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Book XI: Silver Separation

Book XI: Silver Separation Page of 673 Book XI: Silver Separation Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
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BOOK XI.
smooth ; the blade of this spatula is a palm wide and two palms long ; its
handle, partly of iron, partly of wood, is similar in every respect to the first
one. Afterward he throws pulverised clay and charcoal into the crucible, pours
water over it, and sweeps it over with a broom into which a stick is fixed.
Then immediately he throws into the crucible a powder, made of two
wheelbarrowsful of sifted charcoal dust, as many wheelbarrowsful of
pulverised clay likewise sifted, and six basketsful of river sand which has
passed through a very fine sieve. This powder, like that used by smelters,
is sprinkled with water and moistened before it is put into the crucible, so
that it may be fashioned by the hands into shapes similar to snowballs.
When it has been put in, the master first kneads it and makes it smooth with
his hands, and then pounds it with two wooden pestles, each of which is a
cubit long ; each pestle has a round head at each end, but one of these is
a palm in diameter, the other three digits ; both are thinner in the middle,
so that they may be held in the hand. Then he again throws moistened
Book XI: Silver Separation Page of 673 Book XI: Silver Separation
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