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328 OUTHIER’S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
paflage difficult. Notwith{tanding the horfes which drew us went at a very good rate,
we were nine minutes in rifing from the bottom to the top of the well.
There are two water works, which draw up the ore in chains inftead of cables.
They are compofed of large overfhot wheels, with two rows of buckets, one of which is
oppofite to the other. Thefe wheels are placed in large wooden buildings clofely fhut
up. At the top of the building is a large refervoir, into which pumps continually throw
up water, carried toit by large wooden pipes; at each oppofite fide of the refervyoir,
there is an opening with a flood gate which correfponds with the buckets: fo that by
opening one of the flood gates, the water falls into the buckets that anfwer to it, and
the wheel turns one way; inftead of which it turns the other way, upon the fhutting
that and opening the oppofite flood gate.
We faw another water work, which had two wheels, each twenty-feven French feet in
diameter. It was not at work when we went there ; it is ufed for raifing the ore, and
to work a prodigious quantity of machinery for pumping, and other purpofes. There
are befides feveral other machines worked by water and horfes, for drawing fuch
water from the mine as is fuperfluous; the machinery for working thefe pumps extends
to a very great diftance, and divides, and fub-divides in a number of branches, for
pumping at the fame time in a great many different places. Some of this machinery
moves vertically, others horizontally ; and if the mountain be frightful from its rug-
ged rocks, the moving foreft formed by the different machinery is an object well worthy
acuriouseye. All the bodies of the pumps are of wood ; the wheels, the levers, and
all other parts of the machinery are perfectly well conftruéted. All the refervoirs as well
are of wood, very clofely joined and pitched, fo as no water can efcape.
As the ore is drawn it is feparated into different heaps, which are the property of in-
dividuals. Every proprietor carries away his fhare in little tumbrils, to take it to the
foundry, where they prepare it for fufion.
The mines are S.W. of the town, about 150 toifes diftant from the neareft houfes.
Between the houfes and the town, and the town itfelf, even and along the banks of the
river, there is nothing to be feen but forges, the bellows of which are moved by water.
Near thefe forges are a number of furnaces, where the ore is extended on two layers of
wood, which is fet fire to, and is left to burn for feveral days; this is the firft part of
the procefs for the preparation of the ore, and is called Kalleroftat.
The fecond is in a nearly fimilar kind of furnace; it is longer only and narrower.
They then make the metal run in a very violent fire, blafted by immenfe bellows
worked by water. There then remains to refineit only. Of this I hall {peak prefently
when I come to Affta.
On pafling near the Kalleroftats to leeward, the fmoke is fo thick and fulphurous, as
not to be refpirable. Sometimes it entirely covers the town, and although incommo-
dious to the inhabitants, it procures them the advantage of being never troubled with
gnats; an infupportable vexation throughout the reft of the country.
The officers of the mine made us each a prefent of a Berfeman’s hatchet, on the part
of the company ; they are very {mall ; the inhabitants of Dalecarlia always carry one,
which is to them in lieu of a ftick. The governor invited us to dinner, and fhewed us
the greateft civility.
Tuefday the fecond of July, we went to fee a man who they faid was petrified; he
had been crufhed under a mafs of rock. After forty or fifty years, in digging, his ©
body was found; it was fo little changed, that a woman recollected him ; for fixteen
years he had been kept as a curiofity in an iron chair. We faw nothing but a body
perfectly black, much disfigured, and which exhaled a cadaverous fmell.
Saturday
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