E. Estimate of the number of Mines in Cornwall, of the different kinds of ore they contain, and of their relative ages.
Most of the data on which the facts comprehended in this paragraph are founded, I obtained from a MS map of the mines of Cornwall, executed by Mr. William Phillips in the year 1800. This map is very interesting, and ably executed in all respects, but there are several omissions in it, which may be easily accounted for, as the state of the mines varies from year to year. Old workings are given up, and new mines are daily opening; what follows therefore is to be understood in a relative and not in an absolute sense.
Without taking into account the tin stream-works already mentioned, and the mines of soap-stone, which is a particular object of itself, there were about the year 1800, ninety-nine mines worked in Cornwall.[1]
Of these, there were forty-five of copper, twenty-eight of tin, eighteen of copper and tin, two of lead, one of lead and silver, one of copper and silver, one of silver, one of copper and cobalt, one of tin and cobalt, and one of antimony. To which we may now add, some mines of manganese which were not worked at that time.
Of the copper mines, eleven are in the parish of Gwennap alone, six in that of St. Agnes, five in Camborne, four in Gwinear, the same number in St. Hillary, three in Germoe, Crowan and Illogan, and two in St. Neot. The other mines are scattered singly in parishes more or less distant from each other.
Of the tin mines, seven are in the parish of St. Agnes, four in Wendron, three in Gulval, two in Lelant, Redruth, and Perranzabuloe, and only one in the parish of Gwennap, where most of the copper veins are found.
- ↑ According to Mr. Phillips's map.
