Las not its equal in Europe, except that famous one
at Shoenberg, in Saxony, for whatever is found in
other places is mixed in arfenical veins o f lead, or fil-
ver, and in fuch fmall quantities as not to deferve any
particular notice. I lhall now relate the particular cir-
cumftances I was informed of, concerning this famous
mine at Giitau.
At the beginning of this century, a perfon having
obferved, that fome itone, found in a fteep mountain, fi-
tuated to the North Eaft of that, of Plan, was more
heavy than ufual, it induced him to fufpe<5t, it might be
iilver ore, on which he repaired to Zaragoffa, and Clewed
it to a perfon converfant in mines ; but after various
fruitlefs elfays, no iilver was found ; at laft they difco-
vered it to be a mine of cobalt, and fome fpecimens of
it were fent to the manufacturers of Zaffre, in Germany,
where, finding it, o.n trial, to be good, they determined
to get poifeffion of it, without apprillng the. Spaniards
of its value. To carry on this fcheme the better,
a German was fent into Spain, to conclude this
bufinefs with the fimple Aragonian, and it was agreed
upon, between them, that the Spaniard ihould petition
his court for a grant of the mines of the valley o f Giftau,
on ceding to the king, a certain quantity of lead, yearly,
at a low price ; on which condition the grant was eafily
obtained ; none fufpecling that thefe mines contained
any
any other mineral. A private agreement was further
entered into, between the German and the Spaniard,
that the latter ihould yield to the former, all the cobalt
they might get out o f the inine, at the price of thirty-
five pefetas per quintal, grofs weight («)..
The people o f Aragon, underftanding little o f mines;,
Germans were fent for, and they begun to extract the
cobalt, which they found about half way in the mountain,
on whofe fummit there was another mine, called
after Philip the IVth, perhaps from its having been attempted,
in his reign, though I do not know what ore
it contained, but fufpeCi; it to-have been cobalt ; which,,
not- being much, known, at that time, nor its ufes in
commerce ^), was foon after abandoned, no iilver appearing,
which, was probably their object ; but I am
iurprized they ihould have filled it up again, when,
they left the other mines o f copper, and lead, open,
which are in the very fame place.
(a). Ape je ta , or piftreen, is a iilver coin, worth about ten-pence ilerlmg...
(1b) This ignorance o f the value o f cobalt is not peculiar to the S paniards; the fame happened 1
in Germany, where we are informed, that, for want o f a fufficient knowledge o f mineralogical •
fcience, quantities o f rich’ores, and foflile fubftances,- have been formerly thrown away araidft
the rubbifh. There, is -fcarce a mining country* in w hich they have not, fome time or other, .
paved their highways with ftones,- and rocks o f < v a lu e ; I know, from very reputable authority,(
fays a German writer) that, this was formerly.the cafe o f the cobalt ores in Heffe, which 1
at prefent,1 produce an annual revenue o f about ,£14000. flerling,' .clear o f all expences.
41 Rafpe’s preface to his Engliih tranilation o f Baron Born’ s travels through the Bannat o f i
Temefwar, Tranfylvania, and Hungary, in 1770. London. 17 7 7 ,