XV 



liibited at the meeting of this Institution in August. But the 

 other three Barrows had apparently never been opened. V/ith 

 regard to that neighbourhood generally, which at the present time 

 was not very populous, it was remarkable for the numerous and 

 rather important discoveries which had been made there, especially 

 of gold and silver ornaments.^ — On the subject of ancient tin 

 woi-ks, Mr. Smirke observed that there were very few indications 

 of old stream works except in the neighbourhood of Dartmoor ; 

 but the records of the' 13th century afforded a remarkable test as 

 to the value of tin raised in Devon and Cornwall, and that test 

 continued to the present day ; the bishop of the diocese being en- 

 titled to a small due on tin raised in these counties ; the fee in 

 respect of Devon tin being much larger than that on tin raised in 

 Cornwall. There were no public records relating to tin earlier 

 than the 12th century; and it was not until the 13th and 14th 

 centuries that much tin produce was recorded. But from un- 

 doubted data which could be traced back to the reign of John, it 

 could be shown that the county of Devon produced a larger 

 quantity of tin than Cornwall ; and there were strong indications 

 that at an earlier period the coasts of Devon were as likely to 

 have been resorted to by foreigners — Phoenicians and others — as 

 were the coasts of Cornwall ; and most probably Dartmoor was 

 the great source of the tin obtained in Devon. Although there 

 were now but few mines of importance in the neighbourhood, he 

 had recently seen considerable indications of tin having been 

 formerly obtained near Torquay. 



Mr. Henv^OOD observed that when the coinages were in ex- 

 istence, the duty paid on tin raised in Cornwall was at the rate of 

 4s. per 120 lbs., while in Devon the duty was only Is. 6fd. per 

 112 lbs. Whether that difference existed originally, or was sub- 

 sequently introduced for the purpose of encouraging mining in a 

 particular district, he could not say ; but certainly the difference 

 was very considerable. 



Dr. Barham remarked that if the amount paid by Devon 

 was so much greater than that by CoruAvall, while the rate of dues 

 in Devon was so much lower, it would show that the quantity of 

 tin raised in Devon must have been very much larger than that 

 raised in Cornwall. 



Mr. Henwood a^Dprehended that the duty was in substitution 

 for lords' dues, and that lower dues had been allowed in some dis- 

 tricts, in order to encourage mining. 



The President said the stannaries of the two counties were 

 united in the time of Earl Edmund, and it was pretty clear that 

 he made certain alterations with regard to dues, but whether by 

 way of reduction or not, he could not say. 



