Chapter VI: Introduction (5)

The _Priory_, which stood near the church, has gone entirely to decay, but a handsome modern house, called the Priory, erected on its site, is now the residence of Walter Raleigh Gilbert, Esq. This spot was first selected for religious retirement as early as the sixth century, by St. Guron and St. Petroc. It owed its origin to the circumstance of St. Petroc, its founder, having taken up his abode in a valley, now occupied by the town of Bodmin, but then the residence of St. Guron, a solitary recluse, who having resigned his hermitage to St. Petroc, it was by him enlarged for the residence of himself and three other devout men, who accompanied him with the intention of leading a monastic life according to the rules of St. Benedict. Here St. Petroc died before the middle of the sixth century. His shrine was preserved in a small chapel, attached to the east end of Bodmin church, as we learn from Leland and William of Worcester. The hermitage which he had founded, continued to be inhabited by monks of the Benedictine Order, till the reign of King Athelstan, who, in 926, founded, on or near the same spot, a priory of Benedictines: but this convent having been dissolved at an early period, and its possessions fallen into the hands of secular canons, Robert, Earl of Moreton and Cornwall seized them for his own use, and, after the death of his son William, Earl of Moreton and Cornwall, they became vested in the crown. Algar, to whom it is probable they had been granted, with the King’s license, and that of William Warlewast, Bishop of Exeter, re-founded the monastery, and replenished it with Austin Canons, who continued till the general dissolution of religious houses, when its revenues were valued at 270£. 0s. 11d. clear annual income. The Prior had, among other privileges, a market and fair, gallows, pillory, &c. as proved in a _quo warranto_, in the reign of King Edward I. The site, with the demesnes, was granted to Thomas Sternhold, one of the first English translators of the Psalms.—Various relics of antiquity have been found at different times on this consecrated spot; among which were some columns with ornamented mouldings and a mutilated effigy of a skeleton, finely executed, which has been placed against a gateway in the garden belonging to the Priory House.

The _Convent of Grey Friars_ is said to have been founded in the year 1239, under the patronage of Edmund, Earl of Cornwall, and principally supported by the benefactions of Sir Hugh and Thomas Peverell, of Egloshale, who were buried in the friary church. In the year 1565, it was conveyed to the Corporation of Bodmin, to whom it still belongs. Since the early part of last century, it has been fitted up as an Assize Hall, 150 feet long and 60 in height; but the removal of its two beautiful Gothic windows is to be lamented. The two ends are appropriated for the Courts of Assize, and the intermediate space for the business of the Corn Market, &c. Above is the Grand Jury Room, and a large Ball Room, often used during the races in August.

The only remains of the _Chapel_ of _Bery_, is a ruinous tower, standing on a hill north of the town.

Some ruins of _St. Leonard’s_ and _St. Nicholas’ Chapels_ were standing when Dr. Borlase published his work on the Antiquities of the County; but they have long since been entirely removed.

The _Church_, which is the largest in the county, and stands at the north-east end of the town, on rising ground, was rebuilt in 1472, as appears by the inscription on the cornice of the south chancel, viz.

Ano dni Mo CCCCo LXXo II doma fem fecit.

It is a handsome edifice, consisting of a lofty nave and side aisles, separated by clustered columns and pointed arches. The capitals of the pillars, which are of very fine moorstone, are ornamented with roses.

The _Tower_ stands on the north side, and has a venerable appearance. Over the porch on the south side, there are three handsome niches. The whole building (particularly the interior) has, within the last seven years, undergone a thorough repair. It contains a fine altar-tomb, erected in memory of Prior Vivian, Suffragan Bishop of Megara, in Greece, who died in the year 1533, and on which is the effigy of the deceased in his pontifical robes, with a mitre and crozier, his hands clasped on his breast, and two angels supporting shields charged with the Vivian and Priory arms.

The _Font_ is the most interesting piece of antiquity in the church, and of large dimensions. It is supported by a pedestal in the middle, and four pillars on the outside, with angel’s heads for capitals; and the basin in the centre is highly ornamented in the Saxon style, with grotesque animals, foliage, &c. A handsome painted window, by Lowe, of London, representing the Resurrection of our Saviour, will be put up in the course of a short time. It is the gift of Lord de Dunstanville, who is the patron of the vicarage.

A very particular account of the expense of rebuilding the church, is preserved among the town records. The whole cost, exclusive of _presents_ of timber, amounted only to 194£. 3s. 6½d. The timber for St. John’s aisle cost 20£. 13s. 4d. Sir John Arundell gave several timber-trees for the building. The lead for roofing, came to 16£. 2s. 3½d. The rate of wages at this time appears to have been, for a labourer, four-pence by the day; for a mason, hewing stones, five-pence; for making the pillars, &c. sixpence; for a plasterer, five-pence half-penny. The following is a specimen of some of the charges:—“Forty-nine journeys (days work) for the windows above the Vyse, 24s. 6d.; fourteen journeys on the gabell window, 7s.” There was formerly a spire on the tower, said to have been built by Prior Vivian, and esteemed, as Tonkin tell us, the loftiest and finest in the West of England. It was destroyed by lightning in 1699.—Jasper Wood, 37 years vicar of Bodmin, who died in 1716, a man, it may be supposed, of deranged intellects, fancied himself bewitched, and that he was delivered from the witches’ power by his guardian-angel. Tonkin says there was a printed account of this man, and various traditions relating to him are still current in the town.

