After we had view'd that Place, he carry'd us to another, from whence Coal was extracted after the same manner; but 'tis much fatter than the English Coal, and even than that Mineral which is produc'd in the Country of Liege, for the Fire that is commonly made of it burns twenty-four Hours, without laying on fresh Coals.
Between these two Mines there was a Pond of Mineral Water, which continually bubbled up. They make use of it to scour their Bodies, Clothes, and Utensils; but they can't dress their Victuals with it, 'tis so very ill-tasted. The Iron which they steep in this hot Water becomes impenetrably hard, and is much fitter than our Steel to make Springs of. I never was at a Loss to account for the degree of Heat which is said to be in the Mineral Waters of Aix la Chapelle, because they come thro' long Subterranean Channels, where the Earth no doubt abounds with bituminous and sulphureous Particles, which being themselves much agitated, communicate a part of their Motion to them, as they pass along; but here I really saw nothing like it. For this was a little Lake of standing Water, which, as fast as it wafted by Exhalations, and what was drawn off by People for their Use, was supply'd by a Stone Pipe, which Nature seem'd to have form'd for the Purpose, from whence there came a Thread of Water as clear as Crystal, but colder than Marble; which made me think there must be a prodigious Fire of Spirits underneath to give it that Heat and Ferment.
We went also to see the Men that separated the Iron from the Mine, the Furnaces where they melted it, and the Forges where they extended it into Bars, to be work'd elsewhere; but all this was so like the Practice in Europe, that there's no need to describe it here.
I understood by what they told me afterwards, that this intire Chain of Mountains, which serves instead of a Barrier to this fine Country, is properly the Magazine from whence these People have great part of their Wealth, and things which are generally useful in Society; as Stones for Building, others for Lime; Salt, which, tho' different from ours, is very good; very fine Pewter, and red Copper, but in a very little Quantity, which at the same time coils a great deal of Labour, and the Lives of very many Men.
While I was taken up with viewing, all these Curiosities, our People were busy in landing their Goods, bartering them, and taking in their Ladings of such Goods as they had Orders to bring away in exchange, which were carry'd off by Sledges, or little flat long Carts, drawn by two, three, four, and even ten Goats at a time, or on the Backs of Porters, and in which so many People were imploy'd, that they made quick Work, tho' the Way was pretty long, so that we were not there two whole Days. We carry'd our Guide to our Barks, where we treated him in the best manner we could, and made him so drunk, that as he got up to go away, he fell all along and hurt his Shoulder, insomuch that the exquisite Pain he felt made him call out upon the Name of Christ. I was startled at the Expression, and should have been glad to have known how he came to hear of the Saviour of Mankind, but for want of knowing the Language, I contented my self with having raised him on his Legs again, and glad I was to see that he had not hurt himself dangerously.
Just as we were unmooring in order to return, it came into my Head, that if instead of going back by the same Canal, we struck into another two or three Cantons off, perhaps we should see Novelties that would divert us, and make us amends for all our Time and Labour. I communicated my Mind to La Foret, and he join'd with me in persuading the others, who were so complaisant that they consented to our Proposal, without any Scruple. Thereupon we went Westward but when the Goats were to be harness'd which were to draw our Boat, the oldest of 'em, which, according to the Report of the Driver, was Forty-two Years of Age, and had been that way I know not how often, finding that they did not keep in the usual Track, was so unruly, that it was impossible for the Guide to hold him in. He made so many Leaps and Capers, that he broke the Rope with which he was harness'd, and run away. Twenty People immediately pursu'd him, and call'd out to others to stop him, which, as one was attempting to do, the mad Creature leap'd fairly into the middle of the Water, at a Place where the Banks are very high and sleep, so that he could not possibly climb out. Our Guide getting a little before him, stoop'd till he came by, and then throwing in a Rope with a Noose, caught him by the Horns. At the same time the Goat being affrighted, darted towards the other Shore, and whether the Rope was twin'd round the Body of our Guide, or whether he chose to be dragg'd into the Water, rather than let go his Hold, I know not, but so it was that he fell in. The Company were immediately so alarm'd that they all hurry'd to his Assistance; and while they were busy in helping him out, the Creature made up to one of the Steps of the next Bridge, by which he recover'd Land, and got quite out of our Sight, so that we knew not what was become of him. For my own part, I was heartily vex'd to lose him, and wish'd almost that I had been Tongue-ty'd, ere I propos'd to come this way, for I was afraid that my Patron would look upon us with an evil Eye, and revenge himself upon those who had been so complaisant as to hearken to us. We pursued our Purpose, however, tho' some of the other Goats were resty for a little while, but as soon as the foremost were in the Humour to go, the others follow'd as gently as Lambs. Yet we were never the better for this Voyage, for the Country is so uniform, that when you have seen a Part of it, 'tis as well as if you had seen the whole, there being really no remarkable Difference but in the People's Faces, the same that you observe every where else; and indeed, if there had been any Pleasure to have tasted, we were at that time too uneasy to have partaken of it. But we were most agreeably surpriz'd at our Arrival, to hear that the Goat had been a Week in the Stables; so that this nimble Creature had ran home in Thirty-five Hours. This welcome News banish'd all melancholy, and made every one of us laugh very heartily.
