Miners extracting ore from a mine (6)

Depiction of mining as part of a large, engraved plate concerning Liège, Belgium, by Bohemian graphic artist Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677), ca 1657. Horses are turning a capstan (note the vertical axle) to pull up ore from the mine. In early mining, this was called a whim, whim gin, or a horse capstan. A rope is wound around the drum, with both ends traversing several pulleys and hanging down the mine shaft. As the drum is turned around, one end of the rope is lowered, carrying an empty bucket, while the other one is raised, carrying a full load. Early whims were horse-powered, but later they were powered by waterwheels, or by steam engines beginning in the 18th century. (Courtesy of the Rijkmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Public domain. Edited by Dr. Douglas J Lanska.)