ISO Geological Soc'icUj. 



William Blake, Esq. F.R.S. 

 J. G. Children, Esq. F.R. 



and L.S. 

 Samuel Davis, Esq. F.R.S. 

 James Franck, M.D. 

 G. B. Greenough, Esq. F.R. 



and L.S. 



James Laird, M.I>. 

 James Parkinson, Esq-. 

 Sniithson Tennant, Esq. 



F.R.S. 

 Hen.Warburton,E'?q.F.R.S.-. 

 Wm. Hvde Wollaston,M.D. 



Sec. R.S. 



Keeper of the Museum and Dravghtsman. 

 Mr. Ttiomas Webster. 

 Feb. 19th. The President in the chair. John Bostock, 

 ■M.D. and Thomas Stewart Trail, M.D. of Liverpool, were 

 elected members of the Society. 



A paper by John Taylor, Esq, M.G.S. on the Gi;cono<- 

 my of the Mines of Cornwall and Devon was read. 

 The subjecis treated of in this paper are : 



I. The nature of the agreements between the owner of 

 the soil and the mine adventurers. 



II. The arrangements between the partners or adventurers 

 themselves, and the system of control and management 

 appointed by them. 



III. The mode of employing and paying the miners and 

 workmen, in use among the agents of the principal con- 

 cerns. 



IV. The purchase of materials for carrying on the under- 

 taking. 



V. The sale of the ores from the mine adventurers to 

 the smelting companies. 



1. The regulations of the stannary laws refer only to 

 mines of tin : hence the search after and working lodes of 

 copper, lead, and other metals, is left open to such condi- 

 tions as the adventurers and the lord of the soil can mu- 

 tually agree upon. Jn general the lord grants a lease for 

 twenty-one years, determinable, however, at any time, on 

 his part, if the mine should not be effectually worked. In 

 return he requires a certain proportion, varying according 

 to circumstances from an eighth to a thirty-second part, 

 of the ore, to be delivered to him on the mine in a mer- 

 chantable state, or its value in money. He stipulates for 

 a power of inspecting the works at all times, and binds the 

 adventurers to maintain and have at any determination of 

 their grant all the shafts, adils, and levels perfect, and in- 

 good condition as to timbering. 



2. The adventurers divide the whole concern into sixty- 

 four shares, which they share among themselves, and those 

 N^ho are allowed to join them, in various proportions. At 



the 



