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A Nutshell of Knowledge Concerning the Mine
A Nutshell of Knowledge Concerning the Mine Author:Isaac Taylor Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3quantity, that orders were sent over from the Portuguese government, to decrease the number of hands employed in searching for them ; lest their abundance should make them quite common thi... more »ngs, and, by lowering the price of those already brought over, spoil the trade." TIN. CORNWALL. " We have come over rather a dreary country," said James. " I don't much like those barren moors of Cornwall. What a continual up and down it was ! There seemed to be no end to the hills ; and they were all so wild, rugged, and bleak!" " Every county in England has its specific character. Many smiling vales there are, rich in pasture and in grain ; and many woody hills, with their dense darkness or thin light foliage flaunting against the blue sky, in the most picturesque manner; but, in general, we must not among such scenery expect to find mines underground. We are come in quest of subterraneous treasures; and these bleak unsightly moors promise well for our gratification." James.—"And how strong the wind was, Papa! Yet I saw in some of the valleys beautiful myrtles in full blossom; such as we can hardly rear in our greenhouses." " We are now near St. Austle: our immediate object are the Tin Mines at Polgooth, about two miles distant." "What a number of mines are here!" said James; " if one may judge from the steam engines." " Yes. There are between twenty and thirty now in use. The descent into them is called textit{a shaft; and above fifty shafts may be counted; though they are not all worked at the present day." " What are those taJl buildings for ?" " Those are the engine-houses. Water is always very troublesome in these mines. Sometimes, the workmen pierce a passage from the bottom of the mines, sloping downwards, to let the water off; this is called an textit{adit, and is often the work o...« less