Of GoLD, and its Ores.

394. Gold, whofe Characteristicks are very (§ 6.) remarkable, is free from Sulphur and Arfenick; of all other Metals it is moft frequently found native; has no certain diftinctive Figure, and confifts only of fmall irregular Maffes. It will not be improper here to mention at leaft its principal Matrix's.

395. There is a Flint, or white Quartz (§ 29. No 4.) in which Gold commonly lies hidden in very folid and large Maffes. It is concealed likewife, but more feldom, and in lefs Quantity, in that yellow and blue kind of Stone, which fome call the Lapis corneus.

396. That kind of blue Stone, which may be cleft, and, on Account of its Colour, is called Lapis Lazureus t, often moft elegantly fparkling with very fmall fpeckles of Gold: The Goid, nevertheless, is lefs folid in this Stone, than in the foregoing ones ($395.)

397. There is hardly any Gravel in the Nature of Things, that does not contain Gold in it as do likewife feveral fat Olimy Earths: But they are feldom rich enough in Gold to pay the Charges of extracting it therefrom by wafhing and Amalgamation. But that kind of Gravel which is found in the Channels of Torrents and Rivers, or near them, efpecially where the Canal makes many Windings, is commonly richer in Gold than all the reft *.

398. This native Gold ($ 394.) is very feldom found altogether pure, but is commonly mixed with Silver: Nevertheless, that which is found in the Gravel and Earths mentioned ($ 397), is rather more mixt with Silver than that which is wedged into a folid Matrix (§ 395, 396.)

+ Lapis Lazuli.

*Such Gold Duft is to be found in fmall Quantities, in fome of the Rivers of Scotland. At the Coronation of King Charles I. fome : Medals were made of this Gold, with this Legend round the Edge, Ex auro, ut in Scotia reperitur. One of which is to be feen in that admirable Collection of Sir Hans Sloane Bart. &c. and many of the Country People have gathered enough to make Rings of.

399. No

399. No Ore, that I know, hath been hitherto found, in which Gold conftituted the greateft metallick Part; fo that I cannot mention any Ore ($311.) proper to Gold. The fame is teftified by the Authors that are most skilful in the Knowledge and Trial of Minerals. There are indeed feveral Ores fold under that Title; but which, after a strict Examination, are found not to be fuch; for in those Places where Gold is washed out from Gravel and Earths (§ 397.) you often find Tin Ores in Grains, as likewife the Garnates mentioned (§ 379-382.) In which Cafe the rapacious Iron-Ore, called in German (353) Wolffram, which is commonly joined to thefe, is feldom wanting: Nay, it has fometimes happened, that many People deceived by the red" yellowish Colour of thefe Ores, looking as if there was Gold in them, have mistaken them for Golden Ores: Mean while, I never faw any Body grow rich by Means of them, or any Gold melted out of them. The fame thing is to be concluded of the Golden Marchafites; fo called because they are nothing but fulphureous Marchafites † (§ 315.)

400. There are no Ores improper to Gold, but Silver Ores: For it is in these alone, that Gold penetrated with Sulphur and Arfenick, has divested its metallick Form. If Gold is found in other Ores, there is a much greater Quantity of Silver joined to it: So that they rather belong to the Clafs of the Silver Ores; among which they have already been reckoned.

Coroll. As Gold is moft conftant and incorruptible in the Fire (§ 6), its most fubtle Particles are easily dif tinguished from Particles of the fame Colour (§316):

Laz. Erck. Aula Subterranea, p. 55. Georg. Leonhard. Ven Lachneyfs; Nachricht vom Bergwerk, p. 125. J. F. Henckel Pyritolog. p. 167, 226, 667.

The English Miners confound the Marchafites and Pyrites; and generally call them by the common Name of Mundicks. See Woodward's Method of Fofils.

For

For the former not only retain their Colour in the Fire, but, if they have been defiled, they even become the more beautiful. Whereas the Colour of the latter changes entirely into a dark Red, and their fhining Surface becomes dufty; nay, if there is then any golden Particles in them, they are but the more confpicuous for it.

Of MERCURY, and its Ore.

401. Native, fluid, Quickfilver, called Virgin Mercury, moft commonly lies concealed in an afh-coloured foft Stone, eafy to be cleft: In which it may be detected by the naked Eye, or by Means of Microscopes, under the Form of fmall Drops. It is found in great Quantity especially about Idria t, fo that fometimes little Drops of it running together out of the Matrix, may be gathered in fmall Veffels.