The Corporation consists of a Mayor, 11 Aldermen, 24 Common Councilmen, and a Town Clerk. This town was regularly incorporated by charter of Elizabeth, which was lost, by lapse, previously to the year 1798, when a similar charter was granted by his late Majesty.

The right of electing two representatives in Parliament is vested solely in the 37 members of the Corporation.

Among the antient corporation accounts, are the following curious items, relating to the election of members of Parliament, and the payment of their wages, in the reign of Henry VII.

“19, 20 Hen. VII, paide to Richard Watts and John Smyth, burgesses of the Parliament for the towne, 13s. 4d.

“Paide for the endentes for the burgesses of the parliament, 20d.

“Paide and yeven in malmesey to the under-sheryff, 4d.

“Paide for the makyng a payr of endentes and an obligation, 12d.

“It. Paide and yeven onto Thomas Trote in rewarde, 20d.

“It. Paide to Sir Richard Downa, the wich was promysed by the maier and the worshipfull in a reward towardes his wagys, 13s. 4d.

The town principally consists of one long street, running nearly a mile from east to west; the houses in general, are low, decayed, and irregular; but much improvement has been made within the last 20 years. Some centuries ago, Bodmin appears to have been of much greater extent, and more populous, than at present: it was probably largest, and contained the greatest number of inhabitants, about the fourteenth century. It is now smaller than either Helston, Liskeard, Megavissey, and Penryn; and considerably smaller than St. Austell, Truro, Redruth, Penzance, or Falmouth; yet in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it appears to have still taken precedence of all the other Cornish towns.

The _Grammar School_, said to have been founded by Queen Elizabeth, and endowed with 5£. per annum, (which the Corporation have increased to 100£. per annum) was held in an old chapel, in the church-yard, until the last year, when a new school-room was opened in a more commodious situation.

The population, according to the late returns, amounts to 2902, but the whole parish contains 3278, being 802 more than the number returned in 1811.[47]

The market on Saturday is much frequented, and well supplied with provisions; but some judicious regulations are necessary, (particularly to remedy the want of a market house,) which would render it more generally useful and commodious. There are also three fairs held here annually, chiefly for cattle.

There was a market at Bodmin when the survey of Domesday was taken, the profits of which, belonging to the Prior, were then valued at 35s. per annum: the tolls were afterwards let at a fee-farm rent to the burgesses, in whom the market and fairs are now vested. Leland speaks of the market at Bodmin as being like a fair for the confluence of people; and Hals compares it, in point of supply of all kinds of provisions &c., to those of Exeter and Tavistock. The fairs, which are great marts for cattle and horses, are on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Saturday after Midlent Sunday, Saturday before Palm Sunday, Wednesday before Whitsuntide, and on the feast of St. Nicholas the Bishop (December 6.) Leather-shoes are made in great quantities at this town, and exposed to sale in standings at the markets and fairs.

Bodmin is said to have been one of the coinage towns which had the privilege of stamping tin; but it appears that it had been lost before the year 1347, when the burgesses petitioned parliament, complaining, that although by royal charter they were authorised to deal in all kinds of merchandise, tin as well as other, in the county of Cornwall, they had of late been hindered by the Prince and his men from buying or coining tin: they were unsuccessful in their application, the answer of Parliament being, that the Prince might order the tin to be sold where he pleased.

The Summer Assizes for the county have been held in this town, with few exceptions, since the year 1716, and the Michaelmas Quarter Sessions are also held here.

The races usually commence the week following the assizes, and are held about a mile and a half from the town, on the left of the road leading to Launceston. The course is considered one of the finest in England.

_The County Gaol_ was erected in the year 1780, from the designs of Sir John Cull, on the principles recommended by the great philanthropist, the late John Howard, Esq. It stands in a healthy situation, on the side of a hill, to the north of the town.

Within the last three years a very handsome and commodious _Lunatic Asylum_ has been erected at the western end of the town, and is fitted up in a very comfortable manner, for persons afflicted with that dreadful malady.

The earliest historical event, of any importance, connected with this place, is, that it became the head-quarters of Thomas Flanmauck and Michael Joseph, the ringleaders of the rebellion of 1496, both of whom indeed appear to have been inhabitants of this parish.—Perkin Warbeck, after his landing in Cornwall, in the year 1498, assembled at Bodmin a force of 3000 men, with which he advanced to attack Exeter.—In 1550, the Cornish rebels, under the command of Humphry Arundell, encamped at Castle-Hynock, near this town, and marched thence to the siege of Exeter. After the suppression of this rebellion, which soon followed, Sir Anthony Kingston, the Provost-marshal, came, with the King’s commission, to punish some of the chief offenders; and, it is said, he hanged the mayor at his own door, after partaking of the hospitalities of his table.—Bodmin does not appear to have had any garrison during the Civil War, though it was occasionally occupied by both parties. General Fairfax finally took possession of it for the Parliament in 1646, a few days before the capitulation with Sir Ralph Hopton, near Truro.

At St. Lawrence, about a mile north-west of Bodmin, are some remains of the _Hospital for Lepers_, founded by Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1582, but which was abolished a few years since owing to certain abuses, and the lands belonging to it, worth about £140. per annum, appropriated to the Infirmary at Truro. The remains chiefly consist of three fine arches, springing from clustered columns, with ornamented capitals, and some ruinous walls, now fast mouldering into decay. On one part of the old buildings, is the following inscription:

Richarde Carter of Saynt Columbe Marchant by his laste wylle &
Testament in ano Dom 1582 did geve ten pounde for the allurance
of twentie shillinges. yerelye to be payed unto us the poer
Lepers of the Hospytall & to oure successors for ever which ten
pounde by the consent of his Executor we have imployed towardes
the makyng of thys howse in ano. 1586. whose charitable & rare
example in oure tyme God grantete main to follow hereaftre

The seal of this hospital is a curious relic of antiquity, containing the figure of St. Lawrence, under a Gothic canopy, and another figure below it, in the attitude of prayer, with this inscription:—“_S. Sci Lawrencie Bodmons de peupo_.”

