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so productive as of late years: from hence, little, until you reach St. Agnes again.

"I have thus given a general view of the tin mines in the county. I shall also just enumerate the stream works, by which is meant the operation of washing the soil in the vallies, which is found to contain tin in the form of small particles or grains, supposed to be the detritus or abraisions from the greater lodes, either at the first formation of the earth, or subsequent revolutions.

"These are principally in the parishes of Lanlivery, Luxilvan, St. Blazy, St. Austle, St. Mewan, St. Stephens, St. Columb, St. Enoden, and Ladbrook, east and northeast of Truro, from five to twenty miles. The principal stream mine in the county is at Carnon, about half way between Truro and Penryn. West of this there are few stream mines.

"All tin ores are brought into metal in the county in blocks of from two hundred and three quarters, to three hundred and three quarters each, which are carried to the different coinages held at four stated periods in the year, and not saleable until there passed and marked with the arms of the Dutchy by the officers appointed for that purpose under His Royal Highness the PRINCE OF WALES, to whom there is a duty paid of four shillings per hundred weight, on all tin so coined.

"PRODUCE OF the tin mines.-The annual produce of tin for seven years from 1786 to 1792 both inclusive, has been about 22,000 blocks, amounting nearly to 10. 108. per block, exclusive of duties, in the whole affording a produce of 330,0002.

"From the stream ore is produced generally what is called grain tin, amounting to 5 or 600 blocks per quarter, and sometimes more. The superior, price of this tin above the common tin at different times, has been from four to twelve per hundred weight.

"Native gold has been found in some stream works, and also, but more minutely, blended in some mines of tin.”

Copper Mines.-P. 19. “The produce of the whole of the copper mines amounts to about 40,000 tons of ore, yielding on an average about eleven three-fourths in the hundred, and consequently producing about 4,700 tons of copper. The greatest part of the copper ores are sent out of the county to be smelted, and the price is very variable; but taking the ore at 8. per ton, the produce of the copper mines will amount annually to about 320,0002.

"There are several old mines now unwrought, and which seem to carry a probability of being at some future period renewed. But it is necessary to observe, that many of the

present

present are become so deep and expensive, that they cannot be expected to continue many years; and that it is likely the setting on of those supposed worth being renewed, may not take place until the present deepest and most expensive are given up."

Lead Mines.-P. 19. "There are also some lead mines in different parts of the county, but they are not much worked at present, nor is their produce great, although the ores in general, I am informed, produce a pretty considerable proportion of silver."

Miners-P. 20. "I found it difficult to arrive at any very accurate estimate of the number of people employed in the mines of Cornwall. Some stating the number of men as high as 22,000, others not more than 8 or 9,000. Including the streamers, who are a distinct body from the miners, the number of men, women, and children, employed in raising the ore, washing, stamping, and carrying it, amount to about 16,000: of these there are from 12 to 14,000 men capable of bearing arms, who are as brave and hardy a race of men, and as much attached to the happy constitution under which they live, and the illustrious family on the British throne, as any description of individuals in the the kingdom*."

Profit of Mining.-After mentioning some fortunes, that have been made by mining, the Reporter informs us, p. 22, "In general, the mining business is considered as a lottery, in which there are more blanks than prizes; but these prizes sometimes are so very high, that they excite people to adventure, without making any very accurate calculation of the probability of loss."

POLITICAL

"From the miners having occasionally given interruptions to the peace of the county, people who are strangers to their dispositions, might be apt to conclude that they were not so loyal, or peaceable set of people. That is far, however, from being the case, their insurrections are almost uniformly on account of either the actual dearness of grain, or from the apprehensions of approaching scarcity. But although they have frequently, from the real pressure, but more often ill grounded apprehension of approaching want, behaved with unpardonable irregularity and violence, yet they have been found, on different occasions, ready to follow the gentlemen of the county to Plymouth, or such other places as their services were required for the defence of the country; and, I am persuaded, that if any such occasion should again present itself, they would be found equally ready to turn out, according to their motto, one and all,' in support of their Sovereign and their Country."

POLITICAL ECONOMY.

ROPE

PPROPRIATION.-For some account of the wild lands of Cornwall, see State of Cultivation, ensuing. But nothing explicitly appears, as to whether they were, at the time of reporting, appropriated, or otherwise; unless so far as relates to the rights of the Duchy.

RURAL ECONOMY.

ESTATES

STATES.-P. 31. "The Dutchy lands are still by far the most extensive of those belonging to any proprietor in the county. The lands of the other proprietors are very much intermixed with the dutchy lands, and with each other. Property is very much divided; there are very few who possess, of landed rental within the county, more than 30007. per annum, exclusive of under ground profits."

Mr. Fraser gives his readers a general view of the lands belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall; whether they are included within the County, or lie scattered, in various parts of the kingdom. Information, this, which concerns not the present enquiry.

