additional recompence if the weather is fevere, or they make a long day's work. tribute in one Mine. The Takers of Tribute-Pitches in a Copper Mine, are likewife obliged to mix their Ores with thofe of other Pitches, or with the owners Ores; and to fample the fame according to the will and difcretion of the Captains; elfe the parcels of Ore would be very fmall, where they may be twenty Pitches upon Before the parcels are mixed together, they take from each a fair honeft fample, and mark them A, B, and fo on, which they call private famples. The affay-mafter, who buys at the publick ticketing or fale a mixed parcel of Cre, hath these private famples given to him, which he affays for two fhillings and fixpence each with all the judgment and dexterity he is capable of, to make the moft of each; and it is a very rare thing for any complaint or diffatisfaction to arise from the appropriate difpenfations of our affayifts, so expert are they in their business. The ufe of private famples is this: though the fundry parcels of Ore which are mixed together for fale, may appear nearly of one value at fight, yet it must neceffarily follow, that fome difference will arife from different management in the dreffing and other accidental causes. In a mixed parcel of fifty tons, A may have twenty of fifteen pounds value & ton; B may have twenty-five of fourteen pounds ten fhillings; and C may have five of fixteen pounds ton, according to the private famples; yet the grofs fifty tons may fell for fifteen pounds. five fhillingston. Nevertheless the amount must be divided among the Tributors according to the felling price, fubject to a regulation by the private famples; that is, the excefs or diminution, for what it fells, muft be proportioned by the produce of the private samples; for, if fifty tons fell at fifteen pounds five fhillings, the amount is equal to seven hundred and fixtytwo pounds ten fhillings. Pursuant to the above private famples £. 300 A's 20 tons at 15 = This is called £20 increase by 762 10 which it fold for. Now Now the method of proportioning this twenty pounds increase, is done by the rule of three direct, thus: Here it is evident, that if the Adventurers were to account to the Tributors at the private prices, they would deprive them of twenty pounds of which they ought to have their respective proportions, it being the abfolute value for which the commodity was fold. Also, by mixing these three parcels, they have altogether brought a better price by twenty pounds, than if they had been fold feparately. The interchange of terms in this matter is very applicable, and easy to be reconciled; for in case of a decrease, that is, if the felling price had been seven hundred and fixty-two pounds ten fhillings, and the private famples had exceeded that by twenty pounds, making the whole feven hundred and eightytwo pounds ten fhillings, then the method of folution would be the fame by the rule of three, deducting each ones particular fhare, according to the amount of his Ore. We may further illuftrate this matter, by entry of an account of Ores, fold and proportioned to the Lord, Adventurers, and Tributors. Dolcôth Copper Ores weighed the 24th of March 1777. By this time, I prefume, the reader has a pretty clear conception of the affair, and that each fhare of the thus: 215 ftands The spirit of adventure hath many times fo prevailed among the lower people, that very large fums have been won and lost by this kind of gaming, much to the injury of the cafhiers, who can have no recompence from poverty and rags. It is a method that will always anfwer for the adventurers, provided the Takers upon tribute will execute their part and fulfil their articles of agreement, which it is difficult for the adventurers to compel them to perform. Thefe reafons have induced the adventurers in fome Mines, to fet their Tin and Copper Ore to break by the fathom; and I believe it is productive of more certain wages to the men, and larger quantity of Ore to the owners; which is of confiderable importance to a Mine, obliged to fupport a monthly charge of eighteen hundred or thousand pounds. It would be well if the Takers of Pitches on tribute, would allow fo much in their calculations for the decay of a Lode; for it is generally known those people commonly take a rich bunch of Tin or Copper Ore upon tribute according to its full value in fight, not confidering, perhaps, that it is almoft impoffible for fuch to be richer; and that it is great odds whether it may continue half fo rich for the limited time. This want of precaution plunges them into many difficulties, when an alteration of the Lode happens from riches to poverty and, indeed, any perfon may conclude, that little more than common wages can be gained, by working a Pitch for twelvepence in the pound. Nevertheless, I have known feveral wrought at that value; and many score tons of Copper Ore raised out of North-Downs Mine at tenpence, for which a fhaft in that Mine bears the name of Tenpenny-Shaft (fee North-Downs plate). But my readers will wonder more when I declare, that I have known feveral hundred tons of Copper Ore wrought and dreffed for fivepence halfpenny in the pound, at Huel-Virgin Mine: this, however, muft be understood to have been the cafe, when the commodity brought a better price by thirty cent. than it now bears: which obfervation fuits with the decreafed value of Tin as well or more fo; for it is cqually true, that where I have been formerly concerned, as part owner of a Tin Mine, we have fet a Pitch to be wrought for for three fixty-fourths of the whole, or three-eighths of oneeighth in the stone, before it was made merchantable, by the additional expence of carriage, ftamping, and drefling. With respect to the plan laid down by Miners for calculating the charge, at which they can work this or that Pitch, it is much the fame as that for ftoping of ground by the fathom. For inftance if a Tin Lode is a three feet Gunnies wide, a fathom in depth and length of that bignefs will produce fifty kibbals of Lode, which when fpaled may amount to one hundred facks of Tin-stuff fit for the stamping mill. This, when dreffed, fhall produce three hundred weight of white Tin, which they call "being worth three hundred weight of Tin a "hundred;" that is, for every hundred facks of Tin-ftuff, it will yield three hundred weight of Tin-metal, worth, we will fay, three pounds hundred weight, that is, nine pounds. The Tin in the leavings of which (a term that will be more eafily comprehended, by turning to the chapter upon dreffing of Tin) at five fhillings hundred weight, or more commonly expreffed at fifty fhillings thousand" or half ton, is fifteeen fhillings. The Lord's part, dues, or land-dole, is one-fifteenth of the whole, that is to fay, fix two-thirds facks; the Bounder's or toll part is one-tenth of the remainder nine one-third facksthese fixteen facks being taken from the hundred, the refidue becomes eighty-four; worth, at the above calculation, seven pounds eleven fhillings and threepence, and the leavings at fifty fhillings thousand twelve fhillings and fourpence—in all for eighty-four facks eight pounds three fhillings and seven pence. Now the charge of working the fathom, is Filling the facks and loading the horses Carriage, ftamping, and dreffing (the expence of which is different as the Mine is more or less distant from the mill) we will allow to be only Carriage to fmelting-house and expence So that the Tributor must have two Doles and three quarters out of nine Doles, to get wages; which two Doles and three quarters are worth two pounds nine fhillings, according to the above calculation. Again, if a Tin Lode is only fix inches big or wide, one fathom may produce twenty facks of Tin-ftuff, worth fix pounds, at the rate of "a thousand Tin a hundred;" that is, at the affignable quantity of ten hundred weight of Tin-metal for every hundred facks of Tin-ftuff. The Land-dole, or Lord's part, being one-fifteenth, is one fack and one-third the toll or Bounder's fhare, is one-tenth of the remainder, which is one fack two-thirds and one-fifth. These three facks and one-fifth taken from twenty, the remainder is fixteen and four-fifths of a fack, value five pounds and ninepence. The leavings at forty fhillings for ten hundred weight of white Tin (the richeft Tin generally yields the pooreft leavings, which will be fhewn hereafter) will give fix fhillings and threepence, which added to five pounds and ninepence make five pounds feven fhillings. The expence of working the fathom will be I 8 0 2 6 The Taker or Tributor muft, therefore, have three doles out of nine, to get a livelihood. On the other hand, if a Copper Lode is wrought a three feet Gunnies wide, one foot of which is worth faving for Ore; allowing the whole Gunnies to turn up fifty kibbals of stuff, fixteen of them may produce one ton of Copper Ore worth fix pounds. Now the expence of working the fathom of Lode would be Drawing or raifing the broken ftuff or Lode In all LI ΙΟ 4 O 2 I O Which divided by fix, the quotient will be fix fhillings and tenpence, the money the Tributor ought to have in the pound fterling to gain bare wages. Again, |