170 Account of the Black-lead Mine, 
valley of Borrowdale, in the side of a steep 
hill facing the South East, and has been 
opened in different places where the wad had 
probably appeared at the surface; it has only 
been worked at intervals, and when a suffici- 
ent quantity was procured to answer the de- 
mand for a few years, the mine was strongly 
closed up till the stock was reduced. Bishop 
Nicholson who visited this mine in 1710, says, 
in a letter to Dr. Woodward, that ‘ on open- 
ing the old level in that year great discourage- 
ments appeared ; for no search having been 
made in thirty two years, they found that 
some pilfering interlopers had carried it on 
till they had lost it in the rock: but after a 
few days trial, a new belly was happily dis- 
covered before the forehead of the old man, 
which proved so rich, that in less than twenty- 
four hours they had filled several sacks with 
fine and clean washed mineral.” 
On opening one of the old workings in 1769, 
it was found to have been carried to a great 
extent, without the help of gunpowder; and 
this vein being pursued to the depth of one 
hundred yards and upwards, much inconve- 
nience was experienced in working it: to ob- 
viate which, in the year L798, an adit or le- 
vel was begun in the side of the hill, which, 
at the length of 220 yards, communicated 
