232 A TOUR ROUND NORTH WALES, 



cefs, began a like adventure, which has 

 alfo fucceeded beyond the moft fanguine. 

 expectations of the time. 



The bed of ore, which is of unknown 

 extent, is in fome places twenty-four yards 

 in thicknefs, and the proprietors are faic} , 

 to raife annually from fix to feven thoufand 

 tons of merchantable ore. This is worth 

 from three to fix pounds a ton, and an 

 idea of the wealth of thefe mines may be 

 formed, when it is known, that the Macr 

 clesfield Company have had fourteen thou- 

 fand, and Mr. Hughes thirty thoufand tons 

 upon the bank at the fame time.* The 

 number of hands employed are upwards of 

 a thoufand. 



The ore is got from the mine partly by 

 picking and partly by blafting, after which 

 it is broken with hammers into fmall pieces 

 by women and children armed with iron 



* Pennant's Tour, II. 266, 267, 268. 



gloves. 



