Mr. William Phillips ojt the Veins of Cornwall. Ill 



-tlon of the regular metalliferous veins is about east and west, and that 

 in some districts, the same vein is known actually to pass through 

 several mines, it occurred to me, as being within possibility, that at 

 least some veins might extend the whole length of the county ; and 

 that if the situations of such mines as were then working, or had lately 

 been worked, were accurately described on a map, it might throw 

 some light on the idea. With this view therefore, after visiting 

 many of the mines, particularly those of the mining district of which 

 Redruth may be said to be the centre, that object was accomplished 

 by the assistance of some friends. The result by no means con- 

 firmed the idea in which it originated : for although it evinced that 

 in the year 1800 there were about 120 mines in the county, either 

 then working, or which had lately been worked, few of the east and 

 west or metalliferous veins, from causes that will be explained in the 

 following pages, have been explored, or even satisfactorily traced more 

 than two or three miles. The map was however preserved merely 

 with a view to private gratification ; but several gentlemen, whose 

 zeal for geological inquiry induced them to consider this attempt to 

 shew the localities of mines as in some degree worthy of attention, 

 urged my offering it to the notice of the Geological Society, accom- 

 panied by a memoir on the subject of the Veins of Cornwall. 



The map not being of course adapted to the present state of the 

 mines, nor even sufficiently exact in regard to their several localities 

 at the time at which it was compiled, to meet the public eye, its pub- 

 lication is laid aside for the present, not however without expecta- 



' survey' was published almost a century ago, not only so spells it, but at p, 8, in speak- 

 ing of the cti'ects of the flood on the rocks of the county, says it carried away so much of 

 the ' load as was contained therein.' Besides it is to be noticed, that the north and south 

 •veins, which are not metalliferous, are uniformly termed courses^ making a clear technical 

 distinction between unproductive and metalliferous veins. 



