"^SaJalfts at ©'onfoton. 159 



something like two thousand years. Nor need we suppose 

 any intermission throughout this long period — unless it be 

 one at the time of Oliver Cromwell, when Sir Daniel Flem- 

 ing, the proprietor, becoming mixed up with the troubles of 

 the age, caused the mines to be closed for a few years. After 

 the restoration, however, operations were resumed and con- 

 tinued with varying energy and profit, until the advent of the 

 present management. At that period, the number of miners 

 had dwindled down to two or three men working on their 

 own account ; but, since then, matters have been very diifer- 

 ent. For upwards of twenty years the mines have kept several 

 hundreds of people in constant employment, and have made 

 very large returns to the present enterprising company. 



^ Formerly, most of the operations were carried out by what 

 are called * tribute-workers,' the workmen giving a certain 

 portion of what they raised to the proprietary. Under this 

 system some of them realized large sums. But, for 

 several years, nearly all the underground work has been 

 done by bargain, a party of men undertaking to excavate a 

 given number of fathoms in a certain locality, and in an 

 assigned direction, at so much per fathom, and the results of 

 their labours being brought out by waggons along the levels, 

 or horizontal workings, and by ' kibbles' — a kind of large 

 strong bucket — up the shafts. 



* High up the mountain side, you may notice a solitary 

 water-wheel, which, from having nothing visible from below 

 near to it, appears to be spinning away like a child's toy 

 mill, without aim or object. It is at the top of the main 

 shaft, and is employed in hoisting those kibbles to horse- 

 level — a part of the mine so called because the ore is there 

 drawn out by horses. That wheel was, some years ago, the 

 scene of a terrible casualty. It was noticed that the man in 

 charge of it — a respectable old man named Millican — was 



