ENGLAND. 153 



A great number of other canals have been cut in various parts of 

 kingdom ; as the Lancaster canal ; the canal from Liverpool to 

 Leeds, carried through an extent of 117 miles ; the canal from Ha- 

 lifax to Manchester 51 miles ; a canal from Basingstoke in Hamp- 

 shire to .the Thames at Weybridge ; another from Andover in the 

 same county to the river near Southampton ; and many others, which 

 it would be tedious here only to enumerate. 



Metals and minerals.. ..Among the minerals, the tin mines of 

 Cornwall deservedly take the lead. They were known to the Greeks 

 and Phoenicians, the latter especially, some ages before the Christian 

 aera ; and since the English have found a method of manufacturing; 

 their tin into plates and white iron, they are of immense advantage to 

 the nation, their annual produce amounting nearly to the value of 

 200,000/. including what is conveyed to foreign markets. These tin- 

 works are under peculiar regulations, by what are called the stannary 

 laws ; and the miners have parliaments and privileges of their own, 

 which are in force at this time. Iron is found in plenty in England: 

 the principal mines of it are in Coalbrook-dale, Shropshire ; Dean's 

 forest in Gloucestershire, and some parts of the north of England. 

 Lead is obtained in many parts of this island, particulaiiy in Derby- 

 shire, Yorkshire, Northumberland, and some counties in Wales. 

 Near 20,000 tons of this metal are exported annually, notwithstand- 

 ing great quantities are employed in different fabrications within the 

 country. Of copper Cornwall is said to furnish the value of 200,000/. 

 annually, and the whole of the island to the amount of a million ; 

 the quantity exported having been estimated at above 1000 tons. 

 The number of miners employed in Cornwall is said to amount to 

 100,000. There are no gold or silver mines in Britain; but particles 

 of the former metal are found in the tin-mines of Cornwall, and some 

 silver may be extracted from the ore of lead. Near Keswick in Cum- 

 berland is a rich mine of plumbago or black-lead, which the proprie- 

 tors permit only to be opened once in six or seven years to prevent 

 the markets from being overstocked. Zinc, in the form of lapis 

 calaminaris, is found in Cornwall and Derbyshire. Devonshire, and 

 other counties of England, produce marble ; but the best kind, which 

 resembles Egyptian granite, is excessively hard to work. Quarries 

 of freestone are found in many places. Near Norwich in Cheshire 

 are immense mines of rock-salt, which were discovered about the 

 beginning of the last century. The quarries extend over many acres, 

 and their crystal roof, supported by pillars, has a most beautiful ap- 

 pearance. The pit at Witton is of a circular form, 108 yards in 

 diameter, and the roof is supported by 25 pillars, each containing 1 

 294 solid yards of rock-salt. The annual produce of rock-salt at 

 Northwich is estimated by Mr. Pennant at 65,000 tons. Cheshire like- 

 wise produces alum. The fullers-earth found in Berkshire, and in 

 some other counties, is of such consequence to the clothing trade, 

 that its exportation is prohibited under severe penalties. Pit and 

 sea coal is found in many counties of England; but the city of Lon- 

 don, to encourage the nursei'y of seamen is chiefly supplied from 

 the pits of Northumberland and the county of Durham. The cargoes 

 are shipped at Newcastle and Sunderland. The exportation of coals 

 to other countries is very considerable. The mines of Northumber- 

 land alone send every year upwards of 600,000 chaldron of coals to 

 London, and 1500 vessels are employed in carrying them to that port 

 along the eastern coast of England. 



Vol. T. X 



