MINING OPERATIONS OF THE ROMANS. 7 



inineral fuel bave been found ; in some a störe of uncon- 

 sumed coal bas been met with, wbicb, tbougb intended to 

 give warmtb to tbe primeval occupants of tbe isthmus, bas 

 been burnt in tbe grates of tbe modern English. In several 

 places tbe sonrce wbence the mineral was procured can be 

 pointed out ; but tbe most extensive workings tbat I have 

 heard of are in the neighbourhood of Grindon Lake, near 

 Sewingsbields. Not long ago a sbaft was sunk, with a 

 view of procuring the coal, which was supposed to be 

 below the surface ; the projector soon found, that, although 

 coal had been there, it was all removed. The ancient 

 workings stretched beneath the bed of the lake. 



"In Allendale and Aiston Moor numerous masses of 

 ancient scorias have been found, wbicb must bave resulted 

 from the reduction of lead from its ore. In the Station of 

 Corchester portions of lead pipe have been found ; it is 

 an inch and a half in diameter, and has been formed by 

 bending round a flat strip of the metal and soldering the 

 Joint. 



"lron bas been produced in large quantities. In tbe 

 neighbourbood of Habitancum masses of iron slag have 

 been found. It is heavier than what proceeds from 

 modern furnaces, in consequence, probably of the imper- 

 fect reduction of the ore. In the neighbourhood of 

 Lancbester the process seems to have been carried on very 

 extensively. On the division of the common, two large 

 heaps were removed, the one containing about four hun- 

 dred cartloads of dross, the other six hundred. It was 

 used in the construction of some new roads, which were 

 then formed, a purpose for which it was admirably adapted. 

 In the neighbourhood of one of these heaps of scoria?, the 

 iron tongs represented in plate I, flg. 1, so much re- 

 eembling those at present used by blacksmiths, was 



