for among the Greeks, who called it an ὀργνιά, it was six feet, among the Romans five feet. So this measure which is used by miners seems to have come down to the Germans in accordance with the Greek mode of reckoning. A miner's foot approaches very nearly to the length of a Greek foot, for it exceeds it by only three-quarters of a Greek digit, but like that of the Romans it is divided into twelve unciae[1].
Now square fathoms are reckoned in units of one, two, three, or more "measures", and a "measure" is seven fathoms each way. Mining meers are for the most part either square or elongated; in square meers all the sides are of equal length, therefore the numbers of fathoms on the two sides multiplied together produce the total in square fathoms. Thus, if the shape of a "measure" is seven fathoms on every side, this number multiplied by itself makes forty-nine square fathoms.
The sides of a long meer are of equal length, and similarly its ends are equal; therefore, if the number of fathoms in one of the long sides be multiplied by the number of fathoms in one of the ends, the total produced by the
- ↑ The following are the equivalents of the measures mentioned in this book. It is not always certain which "foot" or "fathom" Agricola actually had in mind although they were probably the German.
Greek
Dactylos= .76 = inches 16 = Pous = 12.13 inches 6 = Orguia = 72.81 inches. Roman
Uncia= .97 = " 12 = Pes = 11.6 " 5 = Passus = 72.81 " German
Zoll= .93 = " 12 = Weckschuh = 11.24 " 6 = Lachter = 67.5 " English
inch= 1.0 = " 12 = Foot = 12 " 6 = Fathom = 72 " The discrepancies are due to variations in authorities and to decimals dropped. The werckschuh taken is the Chemnitz foot deduced from Agricola's statement in his De Mensuris et Ponderibus, Basel, 1533, p. 29. For further notes see Appendix C.
use in the High Peak. The following table of the principal terms gives the originals of the Latin text, their German equivalents according in the Glossary and other sources, and those adopted in the translation:
| Agricola | German Glossary. | Term Adopted. |
| Praefectus Metallorum | Bergamptmann | Mining Prefect. |
| Magister Metallicorum | Bergmeister | Bergmeister |
| Scriba Magister Metallicorum | Bergmeister's schreiber. | Bergmeister's clerk. |
| Jurati | Geschwornen | Jurates or Jurors. |
| Publicus Signator | Gemeiner sigler | Notary. |
| Decumanus | Zehender | Tithe gatherer. |
| Distributor | Aussteiler | Cashier. |
| Scriba partium | Gegenschreiber | Share clerk. |
| Scriba fodinarum | Bergschreiber | Mining clerk. |
| Praefectus fodinae | Steiger | Manager of the Mine. |
| Praefectus cuniculi | Manager of the Tunnel. | |
| Praeses fodinae | Schichtmeister | Foreman of the Mine. |
| Praeses cuniculi | Foreman of the Tunnel. | |
| Fossores | Berghauer | Miners or diggers. |
| Ingestores | Berganschlagen | Shovellers. |
| Vectarii | Hespeler | Lever workers (windlass men). |
| Discretores | Ertzpucher | Sorters. |
| Lotores | Wescher und seiffner | Washers, buddlers, sifters, etc. |
| Excoctores | Schmeltzer | Smelters. |
| Purgator Argenti | Silber brenner | Silver refiner. |
| Magister Monetariorum | Müntzmeister | Master of the Mint. |
| Monetarius | Müntzer | Coiner. |
| Area fodinarum | Masse | Meer. |
| Area Capitis Fodinarum | Fundgrube | Head meer. |
| Demensum | Lehen | Measure |
