powerful air into the caftle; which, at the fame time that it fmelts the Tin, forces it out also through a hole at the bottom of the castle, about four inches high, and one inch and a half wide, into a moorstone trough fix feet and a half high, and one foot wide, called the Float; whence it is laded into leffer troughs or moulds, each of which contains about three hundred of Metal, called Slabs, Blocks, or Pieces of Tin, in which fize and form it is fold in every market in Europe; and on account of its fuperior quality is known by the name of Grain Tin, which brought a price formerly of feven fhillings, that is further advanced, the last two or three years, to ten or twelve fhillings

hundred more than Mine Tin is fold for, because it is smelted from a pure Mineral by a charcoal fire; whereas Mine Tin is ufually corrupted with fome portion of Mundick, and other Minerals, and is always fmelted with a bituminous fire, which communicates a harsh fulphureous injurious quality to the

Metal.

CHA P. III.

Of Bounds and the Manner of taking a Set or Grant for Mining; of Sinking of Shafts, Driving of Adits, Digging and Raising of Ores, and Working the Mines, &c.

P

REVIOUS to the working of a Tin Mine, a Grant or liberty must first be procured from the lord of the soil, if it is in Several and not bounded; but if the ground is in Waftrel and bounded, no liberty from the lord is neceffary, but from the Bounder only. Thefe Bounds are limited portions or pieces of land, enjoyed by the owners of them in respect of Tin only; and by virtue of an ancient prescription or liberty for encouragement to the Tinners. They are limited by holes cut in the turf, and the foil turned back upon the turf which is cut, in form of a mole hill, and directly facing another of the like kind; these are called Corners of the Bounds, containing fometimes an acre, fometimes more, and often lefs. By drawing ftraight lines from the Corners, the extent of these Bounds is determined; in like manner as in geometry, by drawing ftraight lines from three or four points, the extent of a triangular or quadrangular superficies is known.

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 muft firft give three months notice of his intention in the Stannary court, and to the lord, for him to fhew cause why it shall 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 least 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 sometimes little to the lord of the foil, who has a fifteenth part of all that rifes, which is fome compenfation for his loss.

It may be very difficult to ascertain 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 custom, 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 firft, A. D. 1305; it was then thought good for "the Tynners to procure by charter from the prince, freely to “granté unto them libertye to digg and fearch 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 expreffly 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 manuscript 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 alfo 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 searcher. (Plow. Com. Pearce's Stannary Laws; Sir John Doddridge.)

Without determining when a custom 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 prescriptive forms, it must have been kept separate 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 described, which have exifted from their firft adoption to the prefent 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 thofe cuftomary tenures, for the encouragement of fearching for Tin, was laudable and wife; but the late increase of Tin and discovery of Lodes, together with the present improvements in Mining, very much diminish the neceffity of this kind of encouragement. On the contrary, from