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326 OUTHIER’S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
with fome houfes, with a number of forges for melting the copper ore. From thefe
forges to Fahlun nothing was feen but woods, mountains, and ftones; we arrived there
on Sunday, at nine o’clock.
The town of Fahlun, called otherwife Copperberg, is very large: it is not furrounded
with barriers, as are all the other towns of the country; the {treets of it are perfectly
{traight. There are two fquares, one of which is handfome, large, and regular. North
of this is a large houfe, built of ftone; it comprifes the hall where juftice is rendered,
a cellar, a granary, and a public difpenfary. Eaft of the fquare is a large {tone church,
the belfry of which is lofty ; there isin it a very good ring of bells: the church is co-
vered with copper ; the gates are of brafs ; as for the reft, it is not ornamented within,
In the church-yard are many tombs of metal. Out of the town, on the eaftern fide, is
another church, built as well of ftone; it is covered with copper, as well as the fteeple
of the tower, which is very handfome. Befides thefe two churches, among the build-
ings belonging to the mine, there is a chapel for the officers and workmen of the mine.
At the fouth-eaft of the town isa tolerably handfome houfe, which belongs to the
King of Sweden: the governor of Fahlun dwells in it; and the King fometimes goes
there. The neighbourhood is embellifhed by many pretty country-houfes, which be-
long to the inhabitants of the town. They are all concerned in the mines ; without it
they cannot obtain the rights of citizenfhip: they are called Bufemans, that is to fay,
men of the company; and thofe who work themfelves, Brukande Bufemans. The
greater part, inflead of fticks, carry little hatchets ; they wear hats without loops, like
our priefts, black coats without pockets, black {tockings, and black gloves,
All the weftern fide of the river, for at leaft the fpace of half a mule, is entirely bar-
ren and rocky. Among thefe rocks are the mines of copper: feveral canals conduct
by different channels water for working an infinite number of machines. There are
to be feen the houfes of the officers; befides thefe, nothing but maffles of feoria, which
form hillocks; between which roads are kept up for carrying the ore to little carts,
drawn by one horfe. ratty
The eaftern fide of the river is not fo barren: there is all along the town pretty good
meadows, for three or four hundred toifes; beyond there are only mountains and
woods,
Monday, the firft of July, we went to fee the mines, M. Le Monnier, M. Sommereux,
and myfelf. ‘They made us all change our drefs at M. Bentzel’s, one of the bailiffs of
the mine; they gave us breeches, jackets, waiftcoats, wigs, and hats, and each of us
a guide. We at firft defeended to the bottom of a very large pit, about one hundred
toifes wide, and one hundred and fifty feet deep: we went down by ftairs cut in the
rock, and by wooden ftairs when the rock was wanting. Our guides carried feveral
bundles of long flips of deal: at the bottom of the pit they each lighted one, that we
might fee ; and, each preceded. by a guide, we entered one after the other through a
very narrow cavern, Weat firlt defcended by a great number of ftone {teps, which
winded frequently, and arrived at a fquare hole perpendicular to the horizon, three or
four feet wide, and at leaft thirty feet deep, furnifhed on two of its fides with ladders,
which they have been obliged to tie together two by two, in order to get to the bottom
of the hole, We entered into a very narrow cavern, through which having advanced
a little, we found eight or ten men, almoft naked, having nothing but their breeches
on; they were lying on the ground, and had no other light than what was yielded by ~
fome deal fplinters : the way was fo narrow that we could {carcely pafs them. ‘Lhe
heats which were emitted from thefe caves, added to that of the flambeaux of our
guides, almoft fuffocated us; we were every now and then obliged to turn our heads
to breathe.
After
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