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FORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN. 459
as you trvael along the banks of the Dadi, till you arrive at a floating bridge, which the
lighteft carriage caufes to fink in the water. Half a mile from Grodceu, you pafs the
flanks of the little town Hedemora, at which there is a powder-mill, but which contains
nothing worthy of remark.
Seter, an extremely {mall town, contains no more than from three to four hundred
inhabitants, and deferves to be vifited merely on account of the mine of Bipfberg, in its
neighbourhood : it is fituated a league diftant from the town, in a direction of W. N. W.
Although of much greater anceftry, it is unnoticed in hiftory before 1420. Before the -
time of Guftavus Vala, it belonged to the two towns Hedemora and Hufby, the Bifhops
of which enjoyed the revenue from them ; but that Prince took it for the ufe of the
crown at the time of his feizing upon ecclefiaftical property. Owing to fome carelefs-
nefs of the miners in the feventeenth century, it was entirely deftroyed, and remained
thus in ruins for twenty years; when the crown conceded its right to any who chofe to
work it anew; it was confequently worked again in 1697: at prefent the Angerfreins
are the chief proprietors, Mr. Vahrendorf has a fourth; it does not even pay a tenth
to the King. This mine is exceeding rich, yielding annually from twenty to twenty-one
thoufand fchippunds of iron, its dividends are 60 to 70, and even 80 percent. Danne-
mora mine does not produce fo rich an ore, although it be more eafy to work ; the
veins run from ealt to weft; the greateft depth of the mine is eighty fathoms ; it has
four galleries or bottoms: the firlt, Benzxelsband, the fecond, Adolphus Frederic, the
third, Guftavus the 3d, and the fourth, Guftavus Adolphus, the Prince-royal, the
breadth of the gallery of the latter name is feventeen fathoms. Independent of theft
grand galleries, there are feveral worked which are fmaller. It has three principal
fhafts ; one for the workmen alone, another may be availed of near the hydraulic en-
gine, but this is a bad defcent, and only ferves for the workmen employed at the pumps.
You defcend to the interior of the mine by tolerably commodious fteps. In afcending
from the loweft gallery, you have to go up three ladders of fifty, forty-three, and thirty-
four fteps, before you arrive at the ftables; on reaching the ftables, you are fenfible of
cold, which fenfation arifes from the vicinity of the pumps. On leaving the ftables,
you mount again by three other ladders each of thirty-fix fteps; you afterwards find
five others of thirty, thirty-fix, thirty, twenty, and thirty fteps, after which you arrive
at a door of communication with the pumps; here being come to day light, the torches
are extinguifhed though you have {till two ladders to afcend, one of forty, the other
of thirty-two fteps; the firft is very damp: the whole number of ladders are thirteen,
and of fteps four hundred and fifty-two. The mouth by which you defcend is about
twelve feet over; it takes from two hours to two hours and a half to make the tour of
this mine. ‘The ore here is found in extreme large metallic maffes not very difficult to
work; in many places it is reduced to powder: the works of the mine appear to be
very well underftood, yet did we experience dampnefs in certain parts: there isa gate
midway of the depth of the mine, which is fhut on holidays, which gate we had a diffi-
culty in getting through, on account of a pool of water before it. Notwithftanding the
immenfe quantity of ore which is extracted from the prefent galleries, three new ones
are begun ; thefe are ftiled works of fpeculation. The fubterraneous vaults are large
and handfome, in no part are you obliged to ftoop; you mutt be cautious in pafling
fuch parts where wood has been burnt to mollify the ore, as you may otherwife be fuf-
focated with the {moak and heat which remains fora long time afterwards; in this opera=
tion much wood is ufed and very little gunpowder. No more than thirty workmen are
employed in this mine, twenty of which are conftantly at work : the ore is fent to dif-
ferent parts to be melted. ‘The principal place, Ni/byttan, is a mile diftant from the
2°Ni 2 mine.
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