OF GOLD 2

they have newly found, which (as I understand) are called Peru, and still others. In Europe as well, gold is found in several places, such as in Silesia original: "Astesia"; likely referring to Slesia (Silesia), a major mining region in Central Europe., and in several places in Bohemia, and also in Hungary, in the Rhine, and in the Apsa. Pliny says that it is also found in Austria and in Lusitania The ancient Roman province covering most of modern Portugal and parts of western Spain., and that the Romans used to extract 23,000 pounds of it every year. And thus, speaking of this precious metal, I certainly believe that it is generated, and can be generated, in all those places where the heavens influence those dispositions and elemental causes.

And wishing now to tell you specifically what I have heard about it, I say that it is generated in various types of stone in very rugged mountains, which are entirely bare of earth, trees, and herbs. Of all the stones of such ore, the best is a blue stone called lapis lazuli; such a stone has a blue color similar to the sapphire, but is not as transparent nor as hard. It is also found in orpiment A bright yellow arsenic sulfide mineral once used as a pigment and thought to be a sign of gold., and much more in the company of ores of other metals. Furthermore, much of it is found among river sands in many provinces. That which is found in the mountains is in the form of a vein filone (vein) between layer and layer, joined with the blue stone; indeed, it is heavily mixed within it.

And they say this ore is better the heavier it is and the more intense its color, and many more flecks original: "punteggiature"; literally "punctuations" or tiny dots of gold. of gold show within it. They also say it is generated in another stone similar to "salegno" marble likely a hard, crystalline or "salty" textured marble, but of a dull color, and in another whose color is yellow, with some red spots inside. They also say it is found in certain black stones, scattered without order like river cobbles original: "bronzi di fiume"; here referring to rounded, water-worn stones.. And they say it is also found in a certain bituminous earth, in color similar to clay, and that such earth is very heavy and also has a strong smell of sulfur within it.

And the gold extracted from it is very beautiful, and almost entirely fine. But it is a very difficult thing to extract, because it is of very minute grain, almost like atoms, so that the eye can hardly discern it. Nor can one do as with lapis lazuli or other stones, or as is done with river sands; for when it is seen there, the more it is washed, the more difficult it is for it to fall to the bottom, and during smelting, it becomes entangled by vitrifying with the matrix original: "matre" (mother); the surrounding host rock. and its abundant earthy matter. Yet in the end, with much patience and by using the best of both methods, and then with mercury The process of amalgamation—using mercury to "pick up" fine gold—was the cutting-edge technology for processing difficult ores in Biringuccio’s time., it is recovered.

And (as I have told you before) it is also found in the sands of various rivers, such as the Tagus in Spain, the Hebrus in Thrace, and the Pactolus and Ganges in Asia. In Hungary, Bohemia, and Silesia original: "Lassesia." in various rivers; and in Italy in the sands of the Ticino, Adda, and Po. But not throughout all the sands of their beds, but only in certain particular places where, at certain bends, some gravel is exposed, upon which the water, during times of flooding, leaves a certain sandy silt belletta (fine silt or sediment) with which the said gold is mixed in minute form, like tiny scales, or less than a seed—