CHAP. XXXII.Of their Mettals.
That mettals grow inLaplandand the outermost parts ofScandinavia, is only a conjecture of the Antients, and there is no certainty of it, therefore none of them make any mention of them.Olaus M.flatly denies that to his age there were any Iron, Copper, or Silver mines found, therefore they were forced to fasten their boats with osiers, without any nails because they had no Iron, but in the 35. year of this age, inQueen Christina’sreign, a silver mine was discovered by the Inhabitants ofPithanearNasafialonot far from the mountains which divide Swedeland from Norway, this was the first mine known inLapland, found byLoens Personan inhabitant ofPitha.
In the year 1645.The most Illustrious Ericus Flemming L. Baron of Lais, now Senator of the Kingdome, and President of the company of Mines, first caused it to be opened, and a melting-house built with convenient necessaries. There is also a vein of Lead richer then the Silver and easier work’t.Rheensaith that the mountain is opened, not with Pickaxes or any Iron instruments: but they bore a hole, which must be fill’d with Gunpowder; when the mouth is well stopt they apply fire thro another little hole, which touching the powder breaks the hardest stones in pieces. But the use of this mine lasted no long time, for in the war between the Swedes and Danes inCarolus Gustavushis reign about the year 1658. it was spoiled by oneVan Anenthe Danish Kings Governour, from which time no man would go to the expence of cleansing and repairing the mine, because it would require a vast charge, before they could get any profit by it, which was too much for men of mean estates to undertake.
The 2dSilver mine is inLuhla-LapmarknamedKiedlkievasifound byJonan Petriliving inTorpenjaurabout the 60. year of this age. It is in the middle of the VillageTorpenjaur, on an high mountain 2. miles from the top, 6. miles fromRædstada village ofNorway, betweenRædstadandKeidlkievasi; there is a famous high hill calledDaorfiælin the road that leads from the mine toNorway: the foul weather in the winter stops all passage over this mountain. The mine is rich enough and very broad, continuing the same all over, lodged in a hard Marcasite. It has this inconvenience that there are no woods near it, but they are forced to fetch their fuel a mile and a half off: they use powder instead of digging it, (as before) the melting-house stands 5. miles off in a pleasant place near the concourse of several Rivers, especiallyDarijockandQuickjock, which last gives the house its name. Here is a very spacious wood and great plenty of shrubs, especially currans, and all sorts of herbs. The river affords abundance of the best sort of fish as Salmon, Trout, Perch, &c. distant 27. miles fromTaornediscovered in 1655. by an inhabitant who was showing the ore toEricus Ericsoniuswho first discoveredit. It is very rich and not drossy, only necessary’s are conveyed thither with some difficulty. There is another 3. miles northward calledWittange, found by aLaplanderin 1668. The vein is not so good because mixt with Iron, wherefore they do not dig it so willingly as the Other; from these mines the ore is shipt away to the melting-house atKoengeto be melted and thence brought toTorna. There are Iron mines too, one inTorne-Lapmarkjoyning to the Copper mine, another in the sameLapmarkcalledJunesuandofound in 1640. byLaurencean inhabitant there, about 22. miles distant fromTorna, whether it is carried to be beaten into bars and rods at the forge atKoenge. A 3dvein of the same mettal is found inPelziwachinatLulha, but of these the two first only are digged. I heard in 1671. of a Golden mine: but because there was no certainty, I will not insist upon it. I mention it because there are some that affirm that it was found inSwedelandin the time ofGustavusthe first, but this was divulged by an uncertain Author, as appears by the event, for to this day nothing more has bin heard of it.