﻿24 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 78 



reason that has brought disaster to a large proportion of Hke attempts 

 elsewhere, namely, the badly jointed condition of the stone — its dry 

 seams and like defects that prevent the getting out of pieces of 

 more than moderate dimensions. Nevertheless, in the museums and 

 art galleries are frequently to be found turned bowls, vases, urns, 

 and stands for busts, of good design and color, the work of these 

 earlier years. A very considerable souvenir industry still exists. 

 To be counted by the score are the little shops in Kynance. Penzance 

 and elsewhere where the natives work up small pieces into objects 

 more or less — usually less — artistic, but always interesting for the 

 variegated veining and for their colors. One can but regret that an 

 arrangement cannot be made whereby with larger means better work 

 could be done. 



For the tourist, the approach to Kynance is by bus from Penzance, 

 a delightful little town, ancient but now becoming popular, though 

 one may hope not fashionable. 



A few miles eastward are the historic tin workings of Cornwall 

 now largely discontinued owing to the increasing depth and low 

 grade of the ores. The countrv is at best bleak, and the miles of 

 stone-walled abandoned j^its and ruined shaft-houses, often with 

 little more than chimney standing, add to its picturesqueness but not 

 to its beautv. 



GEM CUTTING IN OBERSTEIN-IDAR, GERMANY 



The towns of the Xahe Valley are not large. Indeed, there is not 

 room in the narrow valley for large towns, and whatever attempts 

 are made to attain greater dimensions must end only in increase in 

 length. Doubtless the little stream has done and is doing its best, 

 but geological processes are slow. The work that has thus far been 

 accomplished is more in the way of depth than breadth. So narrow is 

 the resultant valley that there is, for the most part, space for but a 

 single street, along which the houses are jammed back against the 

 solid ledges of rock which rise abruptly behind them. 



The geological history of the region is interesting, and inasmuch 

 as it is this that has given the towns their industry and importance, 

 it may be briefly touched upon. 



Very many years ago, so long ago that it can be approximated only 

 in the rough divisions of geological time, there occurred here an 

 enormous outbreak of volcanic activity. Huge steaming masses of 

 lava flowed out over the region and in time became consolidated into 

 the solid rock now forming the high hills on either side and down 



