After I had seen many of the most remarkable places in the mine, I returned to the house of the overseer of Herrengrund. There I put on my clothes again in the warm stove room, because the air in the mine had been cold and damp. After this, we were treated with great kindness and hospitality. The overseer was polite and eager to show me more things about the mine and its works. He then showed me a large map of the mine where we had spent most of the day Sightseeing Tour Turkey.
This map was very detailed and carefully made. It showed the passages, chambers, and all the main places we had visited underground. There was also a scale on the map, so that one could measure the lengths and distances of the passages and spaces inside the mine. It was a very pleasant sight to look at such a large drawing, because it appeared like the plan of a great underground city. Indeed, it may properly be called a subterranean city, for there is more structure and order in it than in many towns above the ground.
The Mine as an Underground City
The mine is very large in its extent, and the number of workers in it is considerable. Their order and discipline are admirable, and their watches and duties are exact. The miners work with great care and regularity. After long hours of labor, they take their rest quietly and without disturbance. Their rest is especially welcome after their hard work, and it refreshes them greatly.
They usually work for about eight hours and then rest for the same amount of time. Often, they rest in hollow places in the rock, where they can lie safely and recover their strength. This routine shows how well organized their lives are underground. Everything is arranged in a careful and practical manner, just as in a well-governed town.
Minerals and Experiments with Copper Ore
Besides the map, the overseer also showed me many curious minerals that had been taken out of the mine. These minerals were of different colors and forms, and some were very beautiful. He also performed a small experiment for me. He heated some copper ore and then cast it into water. This made the water resemble the natural baths that rise near the hills in that region The Stones Called the Mother of Turquoise.
When I praised the cementation water, which has a strange effect upon iron, he kindly presented me with several fine pieces of copper that had been formed in those springs. Among them was a chain of copper that had once been iron but had been changed in the mineral waters. This gift was both rare and interesting, and it showed the remarkable power of the mine’s natural springs.
Cups and Vessels Made from Transformed Copper
The people there also make very handsome cups and vessels from this kind of copper. These objects are well shaped and carefully finished. We even drank from one such cup, which was gilded on the outside and decorated with a rich piece of silver ore fixed in the middle. On the outside of the cup there was an inscription explaining its history. It meant that the metal had once been iron, but was now copper, carried silver, and was covered with gold.
This inscription was both poetic and meaningful, as it described the transformation of the metal in a simple and elegant way. It also showed the pride the miners had in the natural wonders of their mine.
Journey to Stubn and the Hot Baths
From Herrengrund we traveled to the town of Stubn, which lies several Hungarian miles away and not far from Chremnitz. Near a small stream in that place, there are several hot baths that are highly valued and often visited by many people. The water in these baths is very clear and has a smell of sulphur.
The sediment at the bottom of the baths is green, and the water stains the wood above it with green and black colors. However, it does not quickly change the color of metals as some other mineral waters do. I left some money in the water for a whole night, and by morning it was only slightly colored. The springs rise from beneath the ground and pass through openings in the floor of the baths, which makes the water appear fresh and constantly renewed.
These baths are both useful and pleasant, and they add to the natural richness and curiosity of the region surrounding the mine.
