43. Another Water to Extract Gold and Silver withall.
For Gold, let Salt; for Silver, let Salt-peter be dissolved in the Water [or Aqua Fortis] and let be thereto added as much Oil of Vitriol as half the Salt as you put. This Water extracteth Gold and Silver out of the poor Minera’s Sand and Stones, and requireth the same operation as the precedent ones doe. It is likewise augmented even to infinity, insomuch, that Gold and Silver may be extracted out of the poor Mines without Costs, if you except but the fire.
N. B. Oil of Sulphur does the same that Oil of Vitriol doth, and therefore may it serve instead thereof in such Extractions of Gold and Silver.
44. Another far easier way of plentifully Extracting Gold and Silver out of the poor Minera’s or Oars, with very little or in a manner no Costs at all.
Mix the Oars or Minera’s with their due Waters, and therewithall fill small Pots or Crucibles made of the best Earth, which put near one another in a great Iron pot. Put an Alembick upon the Pot, and draw off the Spirits by distillation, which [Spirits] will requite all thy disbursements, and will so give thee Gold Gratis, which you are to wash out of the Oars with Water, and get it [or corporifie] by Saturn.
45. Another yet easier way.
Moisten the Oars with their due Waters, cast them in by little and little upon the live Coals, and that in such a manner as we taught thee about distilling Spirit of Salt. By this Distillation the Spirits pass into the receiving Vessels, and the Gold and Silver are dissolved and stay behind with the Sal Mirabilis, and is to be washt out of the Oars with Water, and to be molten with Saturn. Thus is gotten the Gold and Silver that was in the Minera’s or Oars, without any expences, and the Spirits quit all the Costs.
46. How Gold and Silver may plentifully be extracted out of Fat Clay.
Although that the Extraction of Gold and Silver by moist waters is a sordid operation, as was aforesaid at the beginning, yet is it not done without profit; because the Gold and Silver may be gotten out of the Waters by precipitation, and of the used Waters may Salt-peter be made. But now the case is far otherwise with fat Clay, for that, it being fat, the Spirits hide themselves therein, that the one half thereof can hardly be recovered, unless such an Earth be freed of its fatness by heating it red-hot: and this requires some labour to effect it.
But seeing that in all places of the World, wheresoever any Earth is, there is such a kind of Earth, and that in no small quantity, that contains Gold and Silver: and there hath not as yet been any body that hath endeavour’d to reduce it to any profit, and bring it into use, but especially when it contains not in it so much Gold and Silver as to defray the charges of separating it by Lead. But I have found out a very easie way of doing it with profit, and I think it my duty to disclose that Artifice for the publick good; and it is thus: