this impreffion by a hammer, in like manner as was anciently done to render money current, is coining the Tin, and the man who does it is called the Hammer Man. The arms of Condorus, laft carl of Cornwall of British blood, (Temp. W. I.) were Sable 15 Bezants (5,4,3,2,1) in pale Or. Richard, king of the Romans, carl of Cornwall, fon to king John, threw thefe Bezants into a border round the bearing of the earl of Poitou: he bore therefore argent, a Lion Rampant Gules, crowned Or within a bordure garnished with Bezants: and this ftill continues the duchy feal. Befides this impreffion, the Tin bears that alfo of the particular houfe where it was fmelted, which I have mentioned in my laft chapter, in order that if there be any deceit ufed in the Tin by any foul mixture (making a pye as they call it, by putting hard heads, &c. in the middle, and lading the Tin to cover the cheat, that it may efcape the aflayers notice, which has formerly happened) their roguery may be the more eafily detected. The credulous believe, that by the old Stannary laws, the perfon convicted of fuch adulteration and fraudulency was to have three fpoonfulls of melted Tin poured down his throat; a punishment that would effectually fecure him from a repetition of the fame act. Befides the foregoing officers of the coinage, there are numerators to fet down the number of blocks coined every quarter, together with the fmelting-house numbers, and the weight of each block, all which are carefully registered, that no mistake fhall happen, or difpute arife between the revenue officers and the owners of the Tin, or between the latter and the purchasers, the initials of the original proprietors names being likewife ftamped on every block. If we extend our examination to the exportation of Tin, we fhall find that the ancient inhabitants had greatly the advantage of us in this particular. The induftrious republicans of Africa fought our Tin with an ardour equal to what we discover in fetching gold duft from the fhores of that continent; and the coafting voyage they were obliged to perform from their ignorance of the loadftone, was attended with more delays and hazard than has been experienced fince in the circumnavigation of the world. But let us turn our eyes to the reverse of this picture: poffeffed of a numerous and, frequently, ftarving poor, with the advantage of a harbour, the fecond in point of fize and fafety in the whole ifland, yet where is there a fingle manufactory of Tin ware among us? The inftances have been 1 very rare also, of a direct exportion of Block or Bar Tin to Holland, Turkey, or even to America: on the contrary it is fhipped for the port of London, and double commiffion and infurance is the neceffary confequence; at the fame time that those cargoes which are configned to the Mediterranean or American markets must repafs our coafts, and run a risk of being caft on their native fhore. There is one confideration more, that I fhall beg leave to mention; and the inattention is fo great, that, were it not for the poor labourer whose bread depends on the price of his Tin, it would make me diveft myfelf of compailion for every other perfon concerned either as land-holder or adventurer. The confignments of Tin on commiffion for foreign markets have fallen, by I know not what infatuation, into the hands of the pewterer in London. His intereft in keeping down the price of Block Tin, must infinitely exceed any degree of percentage he could expect on his commiffion for exportation. By this means he is enabled to dictate to his principals; and fix the price of the commodity to his own ftandard. It would be wafting time to dwell on this fubject. I should gladly have drawn a veil over it, to spare the difgraceful inference that must naturally arise on the bare mention of it but as all things have an end, fo there must be some period to the strongest degree of lethargy; and fome efforts a few years back made me hope, the gentlemen of the Mining districts would not have wanted any fhaking to awaken them. But thefe efforts, from the little attention paid to the real state of the Tin trade, will hardly be fufficient to convince the unprejudiced, that they were fully awake. TABLE S, |