These cinders would be of great use for the fluxing of the iron-oare
at Send.
___________________________________
At Redhill, in the parish of..... (I thinke Calne) they digge plenty
of ruddle; which is a bolus, and with which they drench their sheep
and cattle for ......... and poor people use it with good successe for
...... This is a red sandy hill, tinged by {iron}, and is a soile that
bears very good carrets.
___________________________________
Mr. John Power of Kington St. Michael (an emperick) told me heretofore
that in Pewsham Forest is vitriol; which information he had from his
uncle Mr. .... Perm, who was an ingeniose and learned man in those
daies, and a chymist, which was then rare.
___________________________________
At Dracot Cerne is good quantity of vitriol-oare, which with galles
turnes as black as inke.
About the beginning of the raigne of King James the First, Sir Walter
Long [of Dracot] digged for silver, a deep pitt, through blew clay,
and gott five pounds worth, for sixty pounds charges or more. It was
on the west end of the stable: but I doubt there was a cheat put upon
him. Here are great indications of iron, and it may be of coale; but
what hopes he should have to discover silver does passe my
understanding. There was a great friendship between Sir Walter Raleigh
and Sir Walter Long, and they were allied: and the pitt was sunk in
Sir W. Raleigh's time, so that he must certainly have been consulted
with.
Pages:
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106