ST. LAWRENCE is merely a hamlet to Bodmin, but is remarkable as having two very large fairs for cattle annually.

At LANHWIT, the adjoining village, about three miles from Bodmin, are some remains of an antient _Monastery_, called St. Bennet’s, which, although greatly defaced some years ago, by the removal of the cloisters, still displays a fine tower, richly mantled with ivy. The other parts have been fitted up at the expense of the proprietor, the Rev. F. V. I. Arundell, as a family residence. The remains are seated in a narrow valley, almost surrounded by wood, with a rapid stream in the front, which adds greatly to the beauty of this romantic spot.

_Tremere_, an ancient seat of the Courtenays, in this parish, is now a farm-house.

A ride from hence to the _Roach Rocks_, will be highly gratifying to the curious traveller, or an admirer of natural curiosities. They consist of three immense piles of craggy ponderous stones, rising to a considerable height, and at a distance resembling an antient castle. On the summit of the pile, in the centre, stand the remains of a small building, which formerly contained two apartments, and is supposed to have been erected for religious purposes.

These rocks, says Dr. Maton, “consist of a white sparry quartz, mixed with schoerl, which appears in innumerable needle-like crystals. Two or three varieties of this substance are observable; in one the schoerl being more sparingly interspersed, and in another more abundantly.” A pile of rocks starting abruptly out of a wide green surface, and covering some space with enormous fragments, on which there are only a few vestiges of incipient vegetation, form a singular scene, exhibiting a kind of wild sublimity, peculiar to itself. The accompanying view was taken from the south side, and the chapel on the summit is a very beautiful and picturesque feature in the picture.

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DESCRIPTION

OF THE

MINES IN CORNWALL,

WITH AN

=_Excursion to the Scilly Islands._=

------------------------------------------------------------------------

DESCRIPTION

OF

THE MINES, &c.

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In a former part of this work, we gave a list of the principal Tin and Copper Mines in this county; but as we apprehended the limits of it would not allow a particular description of them, we have since, at the suggestion of some of our subscribers, curtailed the historical and topographical notices, with the view to enable us to present our readers with some little particulars as to the situation and nature of the most valuable mines now working. In passing through the county according to the plan of our several Excursions, there are not any mines deserving of particular attention, until the traveller arrives at St. Austell; here it is necessary that he should make some stay, as the vicinity of the town possesses many attractions, and the numerous works now in progress will amply gratify his curiosity.

The most considerable _Tin Mine_ in the county is _Polgooth_, which is situated about two miles south-west of St. Austell; and even in Borlase’s time, is said to have yielded to its proprietors a profit of £20,000 annually for some years. Owing, however, to some unfortunate disputes, the operations have been suspended for nearly 20 years, but have lately been resumed with increased vigour. From the extensive nature of the works carried on in this mine, the whole surface of the country in its vicinity, has been completely disfigured, and presents a very gloomy aspect. The quantity of ore which has been raised from this mine, during the progress of its workings, is far beyond calculation: the immense piles of earth, which have been excavated and thrown up, have quite a mountainous appearance: roads have been formed in several directions leading to the places or shafts, where the miners are at work; and the dreariness of the scene is only enlivened by the humble cottages, which have been erected for their residence. The number of shafts which have been sunk in this mine, amount to near 50, and the greater part of them are mostly working; but since the introduction of steam engines, the operations have been considerably increased, as the water is now raised to the level of the adits, and which before had in some cases overflowed certain parts of the mine.

The introduction of steam engines for drawing off the water from the mines in Cornwall, is one of the most valuable discoveries imaginable; and the greatest advantages have attended these powerful machines, while on the other hand few accidents have been occasioned by their adoption.[48]

In Dr. Maton’s Observations on the Western Counties, is the following description of a _Steam Engine_; but since that time, their powers of acting have been considerably augmented; and on some occasions they are now made on a very large scale, with _cylinders_ even 90 inches in diameter.