402. There is but one fingle Ore of Mercury known, called Cinnabar; of which you will find very good Specimens in every Druggift's or Apothecary's Shop, under the Name of native Cinnabar It is of the fineft fcarlet Colour, and, when broke, appears ftriated with fmall parallel Furrows: Befides, it is very heavy and foft, and confifts of mere Sulphur and Mercury; in fuch Manner however, that the Quantity of the Mercury is commonly above fix Times greater than that of the Sulphur, and that the Beauty of the Colour of the Cinnabar depends on the Abundance of it: As the Regeneration and Chemical Analyfts of Cinnabar fhew. Hence the Reason is likewife evident, why this Ore is fo very volatile, in comparison of other Ores.

+ Idria is a Town in the County of Goritia and Province of Carniola. See Dr. Brown's Travels, Lond. 1685, Fol. p. 81.

• There is in London great Plenty of the finest native Cinnabar or Quicksilver Ore to be had, as yearly imported by the Eaft-India Company from China; it is of a beautiful red or vermilion Colour, and Semi-transparent; refembling the red Silver-Ore (fee the Note to $387) but of a lighter Colour.

403. Mar.

403. Mercury, and its Ore, Cinnabar (§ 402.) is more feldom found than any Metal; fo that according to the Calculations of Dr. Hoffman †, there is fifty Times more Gold got every Year out of the Mines, than Mercury or its Ore. This indeed is very true, but it seems to be no lefs certain, that Mercury and its Ore offer much more frequently than we think, but are not known to us. This will appear probable to any that will confider, that MetalJurgifts try the Minerals unknown to them, in a strong open Fire only, making with them Scorifications, Coppellations, and various melting Precipitations; and neglect, or perhaps are ignorant of thofe Operations that are made in clofe Veffels; because they hardly ever think of Mercury, except when Quickfilver itfelf, or the fcarlet Colour of its Ore (§402) offers to their Eyes. Befides, the Colour, Weight, and Figure of Cinnabar (which is nevertheless moft easily diftinguished from other Minerals, when pure) are altered to fuch a Degree by the other Minerals mixt with them, that can never be detected by the mere outward View, and without making an Experi

ment.

Coroll. You will indeed find in the Works of Chemifts, feveral Experiments mentioned, by which they say that Mercury has been fetched out of Minerals; but all thefe Experiments are here of little Service to us. For, 1. Thefe Minerals are not exactly defcribed; fo that they could not be diftinguished, if they fhould offer to us: And if they have been called by a Name, the fame is alfo common to many other Things, or the Signification of it known to none but the Author himself. 2. The Particulars neceffary in the relating of Experiments, have been almost entirely omitted.

+ Differt. Phyfico-Chemica, de Mercurio & Medicam, ex Mer curio felectioribus, Thef. II.

Of

Of the REGULUS OF ANTIMONY *, and its Ore.

404. I am not certain from any Obfervation, that the pure Regulus of Antimony was ever found native; nor do I remember to have read in any Author, of its having been fetched pure out of the Mine.

405. The Ore of Antimony, is of the Colour of Lead-Ore (§ 373), it has very fine, long, parallel Striæ, in form of Needles, that cut each other acrofs'; and more feldom fmall fhining Scales, with a light reddish Colour intermixed; it is heavy, and refolves partly into a Regulus (§ 16), and common Sulphur, out of either of which, it may likewife be easily regenerated (§ 333.) by a proper Operation.

Scholion. The Defcription of the Regulus of Antimony ($ 404.) has indeed a very greas Affinity with the Defcriptions which we have given of fome Iron-Ores ($351 352, 353,) especially (§ 353); and there is indeed fo great a Likeness between them, that they are fometimes confounded with one another. Nevertheless, it is eafy to diftinguish the Ore of Antimony from the rest, becaufe a fmall Particle of it applied to the Fire of a Lamp, will melt immediately; which rapacious IronOres can either not be put at all in Fufion, or at least not without using the Blow-Pipe (§ 258). Befides, when a Man bas once exally confidered the external Habit of all thefe Mines, and filled his own Imagination with the Impreffion of it, he finds out a certain Difference, which Words cannot eafily defcribe, but which is nevertheless fo remarkable, that he is able for the future to diftinguish them from each other, by bare Inspection.

Of BISMUTH, and its Ore.

406. Bifmuth lies fometimes inclofed fo very pure in its Ore, that you need not ufe any other Opera

• The common Antimony to be met with in Shops, hath undergone a Fufion from its Ore, and therefore our Author calls it Regu lus Antimonii.