1813.] Mineralogical Observations on Cornwall. 353 



pay the expense of the process. The ore, after the water is 

 drawn oft", may be washed in the manner at present practised. 



The names by which the Cornish mines are distinguished are 

 usually contrived by the first adventurers, and are often whim- 

 sical enough. The term hitel (pronounced will), prefixed to 

 every mine, is said in the Cornish language to signify a mine : 

 the other name is taken from some accidental circumstance or 

 other. Thus Dolkoath was the name of an old woman (Dorothy 

 Koath) who lived upon the spot where the mine began working. 

 Huel Alfred was named by Mr. Jenkins after his son Alfred 

 Jenkins. Huel Providence was so called from the accidental 

 way in which the vein was discovered. 



1 cannot terminate this sketch without noticing the roads in 

 Devonshire' and Cornwall. They are by far the worst which I 

 have seen in any part ot Great Britain, and are very disgraceful 

 to both counties. The road from Dorchester to Exeter is, I 

 presume, very old. The great object seems to have been to get 

 upon every possible hill ; and the country is so hilly that the 

 whole road, with very little interval, consists in steep ascents and 

 descents. Horses cannot possibly drag half a load upon it. No 

 great skill would be necessary to construct a road between Dor- 

 chester and Exeter almost perfectly level. Why this is not done 

 is not easy to conceive. The counties of Dorset and Devon 

 would soon pay the expense in the difference of the loads which 

 could be carried from place to place, and in the greater ease 

 with which the level road could be kept in repair. These obser- 

 vations apply with double force to the road between Plymouth 

 and Falmouth, many parts of which are a<= badly constructed as 

 it is possible for them to be. In a country where the internal 

 communication is so great as in England, it is amazing to see so 

 long and important a line of road so much neglected. 



Article VI. 



An Account of the Explosion of Inflamviahle Air which very 

 lately <>< i lined in the Hall l J it at Fatjicld. Drawn up for 

 the " Annals of Philosophy." 



I PROMISED in my account of the accident which occurred in 

 the Collingwood Main Colliery, which you have inserted in the 

 la^t Number of your excellent Journal, that you should hear 

 from me again upon the subject of explosions in coal-mines; 

 but 1 did D01 expect that it would so soon have fallen to \rw lot 

 to record a i accident of greater importance, from the number 

 of lives which were lo t, than that of the Collingwood Main 



Vol. II. .V V. Z 



