60 Proceedings of the Royal Irkh Academy. 



with, those of the northern. Thus it would have been in connexion 

 with the copper and cobalt mines existing in the neighbouring province 

 of Asturias, of which one of the most remarkable, archceologically, is 

 and was that of "El Aramo," a mountain, wherein some few years 

 ago, extensive workings with important prehistoric remains were 

 discovered.^ 



From Corima, the Bay of Biscay could be sui'veyed, and 

 acquaintance made during the iine seasons with the different ports 

 existing along the north coast of Spain, and access thus obtained to 

 the mines of zinc of the present province of Santander, and to the 

 celebrated mines and forges of iron still worked in Biscay, and second 

 to none in the world. That these mines were worked certainly by the 

 Eomans, and therefore probably by the Phoeniciaris, is attested by the 

 discovery of ancient timbering, Roman coins, and lamps, &c., at Eeocin 

 (near Torrelavega), and at Comillas.^ These advantages would soon 

 have become known to the Phoenicians in the course of their trading, 

 and it is reasonable to suppose that they would have sought to take 

 advantage of them by the introduction of colonies of peoples skilled in 

 the arts of mining and metallurgy, wherever favourable. The 

 "Milesian" colony may have presented these characters, and as it is 

 stated in the tradition quoted, that Milesius had -tvith him a number of 

 young men who had learned the useful arts while in Egypt, such 

 presumption is justified. Their headquarters would have been at 

 Corima, and fi'om that point they could be in touch, with the 

 neighbouring valleys connected with the Sil, or with the ports along 

 the north coast of the peninsula, wherein metals or ores could be had. 

 In the neighbouring district of the Asturias, were, and still are to be 

 found, deposits of amber and jet, matters which, of no high intrinsic 

 value in modern times, seem to have been very highly priced in 

 prehistoric and ancient times, as ornaments, and therefore serving for 

 pui'poses of barter. 



('oruiia is directly connected with the district ali'eacly referred to 

 as the gold district of the provinces of Asturias and Leon, reference to 

 which has already been made as having such an important bearing on 

 the settlement of the Milesian colony in the north-west of Spain. 

 This district has been frequently described in special journals, and in 

 the Mining Joiu-nal for 1896, occiu- two or three articles which 

 describe sufficiently fully these notable deposits, for the purposes of" 

 the present paper, and from which the following extracts are made : — 



1 See " Eevesta Minera," tome xliv. 1893, p. 36. 



2 Ibid., vol. XLii., 1899, p. 47. 



