It is not irrelevant that many miners praise veins which run downwards and incline from east to west. Yet the condition of mines and experience itself also teach that veins running from sunset towards sunrise, south towards north, or conversely north towards south often abound in metals no less than others. No vein is therefore to be preferred to another on this ground, nor need the matter be investigated further.

By what indications the earth’s metals are investigated.

As for other signs within the earth or the colours of minerals, we state briefly the following. Whenever miners encounter clayey earth which discloses a vein of pure, fresh metal, this is a very good sign, indicating certainly that the metal to which the vein belongs is not far away. Likewise, if excavated earth contains no metal but is rich and white, black, yellow, red, green or blue, this too is a good sign of sound metal hidden there. The work begun should therefore be pursued diligently and digging continued. Miners look especially to noble, bright and primary colours, such as green earth or chrysocolla, verdigris, lazurium, cinnabar, sandarac, orpiment and litharge of gold and silver. Almost each generally indicates a particular metal and mineral. Thus verdigris, chrysocolla and green earth generally indicate copper or copper ore. Lazurium, white arsenic or litharge of silver signifies copper metal. Cinnabar and sandarac disclose sometimes gold, sometimes silver, or both mixed. Orpiment, red sulphur or litharge of gold generally portends gold. Where chrysocolla is found mixed with lazurium, or lazurium with chrysocolla and orpiment, they generally indicate an excellent and rich mineral. Stones or earth of a rust colour certainly designate iron ore.

Observe also that the Archaeus of the earth sometimes thrusts a metal in heaps from the lower earth through a hidden passage. This visible sign is good. Miners should therefore not desist, since there is sure hope of notable metal hidden there. If thin metallic leaves resembling talc also adhere to stones or rocks, that is a trustworthy and good sign.

What flashes in mines indicate.

There are three kinds of flashes.

Flashes must be observed diligently and attentively, for they are most certain indicators of a hidden metallic course, its direction and the kind of metal itself. Yet observe also that such metals have not reached perfect maturity but remain in their first being. Wherever the flash tends, the course of the metal tends too. Know also that flashes have three colours: white, yellow and red, the white being like the white Moon. From these all the metals they indicate are recognised. A white flash indicates white metals such as tin, lead and silver; a red flash indicates red metals such as copper and iron; a yellow flash reveals golden metals. A thin and subtle flash is an excellent sign. As you see in a tree that fewer flowers yield larger, better and tastier fruit, so small, subtle flashes indicate subtle and excellent metals, and their opposites indicate the opposite. Know further that as long as these gleams appear, whether large or small and of whatever colour, the metal in its ore is not yet perfect and mature, but remains in its first being, like a man’s sperm in a woman’s womb.

What flashing or scintillation is.

To explain here what a flash is, know that it appears by night in mines like sparkling fire, just as gunpowder spread in a long train and ignited at one end displays an extended fire. In the same way flashing or scintillation travels along its course, east to west or west to east, south to north or the reverse, and thus cuts across the miner’s compass, which is divided into twenty-four hours or parts, in a straight line from any hour or point towards the nearest opposite hour.

God has kept nothing hidden.

Where the Chaldeans and others buried treasures; what sciomancy is.

All these flashes, however they appear, give most certain indications of metallic courses, so that these may be recognised and metals dug from the earth as assured gifts of God. Whatever God created for human use he endowed with a particular property in nature so that it should not remain hidden. Although he made it hidden, he also added particular outward signs leading to its discovery. From this his wonderful predestination should be recognised. People likewise mark places where they bury treasures, adding certain signs and burying them near boundaries, statues, little springs or something else, so that when needed they can find and dig them up again. When the ancient Chaldeans and Greeks buried treasures in wartime, fearing conquest and expulsion, they marked the place by appointing a certain day, hour and minute of the year, observing where the Sun or Moon cast its shadow, and hiding or burying their treasures there. They called this art sciomancy, that is, the art of the shadow. From such shadow practices many arts arose and many hidden things were revealed, by which all spirits and sidereal bodies are known. These are cabalistic signs which cannot deceive, and must therefore be diligently observed.