HKTURN TO ENGLAND. 277 



for explanations, received a rehearsal, word for word, 

 of the school-book rule for such extractions, which 

 threw no more light on his understanding than did 

 his own self-made rule on the writer's comprehension, 

 though both methods produced nearly the same result. 



Within a month of that time he heard of the arrival 

 in England of Mr. Gerard, his companion in travel, 

 from whom he had separated at Carthagena. 



" MY DEAR GOOD SlK, " HAYLE FOUNDRY, 15th November, 1827. 



" I cannot express the extreme pleasure that the receipt 

 of your favour of the llth inst. from Liverpool gave me, as I 

 had almost given up hopes of ever seeing you again, which you 

 will see from the letters that I wrote Mr. Lowe; and after the 

 severe rubs that we have undergone together, the parting us by 

 shipwreck, as I supposed, at the close of our hardships, I doubly 

 felt, and from your long absence, I supposed you must have 

 encountered some severe gales ; but thank God that we are safe 

 landed to meet you and the dear boys again soon. We had a 

 very good passage home, six days from Carthagena to Jamaica, 

 and thirty-four days from fhence for England ; and on my 

 return was so fortunate as to join all my family in good health, 

 and also welcomed home by all the neighbourhood by ringing 

 of bells, and entertained at the tables of the county and borough 

 members, and all the first-class of gentlemen in the west of 

 Cornwall, with a provision about to be made for me for the past 

 so- vices that this county has received from my inventions just 

 before I left for Peru, which they acknowledge to be a saving 

 in the mines since I left of above 500,000/., and that the present 

 existence of the deep mines is owing to my inventions. I con- 

 fess that this reception is gratifying, and have no doubt but 

 that you will also feel a pleasure in it. I should be extremely 

 happy to see you down here; it is but thirty-six hours' ride, 

 and it will prepare you for meeting your London friends, as I 

 would take you through our mines and introduce you to the 

 first mining characters, which will give you new ideas and 

 enable you to make out a prospectus that will show the great 

 VOL. II. U 



