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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09740	A discovery of subterraneall treasure viz. of all manner of mines and mineralls, from the gold to the coale; with plaine directions and rules for the finding of them in all kingdoms and countries. And also the art of melting, refining, and assaying of them is plainly declared, so that every ordinary man, that is indifferently capacious, may with small change presently try the value of such oares as shall be found either by rule or by accident. Whereunto is added a reall experiment whereby every ignorant man may presently try whether any peece of gold that shal come to his hands be true or connterfeit [sic] ... Also a perfect way to try what colour any berry, leafe, flower, stalke, root, fruit, seed, barke, or wood will give: with a perfect way to make colours that they shall not stayne nor fade like ordinary colours. ...	Plattes, Gabriel, fl. 1638-1640.	1639 (1639)	STC 20000; ESTC S100866	25,150	76

them set them in the fire at the first kindling and so let the Fire steale upon them till they be red hot then put in your Mettle and ingredients and cover it with a Tile-sheard or cover of Iron and so melt it downe Chap. 4. Wherein is shewed the Operations for times THis Mettall may be melted downe like the Lead onely omitting the filings of Iron but when it is melted it is not malleable till it be compounded with certaine proportions of other Mettalls which I will not declare because it is a secret of weight belonging to the Pewterers Trade And as for refining of it I am sure it cannot be done by any artifice for I suppose that I have tryed more experiments about it than any 10. men in England because that I saw the Refiners could not doe it therefore I tooke the more paines and industry to bring it to passe which if I could have affected I doe verily beleeve it would have proved a rich Mettall but the more I tryed the worse I sped for at the last of all I melted Gold and Silver equall parts with the Tinne thinking thereby to bring it downe into the Lead and to make it to drive faire and refine kindly but all was vaine for the Tinne poisoned and consumed some of my rich Mettalls Now whereas there is no hope of any royall mettall ever to be gotten out of this Minerall to supply the shortnesse of this Chapter I will shew a way how every one that hath a minde to meddle with these affaires may have good possibility to enrich themselves and their posterity and be out of danger to undoe themselves or to damnifie themselves in any manner of value that is considerable For my meaning is in the taking in hand of this taske to doe good to all and hurt to none and that no man from henceforth shall need to bee at a quarter of the charge study or labour which I my selfe have undergone Therefore seeing that if the most ingenious and exquisite wayes be taken in the designe that wit can attaine unto yet it is but an adventure for sometimes all the labour may be lost though not often if good heede be taken and sometimes Mines maybe found which will not quit the charges to be wrought upon Therefore as wise Merchants will not hazzard all in one Bottome so let this never be any mans designe totally for now there is no such need but they may doe all that can bee done at such spare times as any Gentleman or man of quality usually spendeth in Hawking Hunting Gaming or other pleasures whereof he neede but set a part of that time for these purposes having the most part of his worke done to his hands in this little Booke If the Refiners shall grudge at me for disclosing some of their secrets of their Trade I will answer them in this manner First I my selfe have spent the time of divers Apprentiships in these affaires and therefore claime a priviledge to disclose my experience for the publicke benefits at my pleasure Secondly I affirme that there can be no damage to any refiner by the divulging of these secrets but on the contrary a great probability of much gaine to that trade for that here is nothing but the skill to make the assayes disclosed for the Searchers satisfaction before he take in hand great workes which if he find cause so to doe I advise him to chuse the best workman that he can get and one that hath beene long experienced in these Workes and in so doing he shall prosper the better in his designe And if that every yeare some of the increase of that Trade shal be entertained in these affaires as there is good probability they may the rest will have cause to give me thanks for my paines rather than opprobrious speeches CHAP. 5. Wherein is shewed the Operations of Iron AS for the melting hereof seeing that it is no worke to be done in the Chimney corner I will turne over the Reader to learne the practise thereof in every Countrey almost where he shall come As for the Refining thereof it may be done in this manner Take filings of Iron two parts Antimony one part it will melt downe like your Lead Oare take the pure mettall which will be much more brittle than the Lead was and melt it with foure times as much Lead