Mix these Minera’s that are thus deprived of their Gold with an equal weight of Calx-vive and Wood-ashes, then heap them up in a heap under some Shed or Pent-house, and moisten them for half a year, or for an whole year by repeated pourings on, of either Man’s piss or Beasts, as often as (after the drying up of the moisture) need requires. In want of Piss you may use Common water. By this means the Aqua Regia, which was not thoroughly washt off with the warm water, and so remained behind in the Oars, will, by the assistance of Urine, or even of Rain-water, convert the Salt in the Calx-vive into good Salt-peter, which is to be washt off like other Salt-peters, and be reduced into Stria’s or Crystals. The remaining matter being freed of the Salt-peter by washing it off, may be again put under the same Shed or Roof, to keep off the Rain, and be exposed to the Air and Solar heat, and be moistned with Urine, and it will in its season again yield Salt-peter, and will even keep doing the same for many following years, if it be dealt withall on the like manner. And so even the very Aqua Fortis it self, which remained behind in the Oars, will bring its benefit. The reason of this manner of Salt-peter making is this, because the Aqua Fortis, or Spirit of Nitre, is as it were the seed of Salt-peter, and is of this nature, viz. when it is put among other Salts, (like as when some Vegetable seed is sown in the Earth,) it augments it self thereby, and is multiplied, even as the Seeds of Herbs are wont to doe. And haply, hence came that old Proverb, of sowing Salt, which the unskilfull and ignorant mock at, saying, How can it be possibly done, that Salt should be sown and multiplied, seeing the Rain can dissolve it and wash it away? These foolish ones did not know either what Salt was to be sown, or how. Evident it is, that even this is the sentence and opinion of the ancient Philosophers, that even Salt may be sown and multiplied in the manner of Vegetables.
N. B. Out of the extracted Oars or Minerals being conjoyned with Calx-vive and Wood-ashes, may Salt-peter be made, in a few days space, by moistning the matters with pouring on, even barely Common water, and so drying it up again: but then there will not be such a quantity, as when more continued and more frequent pourings on of Urine have preceded.
N. B. It is likewise a thing possible to be done, to make good Salt-peter even in one days space, with the Waters used about the Edulcoration [or washing of the Oars] if they be poured upon Calx-vive so long till all the noise [or tissing ceaseth] which is made in the Solution. And thus out of the sharp water of Salt-peter, and the fix Salt in the Calx-vive is presently generated Salt-peter, shooting into long and delicate Crystals, after that the superfluous moisture shall have been thence drawn off in a Copper-pan. The remaining Salt-peter water must be again boiled in a Copper even to the appearance of a thin skin, and then be set in the cold to shoot more Salt-peter; these Labours are you to go on withall untill all the Salt-peter be boil’d out.
I think now that I have written and delivered all things perspicuously and clearly: He that cannot comprehend them, must even let them alone as an Ass must the Harp.
As concerning the sharp Waters which are used about the Extracting of Gold out of the Minerals or Oars, so as the Gold may not be lost that is in them, but be conserved, and that with profit, there are several ways that offer themselves, amongst which we have thought good to produce these following.
33. The ways of Reducing volatile and fixt Gold unto a body, out of the Edulcorating Waters (so called) with which the Gold aforesaid hath been Extracted out of the Oars; and also of usefully or profitably improving the said already used Waters themselves.
He that desireth to enter upon the best way, may pour into the Solution of the Gold, or into the Water containing the dissolved Gold, a Solution of Silver or Lead, and in such a quantity as he shall guess the Gold is of, that is dissolved in the Water. As for Example.
Suppose there be two or three Lots [Lotones or half Ounces] of Gold in the water, there must then likewise be dissolved so many Lots of Silver or Lead in Aqua Fortis, or thereabouts; which Solution is to be (be it more or less) put to the said water, and to be well mixt by a strong shaking it to and fro, till it becomes like Milk. When it shall have settled, it must be shaken again, and those strong agitations must be several times repeated in an hours space. Then all being well settled, the clear water is to be poured off, and the grosser matter is to be put in a Filter, that so all the humidity may by distillation [or filtration] be removed from the dissolved Lune, or dissolved Lead, and the Metals themselves may afterwards by reduction be reduced into their pristine body, by such an help as we will presently teach.
N. B. If the Silver or the Lead should not have extracted all the Gold out of she Water, or drawn it to themselves, which may easily happen, yet notwithstanding there is not any loss of the same. For, because the Aqua Regia being debilitated by pouring plenty of water thereupon is rendred unfit to extract any Oar anew, there may be poured into that edulcorating Water out of which the Gold is already drawn by the Solution of Silver or Lead, a sharp [or strong] Lixivium made of Wood-ashes and Calx-vive, and rendred a little sharper by a little Liquor of Flints. For the Flints doe precipitate all the Gold out of the Solutions. And now the Aqua Regia being kill’d by the Lixivium, lets fall every Metal that it has in it, whether it be onely Gold, or Copper, or Iron, in the form of a yellow Powder: This Powder is to be dried, and to be reduced after that manner which I told you but now, that I would teach.
The same Gold may likewise be gotten out of the Aqua Regia (first debilitated by Common water) very commodiously by a Solution of Mercury or Quicksilver put thereinto; The Mercury abides in the Aqua Regia, and the Gold falls to the bottom like a tender fine Powder, which being washt and made corporeal by reduction will be 24 Carracts fine. And as for getting the Mercury out of the Aqua Regia, it is not to be better done than by pouring thereinto a sharp Lixivium, by which the Mercury is constrained to fall down to the bottom like a yellow Powder, which is profitable for such-like precipitations. The Aqua Regia and the Lixivium serve for to make Salt-peter withall.