142 M r. \V I L L I A iM P H I L L I r r. on the Veins of Csrnwall. 



metal has been tlirown away on the neglected heaps of that mine. 

 Even now, whatever is not manifestly tin or copper, or is not sus- 

 pected of yielding those metals, is paid little attention to ; and the 

 practical miner sees no value in the inquiry into the run of veins, 

 the nature of the country they traverse, their contents, or uniformity, 

 further than relates in his own estimation to the imm.edlate benefit of 

 his occupation ; and he smiles at the nice discriminations of the mi- 

 neralogist. If an inquiry into the phenomena of veins be made 

 of him, he refers, by one short cut, to the universal deluge. 



The total ignorance of almost every thing relating to the sciences 

 of geology and mineralogy, and above all of chemistry, in the con- 

 ductors of mines, and their agents, is not only matter of regret, but 

 it can scarcely be doubted, is also the cause of much loss to the ad- 

 venturers in mines, to the lords of the soil, and to the buyers of the 

 ore. If a spirit of inquiry had existed, which some knowledge of 

 these sciences could not have failed to produce, much cobalt would 

 not have been thrown away on the heaps of Dolccath and some 

 other mines, nor would bismuth in Huel Sparnon have been mis- 

 taken for cobalt, nor would the roads have been mended with copper 

 ore, nor would the ponderous ore, which contained silver in Her- 

 land mine, have been left to the chance that discovered its value, 

 nor would many miners, in opposition to all the known principles 

 and properties of mineral bodies believe, even to this day, in the 

 regeneration of metals.* While in France, and in Germany, there 



* " Whether till dotli grow again, and fill up places Mhich have been formerly 

 vioiight away, or whether it only separaleth itself from the consumed oiiul, hath been 

 much controverted, and is not to this day decided." And " whether — dead lodes — 

 that have not one grain of tin in them — may not hereafter l)e impregnated, matured, 

 and prove a future supply to the country, when the present lodes are exhausted, I think 

 well deserves our highest consideration." Notes to Carew's Survey of Cornwall, edit. 

 1811, by Tonkin, edited by Lord do Dunstanville. It must be confessed that these 

 inquiries still prevail amongst practical miners. 



