Metallographia, or, A history of metals wherein is declared the signs of ores and minerals both before and after digging ... : as also, the handling and shewing of their vegetability ... : gathered forth of the most approved authors that have written in Greek, Latine, or High-Dutch ... / by John Webster ...

CHAP. XVII. Of some signs where Copper Ore may be found, as also of its several sorts, and the divers pre∣parations it undergoes ere it be pure.

AThanasius Kircherus doth give us these signs to know where Copper Ore may be found.* 1.1 1. That where plenty of the clifts and sissures of stones are, that shew of a yellow and blewish colour, there is la∣tent Copper Ore. 2. That whensoever we find stones of a blue colour in or among other stones of a grey colour, shadowed with little Veins of a green colour, then this is a certain token of the best and most plentiful vein of Copper Ore. 3. That when we see the rocks or stones in the Mountains to shine like Talk, which is nothing else but the birth or folia∣ted off-spring of a Marchasite, or fire-stone, that it ob∣taineth the next discovery of an hidden vein of Cop∣per Ore. 4. Furthermore, when the vitriolate wa∣ters flowing from the Mountains, are of a somewhat green colour, and of a metallick smell, and which co∣ver over the bottoms of the flouds or rivers, with a cer∣tain putrid, green, tenuious, and slimy matter, as with a skin; it doth shew that the Mountains from whence the water comes, are pregnant with Copper Ore.

Now for the sorts of Copper Ore, they are two∣fold, the one when pure Copper is found in the Mine, which is statim suum, and needs not to be purified by the fire, and the other must be refined, and that of∣ten ere it be brought into pure clear Copper.

For the first sort which the Germans call Rein ge∣diegen [ 1]

Kupfer; it is affirmed by several experien∣ced Authors, that it is found pure sometimes in the Mines, and needs no purifying with the fire; and so Eucelius tells us in these words:* 1.2 That there is found pure Copper in the Copper and Silver Mines, that is such of it self, without excoction by the fire. And that sometimes little veins are found implicated with the stones; and sometimes leaves or plates do embrace the stone, and that Alber••us was ignorant of this. And Agricola tells us thus much:* 1.3 That pure Copper was not onely found in its proper Veins, but also in the sil∣ver Mines. This (he saith) the Ancients knew not, neither Albertus, although that he writ that the most and best Copper was found at Gostaria, and mixed with the whole substance of the stone, as it were a Marchasite, so he calleth a fire-stone. But Agricola saith, If it be found mixed with the substance of the stone, it is not pure; that is to say, it is not statim suum, and much less most pure, but is purified by the help and workmanship of the Furnace. but he fur∣ther saith, I do not know that great masses of Copper, as there hath been found of Silver, have been digged up; but rather certain little masses of a very various figure: to wit, sometimes in the figure of drops or isicles, of little rods, or little rundlets, or globes. Also its most small leaves or plates do cleave to the stones. But this native Copper, for the most part, containeth somewhat of Silver in it.* 1.4 Wormius tells us that he had a piece from the Mines of Osterdale in Norway, of the figure of little masses, laminated plain, consist∣ing as it were of most small grains joyned together, of a rubicund colour, and truly Copper-like, but ex∣ceeding brittle. And although it did seem to consist

of most small grains joyned together, by reason of which it was very brittle and friable, yet it did cleave together, and was hardly to be separated into smaller pieces. He had another piece, to which leaves or plates of Talk were admixed.* 1.5 And he saith that ve∣ry near a kin to this, was that which Andreas Chiocus the Author of the Musaeum Calceo••arium calls the true flower of Copper, and did describe it in these words: The true and legitimate flower of Copper is heavy, friable, and of an astringent sapor or taste, growing reddish with a little shining colour, flourishing forth of its proper Mine of Copper, into most small little grains, expressing in magnitude the seed of wild Pop∣py. Rulandus tells us also,* 1.6 some sorts of pure Cop∣per that needed not the fire: 1. Native red Copper free from other Metals, that was found in the Country of Mansfield in its proper Veins. 2. Pure, digged forth of the Mines of Silver at Scheberg. 3. Red, at Mansfield, which contained Silver in it. 4. That which was native and red Suaceuse in Alpibus Rheticis, which did contain gold in it. 5. Of its own colour found at Gishubelia, cleaving like leaves or plates to a hard stone of a red colour. 6. Of othersome clea∣ving to an hard stone, of a whitish ash-colour, other cleaving to a slat stone at Mansfield, of its own colour; and from Moravia,* 1.7 that was statim suum. The ho∣nourable person Mr. Boyl tells us in one of his Queries for Minerals thus: Whether any part of the Metal be found in the Mine perfect and complete? (As I have had presented me good valuable Copper, and pieces of perfect Lead, that were taken up the one at Iamai∣ca, and the other by an acquaintance of mine, that took them out of the ground himself in New England.)

[ 2] 2. For Copper Ore that must be often melted in the fire ere it be brought into the form of good Cop∣per;* 1.8 there are divers sorts, some of which kinds were formerly found at Keswick, and Newland in Cumber∣land, as learned Camden relateth at large, and the Work was continued a long time, and much good Copper made there; but now the Work is quite left and decayed: yet I am informed that some do now melt forth as much very good Copper as serveth them to make Half-pennies and Farthings. Some of the Ore I have, which is like a greyish kind of Marchasite, glittering with some goldish sparks, and very ponde∣rous. Another sort I have, that seems a blewish kind of stone, with bright sparks of the colour of gold, and exceeding heavy; and I make no doubt, but that if diligence were used, plenty of this sort of Ore might be found in many places of England.* 1.9 And Dr. Mer∣re••t tells us, that Copper was digged up at Wenloch in Staffordshire; and that in the time of Richard the Se∣cond there was a rich Copper Mine at Richmond in the Bishoprick of Durham. But now I do not hear of any gotten thereabouts.

