By obferving the legal forms, if the land is neither bounded nor inclosed, but a Waftrel or common, then may any one mark out Bounds there, and fearch for Tin; but, in compliance with the Stannary laws, whoever intends to cut a Tin Bounds must first give three months notice of his intention in the Stannary court, and to the lord, for him to fhew caufe why it fhall not be done. By this procedure, the lord is advertised of a certain lofs to himself, whence he prefents an inftrument, praying for liberty and enrolment of fuch Bounds within that Stannary, to his own behoof and benefit; whereby it is pretty clear, that new Bounds are at this day very feldom cut, to which the late gentlemen Stannators no doubt had an eye; because it is no uncommon thing for Bounders who have no title to any part of an eftate above-ground, to grant fets for Tin without the leaft exception in favour of the Lord whofe eftate on the green fide is oftentimes damaged by the deftruction of the foil and the levelling of his fences, and fo forth. The damage, however, is fometimes little to the lord of the foil, who has a fifteenth part of all that rises, which is fome compenfation for his loss.

It may be very difficult to afcertain the precise date when Bounds first commenced; but by confulting fome manuscripts which were lent me by Francis Gregor, Efq; of Trewarthenick, whofe father had been an able and upright vice-warden of our Stannaries, I obferve that the Tinners wrought for their Tin by cuftom, until the 33d of Edward the first, which was fixtyfour years after the Jews were banished, when they procured their charter, which was obtained at the follicitation of the lords of Trethewy, Bofwithgy, Treverbyn, Prideaux, Trenans, Auftell, Tremedry, Tregarrick, and Milliack, who obliged their lands to pay affent, and do fervice to the law courts erected by the charter. I elfewhere find by fome manufcript papers of John Cooke, Efq; one of the Stannators for Blackmore, 11th of Charles the firft, "That by occafion of certain difputes, " and the Tynners having greate profitts by their Tynn wrought "from time to time by cuftom, untill the 33d year of king "Edward the first, A. D. 1305; it was then thought good for "the Tynners to procure by charter from the prince, freely to

grante unto them libertye to digg and search for Tynn in any "place where Tynn mighte be found; and a court to deter"mine all matters and caufes between Tynners." Accordingly I find this liberty exprefly granted in the faid charter, which fays, "We have granted alfo to the Tynners, that they may digge Tynn and turf for the melting of the Tynn, every

"where

" where in our lands, moores, and waftes; and of all other

perfons whatsoever, in the county aforefaid." Mr. Beare also, in his Bayliff of Blackmore a manufcript of ancient note, in his difcourfe upon what the Tynners did before the charter was granted, fays, "That they always used to worke, and search "for Tynn in wafterall grounds, and also in the prince's "Severall, where any Tynne mighte be gotten; having likewise "libertye to digge, mine, fearch, make Shafts, pitch Bounds; "and for Tynne to worke in places of their most advantages : "excepting only fanctuary grounde, church yards, mills, back "houfes, and gardens; paying only to the prince or lord of "the foyle, the fifteenth part to and for the toll of their Tynn.'

The fum of all the intelligence I can procure, inclines me to judge, that all Tin was at first the poffeffionary right of him who had the government of the county, and from whom the liberty was granted, (or from the king) immediately to the fearcher. (Plow. Com. Pearce's Stannary Laws; Sir John Doddridge.)

Without determining when a cuftom of that kind commenced, it is very natural to fuppofe, that those grants were limited and circumfcribed within certain Bounds, beyond which, as at this day, the fearchers dared not to pafs. The acquifition of this valuable property, could not admit of its being in common; but under certain limits, and prefcriptive forms, it must have been kept feparate and divided between the fundry proprietors; in order that each perfon might know and preferve his own property. Whatever modes of partition the moderns might have thought of, there yet feems none more fimple and decifive than thofe here defcribed, which have exifted from their firft adoption to the present hour. Notwithstanding this, by the negligence of fome owners of Bounds, the knavery of others, and the glorious uncertainty and chicane of the law, no Stannary affairs are fo fertile of wrangles and difputes as those which relate to Tin Bounds.

The first inftitution of those cuftomary tenures, for the encouragement of searching for Tin, was laudable and wife; but the late increase of Tin and difcovery of Lodes, together with the prefent improvements in Mining, very much diminish the neceffity of this kind of encouragement. On the contrary, from

very good reasons I can affert, it would be well for this country in general, if Tin Bounds were totally obliterated.

To preferve the right of a Bounds, it ought to be renewed once every year, which is performed in different Bounds on different faints days, as St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul, &c. by the fervant called the Tollur, the Renewer, or the Bounder, who cuts out a turf from each hole or corner, which he places upon the top of the little bank formed by the turfs already laid there, and declares the renewal to be on the behalf of fuch perfon or perfons, the Bounds owners; from whence he generally goes to fome houfe of entertainment, and takes a dinner, and other refreshment, in order to celebrate and commemorate that annual renewing day.

