56 The deep caftern end, or ftool. 57 A horfe in the Lode.

48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55 in the deep bottoms.

The breadth or bigness of the Lode,

A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,K,L,M Stopes on the Lode.

N,N Fire engines.

0,0,0 Whyms.

P,P Capftans.

& Water engine wheels.

R,R Triangles, rope, and fheaf, for raifing the pumps,

changing boxes, &c.

S,S Water engine bobs.

С НА Р.

A Scale of Fathoms

General Obfervations on Mines, and the Management of them.

H

AVING treated, in the preceding chapter, of the manner of working Mines, I fhall now make thofe observations, which are confequent to the working of fome Mines, and not of others; and likewife circumftantially explain the arrangement and conduct of the labourers in their feveral departments.

Mining is fo expenfive in its operations, and fo uncertain in its fuccefs, that few or none of our Cornish Mines are carried on at the risk of one or two perfons. Where there are so many blanks to one prize, it would be gaming in the extreme, for any perfon fingly to begin a feeking adventure; or indeed, to take up any thing of the kind, which is not already discovered, and likely to be rendered profitable almoft to a certainty and, upon this ground, it generally happens, that the charges of our adventures are borne by many partners, from four to ten, fixteen, twenty-four, and thirty-two. The fhares in these adventures, are often fo fractional and intricate, that a stranger, though a tolerable arithmetician, would be greatly at a lofs to divide and appropriate the Doles or fhares, with that precifion, which is familiar to many illiterate Tinners, who can cast a piece of ground, and affign the proportions of a parcel of Copper or Tin Ore, with the utmost accuracy, by the help of twenty fhillings, pebbles, or buttons.

The principal manager in the Mine, is the Purfer, or Bookkeeper; who keeps all the accounts, and receives and pays all the money. This perfon is ufually one of the adventurers; and is chofen by the reft, for the adminiftration of their affairs, during the intervals of their monthly-meetings; at each of which, a ftate of the tranfactions and accounts of the Mine is produced, and after it is regularly examined and paffed, the total charge is divided according to the Doles or fhares, of which each adventurer is obliged to pay his refpective quota. The adventurers prefent at these monthly-meetings take into confideration the moft effectual methods of working the Mine; and their determinations, which are settled not by voices but shares, are conclufive for the whole body.

Deep chargeable Mines are carried on by perfons of fortune or great skill; but fhallow Mines are occupied indifferently either by fuch, or by the labouring Miners, and frequently by both. When the Book-keepers, or any other officers, by fupplying coal, ropes, candles, or other materials, are part adventurers, they are always ftiled In-adventurers; and thofe who live at a distance from the Mine, or have no immediate interest by supplying the works with Materials, are called Out-adventurers. By the Stannary laws, indeed, the latter have the fame privilege of fupplying a Tin work with men or materials in proportion to their refpective Doles; and when this is exercised in oppofition to certain In-adventurers, it is productive of much jealoufy and conteft; fo that it is more advantageous to Mines, when they are difinterestedly carried on, and fupplied with Materials, by perfons who have no property in them. In this cafe, the bickerings of contending interefts are prevented; and the Out-adventurers are fatisfied, that too many materials are not crouded upon the Mine by favour and connivance and yet it is but reasonable, that thofe adventurers who are in trade, should have the preference in fupplying a Mine with Materials, when it can be done with probity and honour.

In large and important Mines, besides the Book-keeper or Cashier, there is a fuperintendant over all, called the Captain; who having the direction of the works both above and underground, ought to be an experienced practical Miner, and to understand diftinct branch of the bufinefs. Under him, are every the Bottom-Captains, whose business is to see that the common men perform due labour down in the Mine, and that they do not promiscuously confound the good and bad Ore together, but break them separately, or as nearly fo as poffible; and alfo, the Grass-Captain, who directs the feparation of the Ore again above ground, so that the best or most solid parts of it be made fit for fale, especially if it is a Copper Mine, for which reason, some call him the Dreffer: but whether as Captain or Dreffer, having little more to do, than to direct the repair of what goes amifs in the Bal or Mine, among the horfes, whyms, carriers, fmiths, carpenters, &c. if he can keep a tolerable journal or day book, he alfo delivers materials to the men, fuch as gunpowder, candles, fhovels, pick-hilts, &c. and is on that account often called the Material-Man.

Though it is much to be feared that adventurers are often injured by dishoneft captains, in conniving at the impofitions of

the