Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-29


siness is confirmed to fraSrancy, and
productive of sweets.
Extract Of letter from a gentleman
now in Europe, to his friend in
Boston, dated
Berlin, .9pril IS, 1917.
Frcyburg is situated in Erzege-
birsc, (mineral mountains) which Sc
parate Sazony from Bohemia, and is
the most considerable silver mine now
worked in Europe, and is also very
important as being the seat Of the
great neurological academy under
the direction of Werner, the head oil
the so called Wcrnerian Geological
system. In this place are l02 mines
now worked, which produce princi-
pally silver, lead and cobalt. The
ore is by no means rich compared
with most that is worked in South
America but by economical manage
lnent, it is made productive. The
richest veins afford about five to six
ounces of silver to 100 pounds OF ore,
and the poorest not more than one
quarter as much.-The average an
nual product is 100000 dollars, to
gain which, five thousand miners are
employed. Werner said, in answer
to some queries I made about the al,
vantage of working these mines, that
while The government lost nothing by
them,it was surely best to work them,
as they employed so many hands, en-
creased the existing specie capital
of the Kingdom by the amount produ-
ced, and even if all this was expend-
cd. it was ditfused among its own
subjects. The process of amalsama
tim is here unique in its kind. being
a combination Of the chemical and
mechanical, by which great waste
ofquicksilver is prevented. 1t is by
their economy in this article. that
they are enabled to go on. Were the
consumption of it quarter so much
as in America, the costs would be
greater than the proceeds.
The average depth Of mines now
open. is from one sixth to one third Of
an English mile. The one l went in
to was about 400 feet perpendicular
descent. and AS they have no means Of
going down or up, but by common
ladder. fonnd both operations some
what difficult. As was going thro'
the first, | was quito disposed to doubt
the truth of VirgiPs " FaciliS deccn-
sus." but when came to rerocare
grad,ts," ] saw well enough wherein
the " opus and the " labor" lay
No ride in the most interesting cOun-
try through which | have travelled,
ever interested me half so much, as
this visit to the subterrancau regions.
BY the aid Of the lamps suspended t"
our necls, we pursued cur way thro'
the narrow. dark, silver paved and
silver archcd streets, which led from
mine to mine for at least two English
miles. must place the sensations
which thcn felt, among the most sub
lime ever experienced. In orc
place were heard the laundering
echoes of the machinery which serve
TO carry up the water, in another the
rending and cleaving Of the rocks
as they are blown up by the powder.
and others were 50 deep and distant,
that VIC heard nothing but the rever-
beratins sound of our voices and our
footsteps.
Now the glitter of the most brilliant
sky was reflected from innumcrable
chrystals which hung over US, and
now we penetrated into darkness so
deep that our lamps scarcely afford
cd light enough to let US pass i'll
safety.
Twas quite charmed with Werner.
| have scarce ever seen mere ami
able man. His heart seems made up
of charities. He conversed with nc
long while on tie subject Of our In
dams, and was shocked at the idea of
exterminating them. he thinks they
may be civilized and Christianized."
-O-
FRENCH SOIREES.
The French Soirce is literally an
evening at home. Almost every wo-
man of condition in Paris, has Sol
- 100 -. - ..,on!, /,