In Several, no man can fearch for Tin without leave firft obtained from the lord of the foil, who, when a Mine is found, may work it himself, or affociate partners, or set it out at a farm certain, or leave it unwrought at his pleasure. In Waftrel, it is lawful for the bounder, or any other perfon having liberty from him, to dig and fearch for Tin, provided that he acknowledges the lord's right, by sharing out unto him a fifteenth part of the whole. Then it is lawful for the Bounder to take out one-twelfth, or in fome places by peculiar custom onetenth of the remainder. Tinners may drive an Adit through others Bounds without their liberty, only as a paffage for their water; but if they break Tin or discover a Lode in their drift or finking of Shafts, they have no benefit of the faid Tin or Lode, but fhall leave it wholly to the owners of the Bounds within which it is.

The ufual grant for Tin where it is not bounded, is the same as for Copper; and the acknowledgment, Dish, or Dues paid to the lord, is commonly one-fixth, feventh, eighth, ninth, even to one-twelfth, or less under some peculiar circumstances; only that the dues for Copper are payable in money, and for Tin in the Stone or Mineral Ore, and fometimes in white Tin or Metal. This grant by leafe, is called a Set for Tin or Copper, and runs for one and twenty years certain. But a Set of a Bounds for Tin, though verbal, is perpetual, and never ends while it is wrought according to the laws and customs of the Stannaries; that is, if the Tinner has been in quiet poffeffion for the space of one year and a day, he may ftill keep his holding at five fhillings expence annually, laid out upon the premises. This

is a very injudicious indulgence, and it is an injurious licence. for the benefit of the Bounds owners. I can answer for the truth of this, and fo can almoft every other Bounds owner in the county; it being no rare thing for a Tinner to keep possession of a Bounds Set, like the dog in the manger.

I do not suppose the present methods for working of Tin Mines, by deep Shafts, and by Driving and Stopeing under the firm ground, has been practifed more than three hundred years paft. Prior to thofe means for raifing of Tin, they wrought a Vein from the bryle to the depth of eight or ten fathoms, all open to grass, very much like the foffe of an intrenchment. This was performed by meer dint of labour, when men worked for one-third of the wages they now have. By that method they had no ufe for foreign timber, neither were they acquainted with the use of hemp and gunpowder.

This foffe they call a Coffin, which they laid open feveral fathoms in length eaft and weft, and raised the Tin-stuff on Shammels, plots, or ftages, fix feet high from each other, till it came to grafs. Thofe Shammels, in my apprehenfion, might have been of three kinds, yet all anfwering the fame end. First, they funk a pit one fathom in depth and two or three fathoms in length, to the eaft and to the weft, of the middle part of the Lode difcovered; then they fquared out another fuch piece of the Lode for one or two fathoms in length as before, at the fame time others were ftill finking the firft or deepest ground funk, in like manner; they next went on and opened another piece of ground each way from the top as before, while others again were ftill finking in the last and in the deepest part likewife in this manner they proceeded ftep after step; from which notion arifes the modern method of Stopeing the bottoms under-ground. Thus they continued finking from Caft to Caft, that is, as high as a man can conveniently throw up the Tin-stuff with a fhovel, till they found the Lode became either too deep for hand work, too fmall in fize, very poor in quality, or too far inclined from its underlie for their perpendicular workings. Secondly, if the Lode was bunchy, or richer in one part than another, they only laid open and funk upon it, perhaps in small pitches not more in length than one of the Stopes or Shammels before described. The fhortness of such a piece of Lode would not admit of their finking Stope after Stope; it was then natural and eafy for them, to fquare out a Shammel on one fide or wall of their Lode, and so to make a landing place

for

for their Tin-ftuff caft after caft. Thirdly, if the Lode was wide, and the walls of it, and the adjoining country, very hard folid ground, it was in fuch case more eafy for them to make Shammels or stages, with fuch timber, &c. as was cheapest and nearest at hand.

This, with Streaming, I take to be the plain simple state of Mining in general, three centuries ago; and from hence is derived the custom of Shammeling both above and under-ground at this time; for in the clearing of Attle, (Deads) or filling the Kibble with Ore, the Miners prefer a Shammel, which is a stage of boards, for the more light and easy use of their fhovels.

But as this manner of working was irreconcileable with the difcovery and raifing any Tin-ftuff below a certain very fhallow depth, it became neceffary to contrive fome other way to follow downwards the inviting rich ftones of Tin fome Lodes produced. The method of Shammeling, even in those moderate times, has been expenfive, where a very fmall Lode of Tin occurred in a hard country. To remove a denfe hard ftratum of rocky overburden, must be very fatiguing and perplexing; therefore they found it moft adviseable to fink Shafts down upon the Lode, to cut it at fome depth, and then to Drive and Stope east and west upon the courfe of the Lode: in time, no doubt, fuch improvements prefented, as rendered that the cheapest and most established cuftom of Mining.

The fpeculative reader may be apt to imagine, that we can trace, and diftinguifh, the different advancements which have been made in Mining, by the depth and proportion of old Shafts, &c. But it is not fo; for Shafts, and other workings of the Mines, depend upon the fame, and yet different contingencies, in one and the fame Mine. It is very likely, that a hundred years fince, a Shaft would not be funk in a certain place but fifteen fathoms deep, from the quantity of water; where it now may be done beyond fifty fathoms, without a drop. The reafon of this is not because the skill of the present occupiers is greater than that of the former; but because the adjoining ftrata or country is Bled, as we call it, by Adits, and fundry other drifts and levels, driven through them pofterior to that time.

Having fhewn how Sets for Tin and Copper are granted, and how Tin was anciently fought for, at a time, indeed, when

Copper