as it weigheth then refine it as before is taught if you know the goodnesse of your Lead before you may know the augmentation out of the Iron which will not quit the charges out of any Iron made in these Northerne Countries nor yet out of Spanish Iron but what it may doe out of Iron made in the burning Zone I know not but I conceive it may doe well if any such Iron can be found and made in that Climate It is true that good gold may be extracted out of any Iron but not by any common way but by a tedious laborious and costly way and when all is done there will be no gaine unlesse it be in conceite which satisfieth no man but those who are of my disposition which thinketh experience to bee the greatest gaine that can bee in the world CHAP. 6. Wherein is shewed the Operations of Copper FIrst take your Oare and breake it into little peeces about the bignesse of Hazell Nuts then lay a Leere of small Char-coales an inch thick in your Chimney Corner then lay on your peeces of Oare then lay on more Char-coales an inch and an halfe thick upon the Oare then kindle it and let the fire burne out of it selfe Then beate it into small powder and mingle it with your Sandiver and Salt-Peter as you did your Lead without any filings of Iron and so melt it downe as you did your Lead Oare onely this difference must be used by reason that it is harder of fusion than the Lead Oare therefore you must lay the bricks somewhat wider than you did for the Lead that it may hold more Coales besides that you must take the choysest Coales that can be picked out and no very small ones amongst them also you must have two paire of hand-Bellowes and two men to blow very strongly and so melt it downe As for the refining it is needlesse to shew the manner for no Copper in these Northerne Countries holdeth any royall Mettal that is considerable neither English nor Danske Copper yet in regard that in some Mines in Hungarie there is generated Gold Silver and Copper all in one masse of Oare and also in regard that if any Mines of Copper shal be discovered in Virginia or other southerne Countries there is some good probability that it may containe royall Mettal therefore I wil shew the manner how to refine it and also to part the Gold from the Silver if it shal containe both together First melt one ounce of Copper with foure ounces of such Lead as you know the goodnesse of before then refine it and by the

again upon the silver till such time as that it had carryed up all the silver from the bottome of the glasse into branches like trees then I melted downe the silver and sined it and parted it with Aqua-fortis and had divers graines of pure good gold abiding all tryalls but the quantity would not pay for halfe the charges and labour I made the Regulus thus I took 4. ounces of Iron in stub nailes and made them red hot in a crusible and then I put to it 8. ounces of crude antimony and melted it downe and when it was well and thin melted I let it coole in the pot so knockt off the regulus from the lop or cynder which lay upon the top of it then I did the like with 4. ounces of Copper in thin plats then I mixed equall parts of these two and melted them 3. or 4. times every time casting into the pot halfe an ounce of salt peter as it was in melting to purifie it till it was pure bright almost like silver but yet brittle so that I could beat it in a Morter to fine powder The yellow silver that was like yellow horn did Amalgam with much difficulty grinding with salt and vinegar and some of it was lost doe what I could but the first silver was water silver which I bought at the refiners out of which they had taken all the gold before this did Amalgam very easily then I strained it to a Ball through a Leather skinne and so mixed it with the yellow sublimate that was tincted yellow with the tincture of Iron and Copper The proportion of the quick-silver to the silver was 5. or 6. parts to one If any one doubt the truth of Alchimy he may be satisfied by this triall but in stead of gaine he shall pay for his learning by going away with losse I doe not deny but there are workes of lesse losse and charge yet none of them lucrous by reason of the change of times For if any one will uphold me as good a lease or purchase of land as I can prove by credible records hath bin had in former times for an ounce of gold I will undertake to make an ounce of gold by Art to pay for it and yet have a good bargaine But the difference of times hath confounded this Art as may appeare more plainly beneath First in ancient times a mans worke was not worth above a penny a day which now is worth two shillings sixe pence a day as may appeare by ancient records for buildings and the like so that there is thirty to one losse in the workmanship Secondly then coales vessels other things necessary for these affaires did cost little in respect of the charge now Thirdly when the gold was made it would then have bought thirty or forty times as much either lands leases victuals or workmanship as now So that I conclude that then the owners of this Art might gaine 30. or 40. for one and yet