red
immediately and saved themselves from the eruptions of the Damp. But next
day some seven or eight of them came no sooner so farr down the staires,
that led them to the place where they had been the day before, as they
intended, but upon their stepping into the place, where the Air was
infected, they fell down dead, as if they had been shott: And there being
amongst them one, whose Wife was informed he was stifled in that place, she
went down so far without inconvenience, that seeing her Husband near her,
ventured to go to him, but being choaked by the Damp, as soon as she came
near him, she fell down dead by him. {45}

This Story of Sir _R. Moray_ affirmed to have received from the _Earl_ of
_Weymes_, Brother in Law to the Lord _Sinclair_, as it was written to him
from _Scotland_.

* * * * *

_Of the _Mineral_ of _Liege_, yeilding both _Brimstone_ and _Vitriol_, and
the way of extracting them out of it, used at _Liege_._

The Account of this _Mineral_, and of the way of extracting both
_Brimstone_ and _Vitriol_ out of it, was procured from _Liege_, by the
lately mentioned Sir _Robert Moray_ and by him communicated to the _Royal
Society_, as follows.

The _Mineral_, out of which _Brimstone_ and _Vitriol_ are extracted, is one
and the same, not much unlike Lead ore, having also oft times much Lead
mingled with it, which is seperated from it by picking it out of the rest.
The Mines resemble our _English_ Coal Mines dugg according to the depth of
the _Mineral_, 15, 20, or more fathoms, as the Vein leads the Workmen, or
the subterranean waters will give them leave, which in Summer so overflow
the Mines, that the upper waters, by reason of the drought, not sufficing
to make the Pumps goe, the Work ceases.

To make _Brimstone_, they break the Stone or Ore into small pieces, which
they put into Crucibles made of Earth, five foot long, square and
Pyramid-wise. The Entry is near a foot square. These Crucibles are laid
sloaping, eight undermost, and seven above them, as it were betwixt them,
that the Fire may come at them all, each having its particular Furnace or
Oven. The _Brimstone_ being dissolved by the violence of the heat, drops
out at the small end of the Crucible, and falls into a Leaden-Trough or
Receptacle, common to all the said Crucibles, through which there runs a
continual Rivolet of cold water, conveyed thither by Pipes for the cooling
of the dissolved Sulphur, which is ordi