Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-03

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Europe, 20 his friend in Boston, dated
BERLIN, April 18TH, 1917.
freyburg is situated IN Erzegebirge,
(nineral mountains which separate Sax
ony from Bohemia, and is the most con-
siderable silver mine now worked in Eu-
rope, and is also very important as being
the seat OF the great mineraloglcai acade-
my under the direction of Werner, the
head the so called Wernerian Geoogi-
zeal system. In this place are i02 mines
now worked, which produce principally
silver, lead and cobalt. The ore is lay no
means rich compared with most that is
worked III South America; but by econo-
mical management, il is made produc-
tive. The richest veins afford about five
TO SIX ounces of silver TO 100 pounds OF
ore, and the poorest not ulore than one
quarter as much.-The average annual
produc! is 100000 dollars, TO gain which
5000 miners are employed. Werner SAID,
IN answer TO some queries | made about
tue advantage of working these mines,
that while the government lost nothing by
them, it was surely best 10 work them. as
they employed so MANY hands, encreased
the existing specie capital of the Kingdom
by tie an cunt produced, and even if all
tins was expended, it was diifused among
its own subjects. The process of anal
gamaiioD IS here unique in its kind, be-
ing combination of the chemical and
mechanical, by which great waste of
quicksilver is prevented. 1t is by their
economy III this article, that thew are en-
abled to go on. Were the CONSUMPTION
OF 1t quarter so much as in America.
the COSTS would be greater than the pro-
ceeds.
The average depth of mines now open.
IS from one sixth 10 one third of an En-
giisli mile. The one went into was a.
bout 400 feet perpendicular descent, and
as tney have no means of going down or
up, but by common ladder, found both
operations somewhat difficult. AS was
gong thro the first, was quite dispos-
ed TO doubt; The truth of Virgil's :" T7aci-
hs deScenSas," but when came TO {" yeyo-
care gradas," saw well enough wherein
the opus" and Tie " labor" lay.-No ride
III the most interesting country tbrouob
which have travelled, ever interested me
hall so much, as this visit to the subter
ranean regions. BY the aid of the lamps
suspended TO our neckS, we pursued
our way thro' the narrow, dark, silver pa
yed and silver arched streets, which led
from mine 10 mine for at least two ENGLISH
miles. must place the sensations which
tiien felt, among the most sublime |
ever experienced. In one place were
heard the laundering echoes of the ma
chinery winch serve TO carry up the wafer.
III anciherthe rending and cleaving of the
rocks as they are blown up by the pow
der, and others were so deep and distant
That we heard nothing but the rever-
beraling sound of our voices and our
footsteps.
Now the glitter of the most brilliant
sky was reflected from innumerabIe chrys.
tals which hung over us, and now we pc
netrated into darkness so deep that our
lamps scarcely afforded light enough to
let us pass i'll safety.
| was quite charmed with Werner. I
have scarce ever seen more amjable
man. His heart seems made ND of cha
rites. lie conversed with me a long
while on she subject of our Indians, and
was shocked at the idea of cxterminating
and Christianizpd