196 DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATIONS AT DOLCOATH MINE. 



ready for sale, our tin ores will produce nearly 70 per cent, of metal. 

 Attention is paid to the health and comfort of the various 

 work-people employed in the mine. A large house is provided 

 for the miners to change their clothes, in which there is a constant 

 supply of hot water for washing, and a man always in attendance 

 to keep up fires and dry the underground clothing when necessary. 

 There are also four dinner houses in various parts of the mine, each 

 provided with a large slab and cooking apparatus, and a plentiful 

 supply of hot water for those of the surface labourers who wish to 

 provide themselves with tea. Most of the dressing floors are 

 roofed, in order to protect the work-people from the sun in sum- 

 mer and from the rain and cold in winter ; so that the dressing 

 operations can be carried on with advantage to the proprietors 

 and comfort to the work-people, in almost any weather.''' 



* Lady Basset, of Tehidy, adopting a suggestion oiiered by Dr. Caiiyon 

 {Itepo7't of the Royal Cornicall Polytechnic Society, III, 1835, p. 42), has 

 maintained for some time at Dolcoath a kitchen, from which every man 

 and boy employed underground has, on reaching the surface, whether by day 

 or night, been suppHed ^Yith half-a-pint of hot soup. It was jDrepared at 

 one spot only, but some was taken to a distant part of the mine for distri- 

 bution. It is made of faces and houghs of beef stewed with small squares 

 of Swedish turnip ; and pepper and salt are at hand, so that each person 

 may flavour it to his taste. The digesters in which it is made ready are 

 emptied about twice in the week, when the meat is found to be almost en- 

 tirely dissolved. " I tasted it, and found it very palatable, . . . and several 

 men and boys who had just come from their work below, said they found it 

 very restorative." It has chiefly been supplied in the winter months ; but it 

 is continued as late in the spring as the men wish it. Mr. Petherick, the 

 Manager, states that the number of men p„t Dolcoath is 404, and of boys 

 working underground, 47. The account is as follows : — 



DOLCOATH MINE SOUP ACCOUNT. 

 Half-pints delivered to men and boys. 

 1839, January . . 2,598 1840, January . . 2,640 1841, January . . 3,256 

 February . 2,837 February . 2,245 February . 3,579 



March . . 2,751 March . . 2,236 March . . 4,092 



8,186 

 The average expenditure per month 1 

 is £5 10s., viz :^ — / 



7,121 

 Paid for the Soup . . 

 ,, ,, delivery of it 



10,927 



£1 15 



3 15 



£5 10 



1841. ABSTEACT OF ONE WEEK'S DELIVERY. 



April 1st, delivered in the day to 94 men 2 boys ; in the night to 75 men 3 boys. 



2nd, 



3rd, 



5th, 



6th, 



7th, 

 He also says, 



' As the time since the introduction of the delivery of soup in 



