M8 Mr. Taylor's Description of the 



mentioned by the granite, the line of division of the two rocks 

 describing an irregular horseshoe form, while the southern side of 

 the killas extends to the coast and joins the Plymouth limestone. 



The surrounding granite mountains rise to an elevation of from 

 1400 to 1900 feet above the sea, while the hills of killas keep a 

 much lower range ; Morwel Down, through which the tunnel is 

 passing, is one of the highest in the central part of the killas, and 

 is about 700 feet above the tideway in the river Tamar, which 

 washes its base. 



The killas district, which is attempted to be here described, is 

 every where intersected with veins, or as they are technically called, 

 Lodes. Those which are worked for copper or tin have universally 

 a direction from north-east to south-west, or nearly so ; those 

 which run in other courses have all the appearances of a newer 

 formation, and are generally unproductive of metal, if we except 

 two instances, one of which is the lode on which the Beeralstone 

 mines are working to a considerable extent, and the other the lode 

 in Wheal Betsey Mine, in the parish of Mary Tavy, both of which 

 produce lead and silver. 



In the last 20 years this district has been the scene of very active 

 exertion in the pursuit of mining, and the most spirited efforts 

 have been made for tracing the veins, and instituting trials upon 

 them for the discovery of their contents. These effects, as in most 

 similar cases, have been attended with very various success, though 

 on the whole, the result has been a favourable one. On many 

 lodes considerable sums of money have been expended, without 

 discovering sufficient quantities of ore to repay the disbursements, 

 , and on many the loss has been heavy ; in other instances, though 

 the fewer in number, mines have been established which have pro- 

 duced very large quantities of ore, principally of copper, and have 

 paid the adventurers veiy handsome profits. 



