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OUTHIER’S JOURNAL. OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 327
After paffing thefe naked men, we again defcended, and found ourfelves at length in
cavities from thirty to forty feet broad, fome of which were terminated by very large
wells. We pafled by narrow paflages to get from one of thefe cavities to the other.
The greater part of thefe roads are furnifhed below with a wooden channel, to dire¢t
the wheels of the tumbrils, in which the horfes draw up the ore, to conduct it op-
pofite to the wells which are cut to the top. It is through thefe openings that the ore
is raifed in very large buckets. ‘Thefe buckets are fufpended to cables, rolled over the
axis of large wheels, fome of which are turned by horfes, and others by water. ‘They
are fo con{tructed as while one bucket defcends, another is raifed. When it is required
to let downa horfe, a band which goes under the whole of his body is faftened to one
of thefe cables.
On each fide of the canal I am fpeaking of, there is fufficient room fora perfon to
pafs; and to prevent paflengers from being hurt by the tumbrils, they are confined by
a middle wheel placed under them, to the middle of the channel. In fome places there
are other wooden channels faftened along the rock, the ufe of which is to conduct the
water neceflary in the working the mine. In thefe fubterraneous places we faw two
{tables for horfes, and’a fmithy wherein tools, and fhoes for horfes were made.
In all thefe caverns, but above all in the larger ones, we faw a great number of work-
men, fome cloathed, others naked; they make a fire on the ftone they are defirous of
breaking, and when fufficiently heated, remove it, and direétly throw water upon the
hot ftone, which fplits ; on every fide there are a number of thefe fires. . Here we faw
levers of every defcription for moving the ore, and placing it within reach of the tum-
brils. There various pumps for raifing water from parts where it was injurious, and
directing it to others where it-was of ufe. Sometimes we faw rivulets running, which
apparently loft themfelves in the crevices of the rock.
There is in thefe mines a great number of roads, which we did not fee on account of
the gates being fhut. In many of the caverns the rock is fupported by walls; in
others by planking joined together, fome with iron clamps, others with wooden {tays.
In fpite of thefe precautions the tops of the mines are not firm, for workmen are fre-
quently either wounded, or crufhed to death by the fall of large fragments. ‘Thefe un-
fortunate beings know the danger to which they are expofed, and in confequence a
fombre fadnefs reigns among them, it feems as though mirth were prohibited indeed,
for they are not allowed either to whiftle or fing in the mine. Women are alfo exprefsly
forbid going down them. ;
After having gone through different caverns during two hours, we found ourfelyes
at the bottom of the largeft well, and thought it rained abundantly, notwith{tanding
the ferenity of the fky ; the vapours afcending from all parts refolving into real rain,
which continued to wet us, till we had afcended two thirds of the height of the well.
It is 350 Swedifh ells deep, which make 640 French feet.
We now wanted no more than two guides to bring us to the light of day; one of
them placed himfelf with M. Le Monnier and myfelf, in a large bucket, which is ufed
’ to draw up the ore. We had neither of us more than one leg in the bucket, and held
by the chain with which it is faftened to the cable. While afcending, every now and
then our guide touched the fides of the well in order to direct the bucket, and avoid the
_ points of the rock which projected, as well as the defcending bucket, the fhock of
which would have: been dangerous. The coachman of this fingular kind of carriage
required a confiderable portion of fkill, for the {winging of the bucket, the turnings
which the cord oceafioned by its twifting, and the {mall fize of the well rendered the
paflage
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