number of fteps which lead to it ; and we now began to be fen-
fible that we had as yet done nothing, and that our fatigue was only the beginning of
feverer toils. In fact, our guides now lighted their flambeaux of fir, which fcarcely
pierced the thick darknefs of thefe fubterraneous regions, and which only furnifhed us
with light fufficient to diltinguifh the frightful objects which prefented themfelves to our
view : the fmell of the fulphur ftifled us ; the fmoke blinded, and the heat broiled us :
and if to thefe objects we join the noife of the hammers, which refound throughout
thefe caverns, ‘the fight of thofe fpeétres, naked as the hand, and black as devils, it
mutt be confeffed that nothing can give us a clearer idea of hell than this living picture,
painted in the gloomieft and blackeft colours which can poflibly be imagined.
We defcended more than two leagues in the earth, by frightful roads, fometimes upon
trembling fcales, fometimes on light planks, and always in continual apprehenfion.
We perceived in our defcent a number of pumps, and curious machines for raifing the
water ; but we were unable to examine them on account of the extreme fatigue which
we had already experienced: we only perceived anumber of unfortunate wretches who
wrought the pumps. We went with confiderable difficulty to the very bottom; but
when it became neceflary for us to re-afcend, /upera/que evadere ad auras, it was with
inconceivable difficulty that we regained our former height, where we were obliged to
throw ourfelves upon the ground in order to recover our breath, which the fulphur had
_deprived us of. We at length arrived at the mouth of the mine, by the affiftance of
fome perfons who fupported us under the arms. Here we begin to breathe with as
much joy as a foul efcaped from purgatory ; and we were beginning to re-acquire our
loft vigour, when an affecting fight prefented itfelf to our view: they were bringing up
from the mine an unfortunate creature who had juft been crufhed by a {tone which had
fallenonhim. Thefe accidents happen daily ; and the {malleft {tones falling from fuch
a dreadful height, produce the fame effect with the largeft. There are always feven or
eight hundred men who work in this abyfs, who gain fixteen fous a day ; and there is
almoft an equal number of overfeers, with an axe in their hands as a mark of authority.
I know not whether one ought more to pity the lot of thefe wretches, or the blindnefs
of men who, forthe purpofe of indulging their luxury and gratifying their avarice, tear
the bowels of the earth, confound the elements, and fubvert the laws of nature. Boece.
was perfectly right when, complaining of the manners of his age, he exclaimed, ,
«s Heu! primus quis fuit ille
Auri qui pondera teéti
Gemmafque latere volentes,
Pretiofe pericula fodit ?””
What indeed can be more inhuman, than to expofe fo many individuals to fuch immi-
nent danger? Pliny informs us that the Romans, who had more need of men than gold,
would
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