364 Sketch of the Hiflory of > 
live in the prefeat more enlightened period, are now reaping 
profits left to them by the ignorance of their forefathers. 
This proves of what confequence it is to determine, if poffi- 
ble, the value of all the fubftances pafling under the miner’s 
obfervation. 
Copper, however, was probably worked at a remote period in 
Wales, at the Parys mountain, which indeed is fuppofed to de- 
rive its name from the Celtic word praas, brafs or precious me- 
tal; and this would offer a proof of its having been worked 
by the ancient Britons. It was not attended to, or at leaft 
not well underftood, in England, till the reign of Queen Eli- 
zabeth, who paid great attention to the mines of the king- 
dom, and, by granting great privileges to Daniel Hough- 
fetter, Chrifiopher Schutz, and other Germans whom fhe 
invited into England, commenced and eftablifhed the highly 
valuable and important bufinefs of finding and purifying this 
ufeful metal. ‘To thefe foreigners, too, is owing the flourifh- 
ing ftate of our brafs manufactorics. In this reign Parys 
mine was granted to patentees, but was not worked, at leaft 
to any advantage, for a century and a half. 
The copper mines of Cornwail now are works of great 
magnitude, and fome have been funk to an amazing depth, 
and are kept working at a vaft expence. The quantity of 
materials conftantly ufed forms an extenfive commerce te 
this part of the kingdom ; and this, as wefl as the mines 
themfelves, gives employment to numbers, 
The other metals are not found in Cornwall in great 
abundance. Lead, with filver contained in the ore, is found 
in fome places; and in Devonfhire, on the borders of this 
county, a very large mine at Bere afforded galena very rich 
in filver. It was formerly worked as a royal mine, but after- 
wards lay idle a long time. It has fince been feebly tried 
but though a fteam-engine was on it, they could not go fo 
deep as it had been before funk without more power to draw 
the water, and not finding much valuable return, the mine 
has been lately ftopped again. Veins af lead ore fometimes 
~ fun with copper lodes. ; 
Tron is found-in fome places, but not in large quanti- 
ties; and coals being diftant, it will not repay the calt of pro+ 
curing. 
The 
