_Of their Mettals._
That mettals grow in _Lapland_ and the outermost parts of
_Scandinavia_, 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, in _Queen Christina’s_ reign, a silver mine
was discovered by the Inhabitants of _Pitha_ near _Nasafialo_ not far
from the mountains which divide Swedeland from Norway, this was the
first mine known in _Lapland_, found by _Loens Person_ an inhabitant of
_Pitha_.
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. _Rheen_ saith 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 in _Carolus Gustavus_
his reign about the year 1658. it was spoiled by one _Van Anen_ the
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 2^d Silver mine is in _Luhla-Lapmark_ named _Kiedlkievasi_
found by _Jonan Petri_ living in _Torpenjaur_ about the 60. year of
this age. It is in the middle of the Village _Torpenjaur_, on an high
mountain 2. miles from the top, 6. miles from _Rædstad_ a village of
_Norway_, between _Rædstad_ and _Keidlkievasi_; there is a famous high
hill called _Daorfiæl_ in the road that leads from the mine to _Norway_:
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, especially _Darijock_ and _Quickjock_,
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 from _Taorne_ discovered in 1655. by an
inhabitant who was showing the ore to _Ericus Ericsonius_ who first
discovered it. It is very rich and not drossy, only necessary’s are
conveyed thither with some difficulty. There is another 3. miles
northward called _Wittange_, found by a _Laplander_ in 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 at _Koenge_ to be melted and thence brought to _Torna_.
There are Iron mines too, one in _Torne-Lapmark_ joyning to the
Copper mine, another in the same _Lapmark_ called _Junesuando_ found
in 1640. by _Laurence_ an inhabitant there, about 22. miles distant
from _Torna_, whether it is carried to be beaten into bars and rods
at the forge at _Koenge_. A 3^d vein of the same mettal is found in
_Pelziwachin_ at _Lulha_, 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 in _Swedeland_ in the time of _Gustavus_ the
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.