“The Steam Engine is one of the most curious, and perhaps most useful machines that owe their origin to the discoveries of philosophy; without it many of the mines in Cornwall must long ago have ceased to have been worked; and among other purposes to which it has elsewhere been most advantageously applied, should be mentioned, the supplying of towns with water, the grinding of corn, the turning of the wheels of machines in woollen manufactories, and the blowing of bellows to fuse ores and metals; we have to boast of this grand machine, being invented, as well as perfected, in our own country: Captain Savery is said to have first discovered the method of raising water by the pressure of air, in consequence of the condensation of steam; or at least he was the first person that put any method of this sort into practice: he obtained a patent, in the year 1698, for a machine contrived in the following manner; the air was expelled from a vessel by steam, and the steam condensed by the admission of cold water, which causing a vacuum, the pressure of the atmosphere forced the water to ascend into the steam vessel through a pipe 24 or 26 feet high: by dense steam brought from the boiler, the water in the steam vessel was elevated to the requisite height. This construction, however, did not answer, because very strong vessels were wanted to resist the expansive violence of the steam; an enormous quantity of which was, besides, condensed by coming in contact with the cold water in the steam vessel. The danger of bursting the vessels was avoided soon afterwards by the invention of Messrs. Newcomen and Cawley, of Dartmouth. These gentlemen employed for the steam vessel a hollow cylinder, shut at the bottom and open at the top, and furnished with a piston sliding easily up and down in it, but made tight by oakum or hemp, and covered with water: the piston was suspended by chains from one end of a beam moveable on an axis in the middle of its length; to the other end of this beam hung the pump rods. Some imperfections still remained; but the most important were at length wholly removed by the discoveries of Mr. Watt, and the construction made use of by that gentleman and Mr. Bolton, of Soho, near Birmingham; who obtained a patent for 25 years, in addition to the term granted to Mr. Watt alone, in the year 1768. One of these machines will work a pump of 18 inches in diameter, and upwards of 100 fathoms in height, at the rate of 10 or 12 strokes, of seven feet long each, in one minute. It will raise to the height of 80 feet, in that same space of time, a weight equal to 18,000 pounds; the combined action of 200 horses could not effect more. In Newcomen’s engine this would have required a cylinder 10 feet in diameter; but as, in the new engine, the steam acts, and a vacuum is made, alternately above and below the piston, the power exerted is double to what the same cylinder would otherwise produce; and is farther augmented by an inequality in the length of the two ends of the lever. It must be considered too, that one-third part only of the coals which the old engine would have required, is used for the same portion of work.” The expense of erecting the first steam engine in the Polgooth Mine, amounted to nearly £20,000; and the quantity of coals consumed by it, in the short space of 24 hours, is stated to amount to 144 bushels.

According to Borlase, the main vein of ore in this mine, was about six feet thick, running from east to west, and dipping to the north, at the rate of about six feet in a fathom; towards the east it divides into two branches, and there is another that cuts the former nearly at a right angle, and consequently runs north and south, but dipping to the east. The _ore_ is disseminated in general through a matrix of _Caple_,[49] accompanied with a _yellow cupreous pyrites_, and sometimes a _ferrugineous ochre_; it is of the vitreous kind, but rarely found in crystals, the colour for the most part being of a greyish brown.

_Crennis Copper Mine_, which is situated about two miles east of St. Austell, is highly deserving of notice: here also steam engines have been introduced with the most beneficial effects; but although the ore found in this mine is extremely rich, it was not discovered till within the last few years, but is stated in some instances to have yielded a clear profit to its proprietors of £84,000 in one year.

The several _Tin Stream Works_ also in the neighbourhood of St. Austell, are particularly deserving of notice; the one on the left of the road near Pentuan, has proved a considerable benefit to the adventurers concerned in it. In Luxilian parish, through which the road leading from St. Austell to Bodmin has been formed, there are several works of a similar nature; but owing to the number of excavations which have been made for the discovery of ore, it is desirable that strangers should avoid travelling in this direction after dusk. The celebrated _Wood Tin_, as it is called, is mostly found in the Stream Works, and which although extremely valuable, appears far from prepossessing in the minds of those persons who are unacquainted with mineralogy.

Small particles of gold are frequently found in the Stream Works, but they are mostly incorporated with tin crystals in streaks.

The celebrated _Clay Works_ in the parish of St. Stephen’s are also well deserving of attention; as they are now conducted upon a very extensive scale. In a commercial point of view, the discovery of this clay, or china stone, has been attended with the greatest advantages, besides being the means of affording employment to many men, women, and children. The value of this clay, or china stone, as it is generally called, was accidentally discovered about 60 years ago; since which time, immense quantities have been exported for the porcelain manufactories in Staffordshire and Wales. It is a decomposed granite, the felspar of which has lost its properties of fusibility; but, in the manufacture of china and earthenware, it is of the greatest value. In the manufacture of crucibles at Truro, it has been found of much value. Notwithstanding, however, the great success which has attended the progress of the china stone works, it is to be lamented, the wages allowed to the several persons employed in them, are so trifling. Little occurs to interest the traveller in regard to mines, after leaving St. Austell, until his arrival at Truro.

The _Carnon Stream Works_, on the left of the road leading to Falmouth, are the most considerable in the county, and merit particular observation. It is now nearly 40 years since they were first discovered; and the quantity of tin which they have yielded, has proved a golden harvest to the proprietors of them. The works occupy a considerable extent of ground, and appear to have been gained from the sea; the mud and other matter washed down by the stream, having raised a sort of embankment, which, by its continual extension, and some assistance from art, has gradually contracted the boundaries of the tide.[50] The bed of pebbles from which the tin is extracted, is about 30 feet below the surface of the ground, and from four to six feet thick. As a proof that these works must have been known in very early times, a wooden shovel, and picks made of deers’ horns, together with some human bones and skulls, have been found at different periods. Great improvements have been lately made in the works for drawing off the water, and which has also, from the lowness of their situation, been attended with considerable benefit to several other mines in the neighbourhood.

