2 PAPERS, ETC. 



Göttingen, aided by the munificence of the King of West- 

 phalia, offered a prize for the best essay on this very topic. 

 The result was that the prize was divided betvveen two 

 students of that faculty, Bethe and Koloff, whose disser- 

 tations — " De Antiqua? Hispaniae Ke Metallica " — were 

 published, and now afford the most valuable Information. 

 At this mornent Dr. Thurnam, of Devizes, has in the press 

 a portion of his great work on British Ethnology, in which 

 this matter is treated with learning and diligence not to 

 be surpassed. He has generously communicated to rae 

 what he has written. I therefore proceed to offer a few 

 remarks on Koman mining in general, and shall then 

 endeavour to trace it through this country. 



All mines were the property of the state. Like the 

 salines, or salt-works, these were either kept by the 

 govcrnment in its own hands, or were let to individuals 

 for a rent or royalty. Many thousand persons were 

 employed in them, being principally slaves or condemned 

 malefactors.* 



Criminals were condemned to the mines, either for life, 

 or for a term of years, according to the nature of the 

 crime. Females, as well as males, were liable to this 

 punishment ; but, probably, they were required to do the 

 lighter work, such as breaking the ore after it had been 

 brought to the surface of the ground.f 



The retention of mines by Government may account for 

 the inscription found on pigs of lead, such as 



IMP. HADRIANI AUG. 



in the genitive case, showing that they belonged to the 



* Bulenger, Be Vectigalibws Pop. Romemi, cap. 22 ; in Grsevii Thes., vol. 

 viii., p. 871. Smitl.'s Biet, of Gr. and Roman Antiquities, Vectigalia, § 5. 



t Titus Pompa, Be Operis Servonim, in Polenus, Supplein, in Thes. 

 vol. in., p. 1869. 



