OF ORES AND COALS. 119 



per. Stones, charged with this metal, in fpots and veins, are 

 often found on the more of the river Coquet, and the alpine 

 brooks of that neighbourhood. 



On the weft fide of Kimmer-lake, near Eglingham, there has 

 been another copper-work ; the veftiges of it very fair in a hil- 

 lock of flag covered over with grafs, of the very fame kind as 

 that near Ridley s. On the Ihore of the rivulet of Eramijh^ and 

 on the fides of the hills .above fngram, there are large mafles of 

 a light brown flone, charged with this metal, in flakes and fpots.- 



The Saxons and Danes in this country were too much perplexed 

 by wars and inteftme and civil broils to have any fuch works. 

 And even for fome time after the conqueft by the Normans, we 

 find that mines on the northern borders were very rare. There 

 were fo few in the reign of King Edward III. that the governor of 

 Berwick upon Tweed, 1 356, was obliged to have minemen from 

 the foreft of Dean, and the moreibuthern parts, to aflifl him in 

 retaking the town from the Scots (d). Iron-works in the preced- 

 ing reign, 10 King Edward II. were fo fcarce, that the Scots in a 

 predatory expedition in that year, met with none worth their 

 notice till they came to Furnefs, in LancaJIrire, where they feized 

 all the manufactured iron they could find, and carried it off with 

 eager joy, though fo heavy a carriage, and preferred it to all 

 other plunder 



The Romant were as well acquainted with our pit-coal, as with 

 our ores and metals. In digging up fome of the foundations of 

 .their walled city, Magna, or Caervorroa, 1762, coal-cinders, fonv. 



Hoi. Chron. Vol. u. p. 386. (e) Id. p. 323. 



vei ' 



