Dr. Berger on the Isle of Man, 51 



*' faithfulness of the workmen, or some other cause, no great mat- 

 " ter has as yet been made of them." * 



. These three repositories of lead lie in a grey-wacke formation, 

 with the exception before mentioned, when speaking of a small 

 grained granite found in the sinking of a shaft at Foxdale. 



From the direction of the metallic veins, they seem to intersect 

 at a greater or lesser angle the greywacke-strata. The direction of 

 the metallic vein at Laxey is West South West, and East North 

 East ; at Brada head, the shafts have been opened in a line that 

 keeps nearly the sarne direction. 



The inclination of the metallic vein with respect to the horizon, 

 both at Laxey and Foxdale, is two yards in six. 



* Page 449. Vol. I. 



Since the above was written, a letter which I received from Mr. William Geneste of 

 Douglass, answering some inquiries I made, contains the following more precise infor- 

 mation on this subject. 



" Mr. Fitz-Siininons, who is preparing to publish an extensive v.ork on the ancient 

 History of the Isle of Man, states, that mention is made of the mines of the Isle, in the 

 time of Sir Stanley* 1st and 2d. Those at Brada, he believes, were first wrought; 

 whether those at Foxdale were then opened may be doubted ; those at Laxey were 

 opened and wrought by a mining company of Cumberland, about the commencement of 

 the labt century." 



" Mr. William Scott of Douglass conjectures, that the mines at Brada were wrought 

 previous to the discovery of gunpowder, from Feathev-ioedges (a contrivance for break- 

 ing asunder rocks, which is now performed by gunpowder) having been found in those 

 m'nes."' 



Mr. William Geneste informs me farther, that he lately found in some books (titled 

 Charge of the Revenue) in the Duke's office, in Douglass (called the Seneschal's office) 

 " that the last Earl of Derby had the mines wrought, paying the workmen at the rate 

 of ^3 manx I per ton, for the ore (lead) raised. In the year 1709, he paid the 

 miners for about 70 tons ; from the year 1709 to 1713, about 30 tons yearly. A new 

 smelting house was built in the year 1711. The working of the mines was totally 

 suspended about three years ago." 



* The first Sir Stanley appointed King of Man, was by grant from King Henry 4th, ia the year 1407. 

 \ The mam money is to the British in the proportion of seven to six. 



g2 



