Mr. William Phillips on the Veins of Cornwall. 121 



The early discovery of iron pyrites and portions of yellow cop- 

 per ore mingled with a large quantity of blende is considered a 

 favorable omen for copper. Blende, as has already been noted, is 

 by the miner called Black Jack ; and ' Black Jack,' he says, * rides 

 a proud horse,' a phrase become proverbial, from blende being often 

 found to lie above, in a vein rich in copper beneath. Vast quanti- 

 ties of it were found above the ore in the productive copper mine 

 Huel Towan, as well as in that called North Bennar. The early 

 discovery of lead is also considered a good symptom ; very many 

 tons of it were sold from Huel Alfred in the states of sulphuret and 

 carbonate. Iron pyrites at a small depth is also considered a favor- 

 able symptom for copper in depth, as was proved among many 

 others in the rich mines of Crenver and Huel Virgin ; but when it 

 proves solid, it has often discouraged the miner and induced him to 

 abandon the vein. The cutting of a * good course of water' is es- 

 teemed no unfavorable circumstance, especially if it be warm, and 

 it is not uncommon to find water issuing from one part of a vein 

 of a temperature sensibly higher than that in other parts of it. So 

 greatly indeed does water abound in rich veins, that on extensive 

 and deep mines are mostly seen two, three, and even four steam- 

 engines, for the purpose of drawing it, the cylinders of which are 

 from 30 to 6Q inches in diameter. If a vein be particularly rich, 

 it is considered to omen well for the parts of other veins immedi- 

 ately north and south of its riches ; to express which the phrase of 

 " ore against ore " has been adopted. 



It would scarcely be correct to say that the early discovery of 

 tin in a vein is a good promise for copper in depth, but it is cer- 

 tainly true that tin is frequently, if not mostly, found at a small 

 depth in veins, afterwards proving rich in copper. Among many 

 other instances of this that might be quoted, are the two deep and 



Vol. II. Q 