now they shall lose extreamly The cause that moved me to search so much into these affaires was because I saw by the bookes that so divers men in divers ages and in divers Countries did agree in one tale wherby I conceived it unpossible to be a lye now I conceive it might be true but that the times have made an alteration CHAP. 10. Wherein is shewed the operations for some of the inferiour Mineralls AS for these base Minerals viz. Cinabar naturall Antimony Sulphur Auripigment Arsenick Talcum Muscovy glasse Emery and many other things of like nature because they are of small value and not worth the seeking for on set purpose I will omit further to discourse of them if any man shall find them or any of them by accident let him use his owne pleasure skill and industry in the proceeding of them Neverthelesse because Cinabar naturall may containe much quick-silver which is very usefull for many things may prove as beneficial as a good mine of mettal especially if it shall be found in great plenty I wil therfore shew the refining separating purifying of the same in smal proportion so that if it shal be found a profitable work then the finder thereof may proceed to a greater work The first thing then to be done is to consider of the weight therof if it be very ponderous reddish in colour and ful of cleare streakes shining almost like the streaks of Antimony then it is a good signe of a rich Mine The first trial to be made thereof is to weigh a peece thereof and so put it into a gentle fire for an houre or two in such sort that it may onely be red hot then to let it coole and to weigh it againe so by the lightnesse thereof being compared with the former weight you may iudge somewhat of the richnesse thereof Then take a pound thereof beat it into fine powder mingle it well with as much unslect Lime put it into a retort of glasse luted with Potters clay and some horse dung well beaten and tempered together then set it in a little furnace in your Chimny corner force it with fire 12. houres let it be kept red hot the last 4. houres and let the nose of the glasse enter into another glasse filled almost full of water in such manner that the vapours of the Cinabar must needs enter into the water for the better condensation thereof into quick-silver This done separate your quick-silver in the bottom of the water and drie it and weigh it if you find the quantity considerable then you may proceed in this manner First make an hole in the earth with very good tempered clay that wil hold water and let it be narrow in the bottome and wider and wider above to the toppe to the breadth of 2. or 3. or 4. yards then fill the Pit with water lay over it barres of iron of sufficient strength and thicknesse to beare the burden that must lye upon it and let them lye so neare together that the stones wood cannot fal through then lay thereupon a leere of drye wood and a leere of your red stone not broken small and so doe againe till it be a yard thick or more then give fire to it on the wind side and goe away out of the danger of the fumes till you see a far off that the fire is finished and burned quite out Then repaire to your worke and let out the water through a pipe of Lead which should be formerly laid almost at the bottome of the Pit into another pit neare to it made so deepe that it may receive the water and in the bottome you shall finde great store of Quick-silver if the Mine was good The water may be pumped up againe to serve the next day for the same use and you need but to take up a few of the bars of Iron every day to goe downe into the pit to take out your Quick-silver

and so lay them downe againe CHAP. II. Wherein is shewed the waies to find out Pit-coales also the naturall cause of the generation of them by a plaine demonstration THough this Minerall be of small value yet if a good Mine thereof shall be discovered in some particular places of this land the benefit thereof will farre exceed the profit of any mettall Mine usually found in these Northerne Countries by reason that wood is so greatly decayed of late yeares that were it not for this helpe many people would be in danger to be starved The first thing therefore which I would have to be diligently observed is that this Mineral is usually found in ground that is proane to beare wood and thornes and not in the very fertile grounds nor yet in the extreame barren grounds but of an indifferent fertility and in grounds that are usually flower in their growth in the Spring time than the fertile Champion countries by a week or a fortninght Also the said grounds are proane to bring forth large Cattell and well horned but not to feed the said Cattell without a long time nor yet will they ever be very fat upon the same ground Also the springs issuing out of the said grounds are apt to colour the earth ruddy at their Orifice like unto the rust of Iron Also the said spring water being boiled as before is taugh doth usually yeeld a black residence Also if you burie a new bowle of pure white Wood in the said grounds from March till Midsummer with the mouth downeward it wil be