I say again, that if the stones which we here treat of, are but well known, though they do not at the first yield any salt, by endeavouring to extract it with simple water, yet is there no difficulty at all therein, nor should we at all mind that, but let them only be left in the air for some due time, and by this means they will plentifully enough attract, and yield us, by a convenient extraction, good Salt-petre. The Ancients did extract Salt-petre, chiefly out of stones, which way of Extraction is now wholly lost, or out of use. All the Europeans do now extract their Salt-petre out of the Earth of the Stables where Beasts stand; albeit, that the very Name it self of Salt-petre, doth declare, what matter it was first produced out of, viz. out of Rocks and stones: For ’tis as much as to say, salt educed out of Rocks.
Nay, even to this day there is Salt-petre extracted out of Rocks in the East-Indies, the which they transport thence in Ships into our Lands: Our Commonwealth of Amsterdam only doth yearly receive some thousands of hundreds of that Salt, which is extracted out of the bare Rocks without the addition of any other thing; I wonder what the reason is, that, that way of extracting is unknown to us Germans; surely I impute it meerly to the want of skill to manage this business.
Thus therefore do we think we have sufficiently declared that Nitre may in very deed be extracted out of stones; and that so clearly that I cannot see what reason any have to misbelieve my words.
But now that the certainty of the thing may be the more apparent, and that no body may think it a fable, that Salt-petre may be extracted out of stones, we will shew some places in which Salt-Petre lies in the stones in a most plenteous manner: And although that there are sundry such places that offer themselves unto us, where the stones contain Salt-petre in them, we will demonstrate the verity of this in those places we have lived in, for ’tis impossible for us expresly to pronounce such or such a Mountain in this or that Country full of Salt-Petre, which places we never saw. ’Tis not given us to search all places of the Earth, but such places as we have seen and come to, we have left but few things in them untoucht, whose nature we have not throughly examined.
Therefore for Examples sake, we will take some part out of our own Country, and exhibit or shew unto all Men, those stones which are therein found to participate of Salt-petre, any one that is studious in these affairs may do the same in other places, and make a diligent inquiry into them, and he will find that almost all Mountains are filled therewith, and yet is known to none or at least-wise to but a very few. In Francia, (or Franconia) and indeed at Kitzing where I dwelt before I came to Holland, I often went into the Field in clear weather, with an intent to search out Minerals, and although that sundry Men ignorant of (such) businesses, do report that there are not any Minerals at all to be found in Franconia, and that never any Veins of Gold or any other Metal have been found there, because all the Inhabitants do live contentedly with the plentiful provenue of Wine and Corn; nor do they labour about finding out any other Treasures (for there is not any Country in all Germany in which is gathered more abundance of Wine, and of a better sort, than in Franconia aforesaid; which gathering of Wine is to be accompted to the Franks or Franconians instead of Mine-pits, and yield them imployment enough) yet nevertheless forasmuch as my mind was ever bent that way, and I was naturally inclined to search very inwardly into those things which offer themselves unto us, amongst the wonderful works of the most great and glorious God, I could not omit the visiting such places, which seemed to all Men as unfit for bringing forth Minerals, and which were judged to be clearly void of the same, as being willing to try whether or no some things that others knew not of might not offer themselves unto me. Nor was my hopes in vain, for I found far more than my expectation was, and if necessity required I could shew those very places.
But forasmuch as I have proposed to my self, here to shew such places only in which Salt-petre may be plentifully made, I will at this time pass by the other Minerals in silence: Yet so, as not wholly to leave such things, as offer themselves in the way, untoucht. I will therefore take in hand some part of the Rhine, which is between Kitzing and Aschaffenberg, and will very briefly (for my purpose is not to write a Chronicle) shew what treasures the most Great and Blessed GOD hath vouchsafed unto those places, besides Wine and Corn so plentifully abounding there.
Kitzing is an Eminent I own and well built, belongs to the Bishoprick of Wurtsburg, and is founded upon Lime-stone, and therefore the soil is very fruitful; and yields Wine and Corn in abundance. But as soon as ever we are past over the Bridge of the Mhene, the Earth begins to be sandy, and has abundance of Flints in it, which contain in them some Gold as well as Iron. The manner of extracting it is described in the [second Part of the Prosperity of Germany], and is confirmed in this third Part.
About a mile distance opposite to the said City is situated an high Mountain, very full of huge Trees, in this Mountain are various Castles (or Houses) the chief of which is the Cossel Castle, which is the House belonging by succession to the Lords of the County de Cossel: At the bottom of the Mountain there is a Village of the same name, belonging to the said Castle (or Palace.) In this Village there are abundance of Springs, the Waters of most of them I have often times tasted, and have perceived them to be mightily impregnated with Salt-petre, insomuch that the Beasts do altogether shun the drinking of them, much less can Men use them about the boiling of their Victuals: Yet some of them yield sweet water very fit for domestick affairs. These Nitrous Fountains are of no use, nor do they effect ought, save that they drive some Mills, and run through the Village a particular way afore they fall into the Mhene.
And forasmuch as the aforesaid Earls have known that the chief part (or most part) of the said Fountains are wholesome by reason of the plenty of Salt-petre in them; they have therefore taken care to have a great House built, that so the place may be rendred commodious for those that by reason of some disease should come unto this place for the sake of washing their sick bodies; and there are abundance known to come, that are ill, in the Summer time, from places far remote; several of them too by a due using this Bath are restored to their former health.
They know not any other use of these nitrous Fountains than what is aforesaid; whereas if they did but know how to add some Virtues to the said waters by the benefit of the Juice of the wood, of which there is great store in that place, they would find by the use of them then, many wonderful effects in the curing of Diseases.