When at Helston, the traveller will derive much gratification from visiting the celebrated _Tin Mine_, called _Huel Vor_, which is situated about three miles west of that town. This mine is allowed to be one of the most valuable in the county; and its proprietors are said to have gained a clear profit of upwards of £10,000, in the short space of three months, notwithstanding the monthly charges amount to £5,000. Here are no less than five large steam engines for drawing off the water, besides several others of less magnitude for raising the ore, &c. There are also four large stamping mills worked by steam. The operations of this mine extend more than a mile and a quarter below the surface of the earth, and about 1300 persons are employed in conducting the different works. The ore is smelted and roasted on the spot; and when properly cleansed, is ladled from the furnaces into moulds of 370lbs. each. The principal lode in this mine is said to be of the enormous width of 30 feet, and extremely rich. The expenses incident to carrying on the working of this mine are very great; especially in the consumption of candles and gunpowder, which far exceeds any estimate a stranger to mining concerns could form. In this mine, no less than 3,000lbs. of candles, and about 3,500lbs. of gunpowder are consumed every month.

The _Botallack Tin and Copper Mine_, in the parish of St. Just, near the Land’s End, is one of the most surprising undertakings in the county, as the operations of the miners extend for nearly 70 fathoms under the bed of the sea; and the entrance to the works is at least 200 feet below the cliffs.

——“How fearful
And dizzy ’tis to cast one’s eyes so low,
The crows and choughs that wing the midway air
Show scarce so gross as beetles:——
——I’ll look no more,
Lest my brain turn, and the deficient sight
Topple down headlong.”

As a late writer[51] justly observes, that on descending to the surface of the mine, “You will then behold a combination of the powers of art with the wild sublimity of nature, which is quite unparalleled; the effects of the whole being not a little heightened by the hollow roar of the raging billows which are perpetually lashing the cliff beneath. In looking up you will observe troops of mules laden with sacks of coals, for the supply of the engine, with their undaunted riders, fearlessly trotting down the winding path which you trembled at descending even on foot. As you approach the engine, the cliff becomes almost perpendicular; and the ore raised from the mine is therefore drawn up over an inclined plane, by means of a horse engine placed on the extreme verge of the overhanging rocks above, and which seems to the spectator below, as if suspended in “_Mid Air_.”

The ore of this mine is the _grey_ and _yellow sulphuret_ of _copper_, mixed with oxide of tin. Here a great variety of interesting minerals have been collected, among which are several varieties of _jasper_; _arborescent native copper_; _jaspery iron ore_; _arseniate of iron_; _sulphuret of bismuth_, imbedded in _jasper_; beautiful _specular iron ore_; _lamatitic iron_, and the _hydrous oxide of iron_, in _prisms terminated by pyramids_.

The neighbourhood of Redruth is, as before stated in a preceding part of this work, the very centre of the mining district; and there are more mines in the vicinity of that town than in any other part of the County. We therefore recommend travellers, especially those who are interested in mining transactions, to make some stay at Redruth, and we can venture to say that they will derive much gratification in consequence.

About two miles west of that town is the noted _Copper Mine_ of _Dolcoath_, which from its situation on the brow of a hill, enables the visitor to see at one view, all the principal machinery by which its working is conducted. As the same writer justly observes; “it is quite impossible to convey an idea of this singular and interesting scene; steam engines, water wheels, horse whims, and stamping mills are all in motion; while in the glen beneath, many hundred labourers are to be seen busily engaged in the different operations of separating, dressing, and cleansing the ore. In the whole circle of human inventions, there is nothing which so fully manifests the resources of intellect, for the production of immense effects, as the stupendous art of mining, and it is impossible that the workings of Dolcoath Mine, can be viewed without exciting the strongest sensation of wonder and exultation.” The works of this mine extend upwards of a mile in length, from east to west, and in depth, 1050 feet below the level of the sea; being much deeper than any other mine in the county.

_Cook’s Kitchen_ in Illogan, another rich copper mine, is also situated on the summit of the same hill, and from the extent of its operations presents a grand scene, the picturesque effect of which is materially heightened by the solemnity of Carnbre’ Hill, and the numerous ponderous masses of rock which lie scattered about its base

In the _Chacewater Mine_, which is situated three miles south of Redruth, is one of the largest steam engines now in use; and when erected in the year 1813, was then the most powerful engine ever made. As a proof of its immense power, if it were applied as a mill, it could grind a bushel of wheat in a minute; and notwithstanding its velocity, and the complex nature of its several parts, the engineer in charge of it, can in one instant put a stop to its motion, by the mere act of turning a screw. This engine is made upon the improved system, by Bolton and Watt, and finished with much elegance. The cylinder is 66 inches in diameter; the depth of the engine shaft is 128 fathoms; from the adit to the bottom, 90 fathoms. It makes eight strokes in a minute, and at every stroke raises 108 gallons of water to the adit, and at the same time also, 60 gallons 10 fathoms high, for the purpose of condensing the steam. The quantity of coals which it consumes in 24 hours, is estimated at about eight chaldrons.

About two miles from hence, in a southerly direction, are the _Consolidated Mines_, which have only lately been re-established.[52] Here are two very powerful steam engines, with cylinders 90 inches in diameter. The expenses attending the resumption of the workings of these mines, are said to have amounted to the enormous sum of nearly £70,000; but owing to the immense quantity of copper ore which has been raised, and other advantageous circumstances, the shares are now selling in London at more than £100 per cent. The monthly charges for workmen, &c. amounts to no less a sum than £7000. These mines are now under the management of Mr. Taylor and a London Company.

_Huel Unity_ and the _Poldice Mines_ are also situated in this neighbourhood; the former produces copper, and the latter tin and copper. Both have been very profitable to their adventurers, and are said to have yielded them a profit of from 12 to £16,000 annually. The Poldice Mine is one of the oldest in the county, and yields a _yellowish copper ore_, a _rosin tin_, and a few stones of _galena_. In both of these, steam engines have been long erected, but they are not on so extensive a scale as those used in some of the mines above noticed. In these mines, some of the most beautiful specimens of _arseniate of copper_ and _lead_ have been discovered. _A whitish grey copper, crystallized_, in triangular and quadrangular pyramids, has also been found here.

