Ixv 
most eminent writers on the mines of this County at a period not 
long past ;—by Mr. Taylor,* who had, perhaps, a larger acquaint- 
ance with the mines and miners of various countries than any 
other person of his day;—and by our Honorary Member Mr. 
Warington Wilkinson Smyth,t Chief Inspector of Mines for the _ 
Crown and the Duchy, than whom we have no higher living 
authority. On the subjects regarding which these justly distin- 
guished persons have spoken it is unnecessary for me to speak ; 
but I should be wanting in duty to our Countrymen if I were not 
to add that I have seen them confronted with native superin- 
tendents and workmen in many foreign lands; and have invari- 
ably found the solution of every intricate problem in Mining 
Geology assigned to a Cornish agent, and every task requiring 
skill, resource, and courage, entrusted to a Cornish miner. I 
should, however, be ungrateful indeed if I were not to acknowledge 
* ‘The difficulties of mining are so great, that they call frequently for 
‘“«sympathy and aid. I have during many years had them extended to me 
“by masters in the art; it is to this friendly feeling that I owe very much 
‘¢of what I know upon the subject, and I have no sympathy with that un- 
‘“‘venerous policy that would seek to profit by the failure of others. The 
“profit of mining must be sought in another direction ; and it is one thing 
“which above all others that attaches me to the pursuit—that it is not ex- 
“elusive, but the good that is attained is commonly shared by many. The 
“¢ district in which I have gathered most of my experience, is an example in 
“this respect ; and every new invention and every step in improvement is 
“ freely communicated and discussed, and the most important benefit has 
“thereby accrued in this mutual interchange of knowledge—it has been 
“habitual therefore to me to give as well as to receive. Cornwall is not 
“singular in this respect.” Taytor, Phil: Mag: and Annals, vi., (1829), 
p. 391. 
+ ‘“‘ Let us not too hastily conclude that men who have not received an 
“education in the ordinary sense of the word are wanting in a thorough and 
‘satisfactory knowledge of a branch of their own craft. Some of the very 
“best amongst our ¢ributers and pitmen that I have known have been men 
“without any knowledge of reading or writing, but whose natural acuteness, 
“joined to constant observation during the experience of years, have en- 
“abled them to accumulate a store of facts, and a constantly applicable 
‘judgment, which may be envied by those who have been brought up more 
‘conversant with paper and print. True it is that their views are necessa- 
‘‘yily limited; they cannot with safety pass out beyond the confines of their 
“own particular department, and in most cases they labour under the dis- 
“advantage of neither being able to communicate their experience nor to 
“rise from the position of workmen to that of managers. Whatever is to 
“be done in the way of instruction, Heaven forbid that anything should 
“interfere with the efficiency of this excellent class of men. As a work- 
“man I believe that our British miner is unrivalled; let us hope that 
“no undue meddling may shake him in that proud position.” Smytx, 
Lecture on Mining, delivered at the South Kensington Museum, 24th Feb., 
1862, p. 3. 
E 