* 1.10Wormius tells us thus much, saying, Crude Copper Ore obtaineth various differences, in respect of its co∣lour, consistence, goodness, and coction. For the most part it is drawn forth of a Marchasite, or Fire∣stone, or forth of the lapis scissilis, which I take to be some sort of that which we call slat stones. Among thirteen peculiar kinds (he saith) I find great diffe∣rence in respect of goodness and fertility, though they all arise forth of a granulated fire-stone or Pyrites. 1. One kind of this golden Pyrites is plainly barren, yielding no Copper at all when it is excocted in the

fire. 2. There are two sorts (he saith) whereof an hundred pound weight of Ore doth afford one pound of Copper. 3. Another a pound and a half. 4. A∣nother four pounds and an half. 5. Another four pound and three quarters. 6. Another six pound and an half. 7. Another nine pound and an half. 8. A∣nother nine pound and three quarters. 9. Another ten pounds. 10. Another fourteen pound and an half. 11. Another fifteen pound. 11. Lastly, ano∣ther sixteen pounds, which is the highest.

1. For several sorts of Ores he reckoneth first that [ 1] which is yellowish, in which is inserted whole plates or leaves, in an ash-coloured stone, tending to black∣ness, being very fruitful of Copper, and having parti∣cles adjoyned in certain places of a whitish-coloured flint.

2. A purple Ore of Copper, or of a violet colour [ 2] tending to blue, called of the Miners Braun ertz, having little crums or grains of a ••ire-stone of a gol∣den colour mingled with it; on the other part purple shining Ore mixed with a stone of a grey colour; on the other part it hath more of blue, in the midst of the body sparks of Copper growing whitish, mixed with golden ones.

3. English Copper Ore, consisting of a black stone, [ 3] and hard, in which doth intermingled shine here and there a golden colour. In some places it shineth with the various mixture of black, blue, and golden co∣lours.

4. A golden Pyrites friable, or crumbling, shaped [ 4] like dice, having certain spots of a purple and hya∣cinth colour admixed with it. And from Osterdale in Norway he had brought without square, and shining with divers colours.

[ 5] 5. A more base Ore of Copper growing blackish, in which is inspersed here and there golden Veins, going unequally through the body of the stone. Then also an ash-coloured stone, having golden-coloured grains interspersed in it in course, fruitful in Copper, insected on one of the outsides with certain Oker.

[ 6] 6. An ironish Ore of Copper, in which a Vein of a square golden fire-stone doth shine, and here and there portions of rubiginous iron▪ I have by me very many sorts of these squared or diced golden Marcha∣sites, and some of other figures; but whether they hold Copper or not, I have not tried.

The Author of the Musaeum Calceolarianum men∣tioneth these four sorts of copper Ore:

• [ 1] 1. One that is red, containing some silver in it, from the Carpathian Mountain, which is most fruit∣ful of Metals.
• [ 2] 2. Also the Ore of copper at Kepnice in Misnia, which is not red, but hath a leaden colour▪ replenished with certain little yellow Veins; for every hundred pound weight of which, by the help of the Furnace, is extracted two and twenty pound weight of Cop∣per.
• [ 3] 3. The Ore of Copper from Inaceburg, like to a cloven or slat stone, of almost an ash-colour, in which little Veins imitating a golden colour, are seen grow∣ing, an hundred pound weight of which yields twenty pounds of copper.
• [ 4] 4. The Ore of copper from Anneberg shining with a reddish colour, forth of an hundred pounds weight of which, the Vein being poor, yieldeth onely six∣teen pounds of Copper. We have enumerated these several sorts of copper Ores, that the laborious Mi∣ners

• may be better enabled to judge of the several sorts of Ores. Now for the several preparations that the Ore of copper undergoeth before it be made good valuable copper,* 1.11 Wormius tells us thus, saying, I have six differences in respect of the excoction of cop∣per.
  • 1. Of which the first is the crude Pyrites or fire-stone it self, of a golden colour, as it is digged forth of the Mine, and rich with copper.
  • 2. The second is of the Ore, burned by the space of fourteen days, or three weeks. For then the mass is rendred copper-like, of a blackish colour, forth of which viride aes doth flower.
  • 3. Thirdly the Ore so excocted and fluxed, that it is reduced into thick plates, which the Germans call Ruffer-stein.
  • 4. Fourthly, These plates being put into other Fur∣naces, are burned six or eight times, and are carried forth of one Furnace into another, until they acquire a rubicund colour; this they call Robber werk.
  • 5. Fifthly again, it is excocted into a spongious and light matter, black and porous, which they call Raw copper.
  • 6. Sixthly, It is melted again, and then becomes pure copper, fit for uses. So many mutations it is meet that the Ore of copper undergo, before it be∣come pure Copper.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mund. Sub••••r. l. 10 Sect. 4. c. 9. p. 216.
• * 1.2

  De re Metal. c. 13. p. 24.
• * 1.3

  De natur. Fos¦sil l. 8. p. 643.
• * 1.4

  Mus. Worm. l. 1. Sect. 3. c. 5. p. 121.
• * 1.5

  Mus. Calceol. Sect. 4. p. 444.
• * 1.6

  Lex. Alchym. p. 10, 11.
• * 1.7

  Philos. Trans. N. 19 p. 337. Q. 50.
• * 1.8

  Britan. p. 767.
• * 1.9

  R••r. natur. Pi∣nax. p. 208.
• * 1.10

  Mas. Worm. l. 1. Sect 3 c. 5. p. 121.
• * 1.11

  Mas. Worm. ut supr.