The next Day the Boats were unladen, in Presence of all the Inhabitants of the Canto. The Judge having call'd for the Bill of Lading, and examin'd it, caus'd the Goods to be deliver'd to the respective Proprietors, with so much Order, that it was impossible for the least Thing to be lost. To make him amends for this Trouble, every Family sends him next Day a Dish of the best Fish they can catch in their Rivers, half of which is dress'd at his own House, and the other half at the Priest's Apartment, whither the Parents of the Family go to take part of it. This is reckoned an Honour for these Gentlemen, but they pay dearly for it, because all that they can save of the Fish, is not worth one half of the Sauce, which they are oblig'd in Generosity to add to it.
When all was over, the next thing to be thought of was, to return to our Occupation; not that any Body gave us the least Hint of it; for we perceiv'd on the contrary, that they did not care whether we meddled with any thing or not; but because we hated sauntering, tho' we had much rather have been imploy'd in any thing else. La Foret, who was even more tir'd than I with the Woollen Manufacture, did all he could to make our Landlord understand, that as he was by Profession a Clockmaker, if he would furnish him with the Metals and the necessary Tools, he would make a Machine for him to shew the Time of the Day, and to strike the Hour so as to be heard by all the Inhabitants of the Village. As for me, who could be of no Service to them in the Article of Surgery, because the Herbs of that Country differ for most part from ours, and because there are few Minerals, and that they mortally hate Bleeding, all that I had to do, was to applaud what my Comrade said, in Hopes of being employed with him on the same Work.
This proposition seem'd very miraculous to the Judge, who immediately sent for the Priest to impart it to him. They had heard Talk indeed of our Clocks, but not a Man of 'em had ever seen one, and the Idea they had form'd of 'em was very confus'd; so that they were very pressing with us, to set about one as soon as we pleas'd, and to spare no Cost, the rather because their way of dividing the Time was extremely troublesome; for, they tie a Piece of Packthread to the Cieling, and at the End of it hang a Ball of Pewter three Foot and two Inches in length, which serves as a Pendulum, and putting it in Motion, they tell the Vibrations to the Number of 7200, which by reason of the length of the Cord, make just as many Seconds, and by consequence the 12th part of a natural Day, or two of our Hours. I shall give an Account by and by, who they make use of to count these Vibrations, and to go and cry the Hour through the Village, as the Watchmen do by Night, in many Parts of Europe, and particularly in England and Holland, where they hire Men for the Purpose. They furnish'd us therefore with the necessary Materials for our Work. La Foret bespoke some of the Tool that we had need of, and himself made the others. At length we went to work, but we did not hurry ourselves, for 'twas above a Year and half before we finish'd our Clock.
When it was done, you can't imagine with what Admiration every Body star'd at us. They could not conceive how it was possible for this Machine to go by itself, and to sound all the Hours of the Day. Being by this time so perfect in the Language of the Country, that we explain'd ourselves with as much Ease as in the French; we told them, that they ought to have a Tower built over the House of the Priest or Judge, after the manner of the Europeans, and so put up the Clock in it that every Body might hear it strike. No sooner said, but done, and all Hands were set to work to follow our Directions, till the Clock was hung up in the Place which we appointed for it.