_Huel Alfred Copper Mine_, which, some years ago, was the richest and most profitable mine in Cornwall, is situated about a mile and a half south-east of Hayle. In former times the adventurers in this mine are said to have gained £130,000; but owing to some misunderstanding, the operations have been discontinued since the year 1816, until within the last six months. It is in contemplation to erect two steam engines in this mine, with cylinders of the largest dimensions; when, no doubt, from the favourable appearance of the lodes, the proprietors will be amply repaid the expenses incident to such an undertaking. To the Mineralogist this mine is highly interesting, as several very rare and curious minerals have been discovered; viz. _stalactitic swimming_, and _cubic quartz_, _carbonate_ and _phosphate of lead_, _stalactitic_, _cotryoidal_, and _investing calcedony_, _&c._ If a stranger should be desirous of descending into a mine, he cannot select a better opportunity than here presents itself, owing to the extensive scales of the lodes. On these occasions, it is always customary to put on a suitable dress; viz. a flannel jacket and trowsers, a close cap, an old broad brimmed hat, and a thick pair of shoes; thus accoutred, a lighted candle is put into his hand, and another suspended to a button of his jacket. A few years ago the Duke of R—d gratified his curiosity in this respect, and many others have followed his example; but as a satisfaction to our readers, we insert Dr. Forbes’s observations on the subject. “A person unacquainted with the details of mining, on being informed of many hundreds of men being employed in a single mine, might naturally imagine that a visit to their deep recesses, would afford a picturesque and imposing spectacle of gregarious labour and bustle; tremendous noise, and much artificial brilliancy to cheer the gloom: nothing, however, is further from the truth, as far as regards the mines of Cornwall; for, like their fellow labourers, the moles, the miners are solitary in their operations. Seldom do we find more than three or four men in one _level_ or gallery, at a time, where they are seen pursuing the common operations of digging, or boring the rock, by the feeble glimmering of a small candle, stuck close by them, with very little noise or more latitude for bodily movement; besides whom, there are generally one or two boys employed in wheeling the broken ore, &c. to the shaft. Each of these boys has also a candle affixed to his wheelbarrow by the universal subterranean candlestick, a piece of clay. A certain band of men, who, however numerous, are always called “_a pair_,” generally undertake the working of a particular _level_. These subdivide themselves into smaller bodies, which by relieving each other at the end of every six or eight hours, keep up the work, uninterruptedly, except on Sunday. By means of this subdivision of the _pairs_, there is in general not more than one third of the under-ground labourers below at any one time. Very seldom are the miners within the sound of each other’s operations, except occasionally they hear the dull report of the explosions. In the vicinity of the main shaft, indeed, the incessant action of the huge chain of pumps, produces a constant, but not very loud noise; while the occasional rattling of the metallic buckets against the walls of the shaft, as they ascend and descend, relieves the monotony both of the silence and the sound; still every thing is dreary, dull, and cheerless; and you can be with difficulty persuaded, even when in the richest and most populous mines, that you are in the centre of such extensive and important operations.

The _Herland Mines_ are situated about a mile east of Huel Alfred, and are chiefly remarkable for the beautiful specimens of _native silver_, _vitreous silver ore_, and _black oxide of silver_, which they have produced, and which has been noticed in a former part of this work.

After an interval of nearly 20 years, the workings of these mines have lately been resumed, under the management of a London Company; who have had two steam engines erected, with cylinders 80 inches in diameter. The copper ore found in the Herland Mines is extremely rich; but although the lodes are more numerous than in Huel Alfred, they are not so large. All mines are placed under the superintendance of a foreman, called the _Captain_, who keeps the accounts, and pays, and regulates the workmen; they are in general men of respectability, and get liberally paid. The designation of _Captain_, however, is very absurd; for in many instances, even strangers are frequently accosted as such by the Cornish people. There are also inferior superintendants, who are employed to superintend the internal operations of the miners.

The miners, in general, are a civil, honest, and active class of beings, and since the extension of the Wesleyan system, have become very religious. The hardships many of them endure is beyond belief, particularly such as have large families; and who, in most cases, live in little huts in the immediate vicinity of the mines. Their mode of living is very hard, as they seldom taste animal food; indeed, the reduced scale of their wages is such as scarcely to allow bread, and that in many instances composed of ground barley only. In some cases, many of the miners work like slaves, and are obliged to wheel barrows a considerable distance, filled with ore to the extent of four cwt.; while on the other hand, those who are employed under ground, have a wretched emaciated appearance, and mostly die at an early age, in pulmonary consumptions.

The _Iron Foundries at Hayle_ are well deserving of notice, and here some of the largest engines used in the mines were cast. The _Water Dam_ which was constructed about 30 years ago, (near the house where the copper was formerly smelted,) for scouring out the sand from the harbour, has been attended with the most beneficial effects. It is now in contemplation to have a causeway built across the Hayle, the estimate for which amounts to about _£_5,000; and which, if accomplished, will be highly beneficial.

The singular and desolate appearance of the whole surface of the country in this neighbourhood, which, with few exceptions, extends even as far as Padstow, excites the attention of every stranger. The immense banks of sand which have been thrown up on the coast, have been a great injury; and in some instances, many dwellings have even been buried by the shifting of the sands; here human bones have also been frequently discovered, supposed to have belonged to cemeteries which have been inundated during violent hurricanes.

