26 PAPERS, ETC. 



miles above Conway, and, as Pennant observes, " was 

 probably smelted from the ore of the Snowdon Hills, 

 where of late years much has been raised." This cake is 

 still preserved at Mostyn Hall, Flintshire, being in the 

 possession of the Rt. Hon. Lord Mostyn. An engraving 

 of it may be seen in Gough's edition of Camden, vol. in., 

 p. 190, pl. ix., fig. 13. 



The same author (Pennant) describes some of the 

 implements found in ancient mines, and refers them to 

 the Roman times. He also says that " miners often dis- 

 cover the marks of fire in ancient mines."* This seems to 

 agree with the Statement of Pliny, that fire was used in 

 breaking the rocks in order to extract the metallic veins. 



These remarks of Mr. Pennant are confirmed and illus- 

 trated by the recent observations of the Hon. William 

 Owen Stanley. The old workings had been broken into 

 at Llandudno, near the Great Ormes Head. Part of a 

 stag's hörn, which had probably served as a handle, and 

 portions of two bronze picks were found. In another 

 ancient working of considerable extent were found a 

 number of stone mauls of various sizes, described as weigh- 

 ing from about 2 Ib to 40 fb, and rudely fashioned, having 

 been all, as thoir appearance suggested, used for breaking, 

 pounding, or detaching the copper ore from the rock. 

 "These primitive implements," says Mr. Stanley, ^are 

 similar to the water-worn stones or boulders found on the 

 sea-beach at Penmaen MaAvr, from which, very probably, 

 those most suitable for the purpose might have been 

 selected." He describes one in particular, found at 

 Ami weh Parys mine, in Anglesea : " It is of hard ba3alt, 

 about a foot long, and evidently chipped at the extremity 

 in the Operation of breaking other stony or mineral 



* Pennant's Tours in Wales, ed. London, 1810, 8vo., vol. I., p. 73. 



