358 “Sketch of the Hiflory of 
general knowledge, at Jeaft, of praétical mineralogy, che- 
miftry, mechantes, hydraulics, &ce., and fuch a knowledge 
of principles as might lead to improvements in the practical 
part of ms bufinefs. It would be unreafonable to expe& to 
find thefe qualifications general at prefent, but the exifiing 
¥gnorance might furely be foon removed, if, the attention of 
men of fcience being turned to the fubject, they would take 
“pains to point out to the praétical miner the improvements 
ef which his operations are fufceptible. 
If it be true, as was afferted in the number of the Philo- 
fophical Magazine for February laft, ** that the pooreft mine 
in Cornwall is worked at a greater expence than the richeft 
one on the Continent,” much is to be done; although to 
work a mine rich or poor to the fame extent muft require 
the fame expence.. From my own experience I cannot af- 
fent to what is afierted, in the fame paragraph, of the cap- 
tains or directors of the Cornith mines; I can bear teftimony 
to there being among them men of ability, obfervation, and 
liberality ; of all the prefent practical knowledge of the fub- 
jeét many of them are perfect mafters, and have not often, 
I think, that defire of excluding interference which is in1- 
puted to them. 
Mining is a fubjeCt requiring ftudy, and deferving the at- 
tention of the philofopher, as it tends to unveil fome of the 
molt hidden procefles of Nature, and to anfwer important 
ends to Society. On the Continent many of the moft emi- 
nent men have not thought it beneath them to undertake 
the management of mines; and to this it is fair to impute 
the capital manner in which fome foreign mines are reported 
to be conducted, 
‘Tt muft afford pleafure to know that of late years many 
improvements in mining, as well as in moft other arts con- 
nected with or depending on the feiences, have taken place ; 
and both the difcovery of the ores, and their treatment after 
being brought to the furface, is, in moft refpects, carried on 
with greater certainty and {kill, and confequently more profit. 
It may afford fome amufement to attend a little to the hife 
tary of this fource of the moft ancient traffic of our ifland, 
and the cayfe, probably, of much of our civilization, it having 
, attracted, 