coloured blackish with the subterraneal vapours Also I had a receipt given me for this purpose by one that for his great experience and excellent skill in naturall causes seemed to be one of Natures Darlings which because I have nor tryed for want of opportunity I will commend it as a very probable signe and give such Cautions that any man may be sure of it before he trye his fortunes by digging or boaring or any chargeable way And this was his direction about the middle of May when the subterraneall vapours are strong which may be discerned by the Firne which about that time will suddenly grow out of the earth in a night or two almost an handful in length then take a pure white peece of Tiffany and wet it in the dew of the grasse which is all of that springs growth and not soyled with cattell nor no other thing then wring out the dew from it and do so five or sixe times and if there be coales the Tiffany will be alittle blacked and made foule with the sooty vapours arising through the Coales and condensed amongst the dew Now to be sure not to be deceived do thus first trye it where there are coales and if ye find the signes above said yet trust not to the experiment till you have tried where there is no Coales in some other place wherein it behoveth you to trye in divers places till you find a place where the Tiffiany is not soyled at all then you may be sure that the experiment is true and unfailable I admonish him that shal trie with the Tiffany upon the dew to let his hands be washed before with sope hot water wiped with a pure white cloth til they wil not foule the cloth at al else if they spend their mony in digging find nothing they may thank their foule fingers for that misfortune As for the naturall cause of the generation of Coales this demonstration following doth make it manifest Take a peece of the blacke fat earth which is usually digged up in the west Countrey where there are such a multitude of Firre trees covered therewith and which the people use to cut in the forme of Bricks and to drye them so to burne them in stead of coales use this substance as you did the other earth in the beginning of the booke to find out the natural cause of rocks stones and mettalls and let it receive the vapours of the cumbustible substances and you shall find this fat earth hardned into a plaine coale even as you found the other Ieane earth hardned into a stone Whereby it appeareth that nature doth the same thing in the generation of coales under the ground by the indurating of a fat earth with the subterraneal vapours which are apt to work a various effect according to the substance which they meet withall Now wheras some of inquisitive dispositions wil desire to know the naturall cause of that fat earth generated in such subterraneall Cavernes let them be pleased to consider that such places in former times have bin the superficies of the earth and afterward have bin covered by the sea with other earth which may be demonstrated by two wayes first it is evident that the mines of Coales doe lye in some places higher and in other places lower lively resembling the superficies of the earth which is never directly equal but every where various Secondly every one may see in the west Country where such a multitude of Firre trees doe lie covered so deepe in the earth that the superficies of the earth was deeper then it is now in former ages when those trees were brought thither by the sea for it is evident that they never grew there first for that there groweth no Firre trees in that Countrey secondly for that they doe lie crosse and in such uncooth manner that no humane strength could ever imitate nor paralell by any device whatsoever Also they may see the power of the sea to alter the superficies of the earth by the multitude of earth there laid so many yards deepe upon the top of the trees Also they may see that the sea doth make the difference of the nature of earthes by its varirious motion as well as the unevennesse therof by hills and vallies for there they may see that some earth will burne and some will not burne being both sorts brought thither by the Sea as appeareth evidently by the former discourses Also the sea never resting but pepetually winning land in one place and losing in another doth shew what may be done in length of time by a continuall operation not subiect unto ceasing or intermission CHAP. 12. Wherein is shewed a perfect way to trye what colour any Berry Leafe Flower Stalke Root Fruit Seed Barke or Wood will give also a perfect way to make colours fixed which will not abide the ordinary way HEre I must confesse a manifest digression from my Subiect yet in regard of the great benefit which this experiment may bring to the Countrey out of the new Plantations and other places where it is very probable that many of these things be hidden and unknowne I wil crave pardon for that my intent was chiefely to prevent the losse of those things which may doe much good were it not through ignorance or negligence First then take halfe a pint of water and halfe a pint of float made as beneath 2. penny