Many of the above particulars were obligingly communicated by Sir Christopher Hawkins, Bart., M.P., and Recorder for St. Ives; and who also has a seat, called Trewinnard, in this part of the county.

_Tredea_, which is near to Trewinnard, is the property of Davies Gilbert, Esq., M.P. for Bodmin, and President of the Royal Geological Society at Penzance.

With the view to enable mineralogists to prosecute their endeavours, it is necessary on their proceeding into Cornwall, that they should visit the most interesting collections in the county. Of these may be ranked the valuable collection belonging to William Rashleigh, Esq., at Menabilly, near Fowey, which has been noticed in a former part of this work. In this splendid collection are some very magnificent _oxide of tin_, _fluors_, _melachite_, and some very rare varieties of _sulphuret of copper_; wood tin forming a vein in a matrix of quartz, to one side of which adheres a fragment of rock. An account is given in the first volume of the transactions of the Penzance Geological Society. Here are also some fine specimens of _yellow copper ore_, with _opal_; triple _sulphuret of antimony_; _copper and lead_ in various forms; _ruby copper_ in _cubes_; _quartz_ with water in globules; _topazes_ of beautiful lustre; and _green fluor_, in crystals with 24 sides. Many of the specimens above enumerated are of considerable value and scarcity, besides which there are also many others highly interesting. They are contained in a spacious apartment, which has been fitted up in the most elegant manner, with glass cases to prevent them from being injured. Mr. Rashleigh takes great pleasure in allowing strangers to visit his collection, and is entitled to every mark of commendation for his politeness on such occasions.

In the collection of Joseph Carne, Esq. at Penzance, may be seen _prehnite_ in a variety of forms, _axinite_ in its usual form, _stilbite_ in flat four-sided prisms terminated by pyramids, _mesotype_ radiated, _garnets_ in 12 and 24 sided, crystals, _pirite_ in six and 12 sided prisms, _uranite_ in quadrangular tables with the angles in some cases truncated, and also in forms much resembling cubes and octohedrons, _uranochre_, _native bismuth_, and _specular iron_ ore, very simular to that found at Elba; _grey sulphuret_ of _copper_, the best defined crystals of which are very obtuse dodecahedrons, and six-sided prisms; in some specimens the dodecahedrons are so placed upon the summit of the prisms, as to resemble a nail: this is one of the most rare specimens ever found in Cornwall, and is much sought after by mineralogists. Here are also two very rare and curious specimens of _yellow_ and _grey sulphuret of copper_, in forms resembling a cube, the latter being pseudomorphous.

The Royal Geological Society at Penzance possessed many valuable and rare specimens; among the earthy species may be enumerated, _calcedony_, _sodalite_, _haiiyne_, _petalite_, _colophonite_, _vesuvian_, &c. In the metallic branch, is _carbonate of lead_, _specular iron_, _arseniate of iron_, the _oxide_, _carbonate_, _arseniate_ and _phosphate of copper_, _native gold_, found in the Cornish Tin Stream Works; _arsenical pyrites_, _uranite_, _uran ochre_, _native nickel_, &c. besides a mineral but little known, viz. _subcarburet_ of iron, and which was analyzed by the late Rev. W. Gregor.

The cabinet of John Williams, Esq. at Scorrier House, near Redruth, is unrivalled in its specimens of _red oxide of copper_ in _octohedrons_, cubes, and capillary crystals; there are also some fine specimens of _arseniate_ of copper in very perfect obtuse octohedrons; a mass of uranite, which for size and beauty surpasses any that has ever been found: _blende_ in octohedrons and cubes, _native_ and ruby silver, besides a very rare and highly valuable specimen of the muriate of _horn silver_ and _arseniate of lead_ in six-sided prisms.

Such strangers as are desirous of forming a collection of the several minerals which have been found in this county, cannot adopt a better plan than applying to the different dealers; they are, however, sometimes to be had of the miners. The most respectable dealers in minerals are, at St. Austell, Mr. Hennah, Bookseller; at Truro, Tregoning and Mudge; at Falmouth, Mr. Trathan; at Penzance, Mr. Jacobs; at Redruth, Mr. Bennett; at Gwenap, Mr. Michell; at St. Agnes, Mr. Argall; and the landlord of the Tamar Inn, Calstock; who was once a superintendant of some of the mines near St. Austell.

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EXCURSION TO THE SCILLY ISLANDS.

Such travellers as may be desirous of making an excursion to these islands, will not only be much gratified by the voyage, but their health will be materially benefited by the congenial breezes of the ocean, and the mild temperature of the atmosphere, which is so peculiar to this part of the coast. The beauty also of the several marine prospects which such an excursion presents to notice, cannot fail to excite the most lively emotions: yet who can enjoy it, without reflecting on the many dreadful shipwrecks which have occurred off the Scilly Islands; especially the melancholy fate of Sir Cloudesly Shovel and his brave companions. Owing, however, to the erection of light-houses, and other salutary measures, such disasters have not been so frequent as formerly. The difficulty of navigating the passage round the Land’s End, is nevertheless very great, and, in many instances, attended with much danger.

The contiguity of these islands to the county of Cornwall, renders it necessary that some little notice of them should be given in the present work. From the Land’s End they are distant about nine leagues, and on a clear day are distinctly visible; but from Penzance, from whence the packet sails every Friday, the distance is fourteen leagues. With a fair wind the voyage is generally accomplished in six hours; but on some occasions has lasted two days.

