MIN 



*573 



M I N 



Miiorca. Red coral is found in great quantities on the shores ; 



"""v- 1 ^ and sometimes the fishers bring up large pieces of white 

 coral in their nets. Fossils and shells are numerous. 



The wild animals of the island are chiefly hares, rab- 

 bits, and hedge-hogs ; but birds of different species are 

 \ t ry numerous. The fish around the coast is abundant 

 in all seasons, and of excellent quality. Oysters, and 

 ther kinds of shell-fish, are also plentiful and good. 

 Horses are sufficiently common ; but mules and asses 

 , are chief) v used in riding. The mules are very hand- 

 some ; and some of them are not less than sixteen hands 

 high. The ass also is of a large breed, and by good 

 management is rendered a very tractable animal. The 

 other domestic animals are horned cattle, sheep, goats, 

 and pigs, of which last considerable numbers are reared 



Crop*. '" tne island. The principal crops are wheat, barley, 

 and a little maize ; but fruit of every kind is very plen- 

 tiful. The olive trees grow spontaneously ; but the 

 fruit is used more for pickles, than making oil. Both 

 red and white wines are made from the grapes. 



y, f The inhabitants of Minorca have no manufactures 



or articles of commerce ; but might easily produce for 

 exportation, u well as for their own use, cotton, flax, 

 oil, saffron, and quantities of excellent fruit. Their 



Commerce, export* consist chiefly of a little wool and cheese, to 

 the value of L.2,500 sterling per annum ; wax, wine, 

 honey, and salt, to the annual value of above L.I 7,000. 

 The imports are, corn, rice, sugar, coffee, brandy, to- 

 bacco, spice*, linen, fine cloths, pitch, cordage, and 

 some articles of furniture. The island is provided with 

 the finest harbours in the world, particularly those of 

 Fornella, and Port Mahon, which are capable of con- 

 taining the largest fleets. 



TowBfc The island is divided into four districts or terminos ; 



and the principal towns are, Ciudadella, Mahon, Ala- 

 yor, Ferarias, and Mercadel. Ciudadella, the capital, 

 situated to the north-west, with a small harbour, is a 

 very ancient place, tolerably fortified, and containing 

 about 700 houses. Mahon, which is now th<> principal 

 town, is situated on a rocky promontory, very difficult of 

 access from the land-aide, and defended by Fort St. 

 Philip, formerly of great strength, but of late complete- 

 ly demolished by the Spanish government. Alayor, 

 about half-way between Mahon and Ciudadella, is to- 

 lerably well built, and is chiefly remarkable for the 

 sculpture and paintings which decorate the interior of 

 its church, and which are the works of a self-taught 

 artist, a native of Majorca. The other two towns are 

 mean villages in the central district of the island. The 

 whole population of the island is estimated at 30,000. 



Vttitrv The inhabitants are a quiet, race. They still preserve 

 among them the skilful use of the sling, for which their 

 ancestors were renowned. They are remarkably at- 

 tached to their religious ceremonies, and delight in 

 pilgrimages and processions. The dress of the men 

 resembles that of Majorca ; but that of the women is 

 rather peculiar. They have very long waists, and 

 short full petticoats. They wear a piece of mus- 

 lin or crape under the chin, rising on each side of 

 the face till it join a handkerchief drawn tight across 

 the forehead. Over the head is a large piece of 

 muslin hanging down like a cloak ; and sometime- 

 they have red mantles tied behind with yellow ribband, 

 under which their hair, tied close at the neck, hangs 

 down like a horse's tail. One of their strangest prac- 

 tices is their mode of churning, which is done by a 

 woman holding by two pegs in the wall to keep her- 

 self steady, while with one foot naked she stamps in a 

 tub of cream, till it becomes butter. The possession of 

 Minorca is considered as highly important to the British 

 VOL. xir. PART u. 



navy in the Mediterranean. See Laborde's Travels in Minorca 

 Spain, vol. iii.; Williams' I'oyage up the Mediterranean; 

 and Armstrong's Natural History of Minorca, (q.) 



MINOS. See CRETE. Vol. vii. p. 332. 



MINSTREL. See BAUD, DRAMA, and POETRY. 



MINT, is a word used to denote the place where 

 the king's money is coined. In our article COINING 

 MACHINEKY, vol. vi. p. ~lp. we have already given 

 some account of the English mint, and of the old as 

 well as the new machinery used for the purposes of 

 coinage. We shall, therefore, confine our attention at 

 present to a short notice respecting the mints of Eng- 

 land and Scotland, and conclude the article with an ac- 

 count of Mr. Barton's new machine for equalizing the 

 thickness of slips of metals, which has been introdu- 

 ced into the mint since our article on COINING MACHI- 

 NERY was published. 



English Mint. 



The early history of the English mint is involved in English 

 much obscurity. At a very early period, mints and Mint, 

 exchanges were established in various parts of England. 

 In A. D. 928, Athelstane established rules for the regu- 

 lation of the mints. He enacted, that only one kind 

 of coin should be current, and he granted to different 

 towns a number of moneyers, in proportion to their 

 size, and one moneyer to all burghs of inferior note. 

 When any alteration took place upon the coins, the 

 dies were issued to these mints, for which a regular fee 

 was paid by the moneyers, besides their annual rent. 



In the 18th year of Edward II. a considerable change 

 took place. He appointed a master, warden, comptrol- 

 ler, king's and master's assay master, and king's clerk, 

 with several inferior officers, and this constitution con- 

 tinued with but few changes till the year 1815. 



In 17! IS a committee was appointed to consider the 

 establishment and constitution of his Majesty's mint, 

 and the result of this appointment was the erection of a 

 new mint, with highly improved machinery, between 

 1805 and 1810. 



In 1814 Mr. Wellesiey Pole was appointed master 

 of the mint, and drew up a report relative to its con- 

 stitution, which was introduced in March 1815. The 

 following is a list of the principal officers. 



1. Deputy matter and warden. 9. Chief engineer. 



2. King'i asaayer. 10. Weigher and teller. 



1 1. Surveyor of melting*. 



1 2. Surveyor of the money presses. 



13. Probationer auayer. 

 It. Mister's second clerk. 



15. Assistant engraver. 



16. Mint or bullion porter. 



1 7. Warden of the mint. 



18. Stamper of money weights. 



1 9. Solicitor of the mint, &c. 



Comptroller. 



4. Superintendent of machin- 

 ery and clerk ot the irons. 

 3. King's clerk and clerk of 



the papers. 

 G Master's assaycr. 

 7. Master's Hist clerk & miller. 

 H. Frorost and company of mo- 



neren. 



Our limits will not permit us to enter into any detail 

 respecting the duties of these various officers and the 

 regulations to which they are subject; details, indeed, 

 which cannot be supposed to possess a higher interest 

 than those which relate to any other great manufactory. 

 Our readers, however, will find the fullest information 

 on this and all other subjects connected with the mint, 

 in the Rev. Roger Rudding's Annalt of the Coinage of 

 Great Britain and iti Dtpendanciet, in 5 vols. 4to. 



Scotliitt Mint. 



The early history of the Scottish mint is very ob- Scottish 

 scure. It consisted probably of very simple appa- mint. 

 ratus, and few materials, which were kept in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the king. The royal preroga- 

 tive of coinage does not seem to have been ever de- 

 legated to subjects in Scotland, and it is explicitly de- 



