the ^South->Sea. log 



cannot be fued to Execution on Civil Accounts, and Gold 

 pays only a 20th Part to the King, which is call'd Covo y 

 from the Name of a private Perfon, to whom the King 

 made that Grant, becaufe they ufed before to pay the Fifth, 

 as they do of Silver. 



The Gold Mines, like all others of what Metal foever, Tlwim 

 belong to him who firft difcovers them. There needs m eon & 

 nothing but prefenting a Petition to the Magiftrates to have 

 them adjudg'dto him. They meafure on the Vein 80 VciycCs^ 

 or Spanifo Yards in length, that is, 246 Foot, and 40 in 

 breadth, for him it is adjudged to, who choofes that Space 

 as he thinks fit. Then they meafure 80 more, which be- 

 long to the King ; the reft goes to the firft Claimer, ac- 

 cording to the fame Meafure, who difpofes of it as he 

 pleafes. That which belongs to the King, is fold to the 

 higheft Bidder, who is willing to purchafe an unknown 

 and uncertain Treafure. Farthermore, thofe who are 

 willing to labour themfelves, eafily obtain of the Miner a 

 Vein to work on : What they get out of it is their own, 

 paying him the King's Duty, and the Hire of the Mill, 

 which is fo confiderable, that fome are fatisfy'd with the 

 Profit it yields, without employing any to work for them 

 in the Mines. 



Formerly the Pradice was otherwife, and there weire^ . tjfr*. 

 more Formalities in adjudging the Mines in Germany as slice, as to 

 may be feen in Agricola^ L. 4. He who had made a Dif- Mines. 

 covcry, fignify'd the fame ta the Intendant of the Mines, 

 who repair'd to the Place with another Officer and two 

 Witneffes, to examine the Claimer, where his Mine was,, 

 which he was obliged to point out, and, at the fame time, 

 to fwear that it was his own : Then the Intendant aflign'd 

 him, for his Part, a certain Extent, containing two Acres 

 and a half, according to the Cuftom of the Country. 

 Then he meafur'd one for the Prince, another for the 

 Princefs, a Third for the Matter of the Houfe, a Fourth 

 for the Cup-Bearer, a Fifth for the Chamberlain, and 

 lafttyj he kept one for himfelfc 



Departing 