According to the most eminent historians, these islands were originally denominated the CASSITERIDES, or TIN ISLES, and their number not to have exceeded _ten_; but their original appearance has been greatly altered, either by the violence of the sea, or some other convulsive effort of nature. At present their number amounts to _one hundred and forty_, although the following only appear to be inhabited; viz. _St. Mary’s_, _St. Agnes_, _St. Martin’s_, _Trescow_, _Bryher_, and _Sampson_. The population of the whole of them, (more than half of which reside in St. Mary’s,) does not exceed 2000.

ST. MARY’S is the largest and most cultivated, possessing three towns, a pier, a garrison, custom-house, &c. The length of this island is about two miles and a half; and its circumference is about 10 miles. The prospects from some of the hills are extremely fine; and from their rocky character and other local circumstances, present a very singular and interesting appearance. “The principal settlement is _Heugh Town_, so called from the neighbouring peninsula, on which, during the pilchard fishery, a man is stationed to watch the coming of the fish, and give notice of their approach by _heughing_ to the boats below. On the summit of the peninsula is a small fort, erected in 1793, by Sir Francis Godolphin, and called _Star Castle_, from having eight points projecting like the rays of a star. In the centre is the governor’s house, having a foss between it and the outer rampart; where, at the salient angles, are four small apartments, designed for as many captains of the garrison. The lines are at some distance below the fort, nearly two miles in extent, and flanked by several strong batteries. Below them are the remains of an antient fort, that seems to have had a circular keep, like the castles of Trematon, Launceston, and Restormel. Nearer the water’s edge, on the western side of the peninsula, is the Heugh Town, which skirts the border of a sandy bay, with a good anchorage, and sufficiently spacious to contain 100 sail of shipping. The houses are chiefly low buildings, but were much improved under the late Earl of Godolphin, at whose expense the pier was erected about the year 1750. The other towns, which are called Old Town and Church Town, consist only of a few houses, and present little to excite curiosity.”[53]

At _Porthelic Cove_, on this island, the body of Sir Cloudesly Shovel was washed on shore, and not being recognized, was buried in the sands, but afterwards removed to Westminster Abbey, where there is a handsome monument to his memory. It is to be regretted, that although it was executed many years ago, when the art of sculpture had not arrived at much perfection, it has been so much defaced by idle and mischievous persons. When the fatal accident occurred, Sir Cloudesly was returning with his squadron from Toulon; and in a thick fog on the night of the 22nd October, 1707, his ship (the Association) struck on the Gilstone Rock, and sunk instantly, when every soul on board perished: the Eagle, Captain Hancock, experienced a similar fate, and the Romney and Fire-Brand were also lost, but their captains and 25 men were fortunately rescued from a watery grave.

The civil government of the Scilly Islands is chiefly managed by 12 of the most respectable inhabitants, who hold their meetings every month at Heugh Town, where they mostly settle differences or disputes by compromise: all criminal causes are referred to the military power.

ST. AGNES contains upwards of 300 inhabitants, and is situated about a mile to the south-west of St. Mary’s. It is extremely pleasant, fertile, and well cultivated, but is chiefly remarkable for its beautiful light-house. This highly useful structure was completed about the year 1680, under the superintendance of Mr. Adam Walker, the celebrated lecturer on natural and experimental philosophy; it is upwards of 60 feet high, and is built on a very elevated spot. The light is produced by several parabolic reflectors of copper, plated with silver, and each having an Argand’s lamp in its focus, supplied with oil from behind. The frame in which the reflectors are disposed, stands perpendicularly to the horizon, on a shaft united to a machine below, that turns the whole round every two minutes; by this motion the light progressively sweeps the whole horizon, and by its gradual intermission and increase, is readily distinguished from any other; its brilliancy is also extraordinary; and by these combined effects, its benefits are greatly increased, as the seaman is at once rendered completely sensible of his situation.[54] The charges attending the erection of this light-house, were defrayed by the Trinity House; but all vessels passing it pay the same rates as those received by the one on the Long Ships at the Land’s End, except coasting vessels, which pay only a shilling each. There is a small church on this island, the service of which is performed by a minister, appointed and paid by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

ST. MARTIN’S, which is situated about three miles eastward of St. Mary’s, appears from the remains of the numerous enclosures which intersect it in various places, to have been formerly well cultivated, and it would in all probability have been entirely deserted, had not Mr. Thomas Ekines, a respectable merchant of these islands, encouraged some people to settle here about a century ago. This gentleman likewise caused a tower and spire to be erected on it, as a land mark to seamen passing this part of the channel. The inhabitants chiefly consist of between 30 and 40 families, who are mostly related to each other, and much attached to the place. They have also a church, the service of which is performed by the minister appointed by the same Society, who also officiates at Trescow and Bryher. Borlase has noticed a druidical circle on this island; and from the several _barrows_ which are also to be seen, concludes that not only this, but most of the other islands were in former ages very populous, and the lands much cultivated. “The barrows,”says that learned writer, “were all constructed in one manner; the outer ring is composed of large stones pitched on end, and the heap within consists of smaller stones, clay, and earth, mixed together: they have generally a cavity of stone work in the middle, covered with flat stones; but the barrows are of various dimensions; and the cavities, which, being low, and covered with rubble, are scarcely apparent in some, consist of such large materials in others, that they make the principal figure in the whole monument.” Although he had several of them opened, nothing of any consequence was discovered.