Mining in Devon and Cornwall. 359 
attracted, long ago, the vifits of other more enlightened 
nations. 
The tin, of Britain was known in diftant parts of the world 
at a very remote ‘period. It is generally believed that the 
Pheenicians were the nation principally engaged in trading 
with Britain for this article. Tin works were certainly car- 
ried on before iron was in ufe in England. Many tools of 
oak are now found which tradition among the tinners make 
to have belonged to the Saxons or Danes ; but it is probable, 
for the reafon before ftated, that they were employed before 
the time of their having a footing in this country. 
The greateft quantity of tin was formerly, it is afferted, 
found on the foreft of Dartmoor, in the county of Devon; 
and works to a vaft extent muft have been carried on there, 
if it be true, as we are told, that thirty thoufand men found 
employment upon this tract; for all the miners now in Corn- 
wall do not amount to more than ten thoufand. It is, how- 
ever, to be confidered, that in the ancient mode of working, 
without the aid of machinery, many more hands muft have 
been neceflary than at prefent—I fhould think more than in 
the proportion of three to one. All thefe works on Dart- 
moor were only on or near the furface: now, however, the 
lodes * or veins of tin found on this diftriét are not valuable 
enough, or do not continue to fuch a depth as to make them 
very profitable to work. 
’ Almoft all the tin procured in former ages was probably 
from. fiream-works, in bottoms or low grounds, where frag- 
ments of the ore, wafhed from the Jodes in the neighbouring 
hills, fubfide, and are feparated from the earth in a granu- 
lated form by wafhing. This, of courfe, is obtained without . 
any fubterranean work. In fuch fituations as thefe probably 
metals were firft difcovered, mixed merely with the upper 
foil, or lodging in. clefts of rocks. Thus is gold found in 
America, in Africa, in the county of Wicklow in Ireland, 
and fo has it been occafionally difcovered in Cornwall; and 
veins or lodes of this metal might doubtlefs be found near 
the places where fuch depofitions are met with. 
The tracing and following lodes of ores into the earth is a 
* The name given in Cornwall to veins in which ore is found, 
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