TENURES.-See Farms, ensuing.

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WOODLANDS.

P. 59. "There is a good deal of coppice wood in the county of Cornwall, but little timber. Formerly the tin was smelted only with charcoal; and this made them cut down their woods, and keep them in coppice; so that there is not a great quantity of timber; although, from what is to be seen around the seats of many of the nobility and gentlemen, there is no doubt that timber will thrive as well in many parts of Cornwall as in other counties.

"The nine ancient parks belonging to the dutchy of Cornwall, were all of them covered with large forest trees, and a great quantity of coppice wood. But, when in the reign of Henry VIII. they were disparked, agreeable to the plan he had adopted, throughout the kingdom, for encouraging

encouraging agriculture, the wood was mostly destroyed; and what remained, has, by want of care, dwindled almost to nothing; and by some mismanagement, the royal intention of rendering the ground more profitable, by being turned into tillage, has never answered.

"There were formerly, also, some extensive forests which are now covered with the sea, particularly between the Ram-head and Loo, and between St. Michael's-Mount and Penzance.

"In many of the vales on the Tamar, Alan, Camel, Fal, and Fowey, there are considerable quantities of coppice woods, and a good deal of planting, and some old timber, particularly at Tregothnan, Carclew, Port-Eliot, Anthony, Tehidy, Clowance, &c.

"At Trevetho, Mr. Pread has taken a great deal of 'trouble to raise his plantations, in a situation where they are exposed to both the south-west wind, and also the northerly winds, being the highest ground between the Bristol Channel and St. George's, in that part of the county.

"After making a great number of unsuccessful experiments, at a great expence, in order to find out some hardy plant that would shelter the more tender trees, he was led to try the pine-aster fir, from observing that this tree grew well spontaneously, from some cones which happened to be accidentally scattered in one of the fields near his house. The pine-aster is not a valuable wood, nor is the form of the tree beautiful; but it has been found to stand the sea air surprisingly without being injured. This tree Mr. Pread plants on the highest parts, and very thick in the outer rows of the plantations, and within he plants oak, ash, elm, plane, &c. all of which flourish extremely well under this shelter."

STATE

AGRICULTURE.

TATE of CULTIVATION, in Cornwall.-P. 56. "Those lands in England are denominated waste, which remain in their original uncultivated state, although in many parts of them sheep and cattle are pastured, by those who are entitled to rights in common on those wastes. In Cornwall, as nearly as I have been able to calculate, the proportions of waste and cultivated land stand thus: one-third part of the county is under a regular course of husbandry; one-third is in furze crofts, which are only broke up once in twenty-five or thirty years; the remaining third is

wholly

wholly uninclosed, consisting of marshy grounds," (?) "intermixed with rocks and mountains, and in the west, with extensive tracts of waste land, almost plains. This third and last part is almost wholly dutchy land."

P. 58. "I am persuaded that there is, at the very lowest calculation, 100,000 acres of waste lands in this county, which may be valued at seven shillings and six-pence per acre, which would produce an annual rent of 37,500l. per annum, and leave a sufficiency of turbary for fuel, if properly regulated."

FARMS.-P. 31. "Farms are in general very small. In the eastern and more fertile parts, rents, in general, do not exceed thirty or forty pounds per annum; the greater part not above ten or fifteen pounds per annum; some few are as high as 1007. and from that to 2001. per annum. All the farms are generally on leases of lives. In the western and mining districts they are very small indeed, chiefly cottage holdings."

OCCUPIERS.-P. 13. "Cornwall possesses the happy advantage of a numerous and public spirited body of gentlemen, who are alive to the improvement of their native county. The people of Cornwall also possess a great degree of perspicacity and acumen; they attend to new improvements: if they find them successful, they are not slow in imitation."

PLAN OF MANAGEMENT.-P. 33. "The management of the land is uniform; here and there an exception will be found. The whole is convertible, sometimes into arable, and sometimes pasture. Arable is sown with wheat, barley, or oats, as long as it will bear any; and then grass for eight or ten years, until the land is recovered, and capable again of bearing corn."

"The best farmers take only one crop of barley after wheat, and lay down with grass seeds, which they dress with dung and earth, and after four years break up again; but in general, with all those lands that are at a distance from their farm-yards, they pursue the same negligent mode above described. They sow them with oats, or barley, as often as they think it will pay the expence of the tillage; and very often, when they have little more than the seed returned, which so impoverishes the land that it cannot be broke up again to any advantage, but remains in furze and brambles for twenty-five or thirty years, reducing it to a dry gritty substance, little more than a caput mortuum.

"While truth demands that I must state this process as the general routine of managing the land in the county of Cornwall, it is also but justice to state, that there are many who pursue a liberal and enlightened course of husbandry,

and

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