C949J 
The bottom muft be lined withGlay four or five inches 
thick, which is the Hearth to lay the fire on : level where- 
with is to be made a little hole to puc theFire» Theoutfide 
may be plaifter*d all over with Lime and Hair. 
1 'ReUtien of the Tim-MweSy and wrkwg of Tirm m the 
County of Cornwal ; hy Dr. Chriflopher Merret. 
T He Stones from which is wrough t are fometimes 
found afoot or two below the furface of the Earthy 
but moft ufualiy becwixc two walls of Rocks (which are 
commonly of an Iron colour, of little or no affinity with 
the 7/;^;^) in aVeln or Load (as the Miners callic) betwixc 
4 and i8 Inches broad, or thereabout. 
Some fay» the Load runs North and South: but in truth 
it runsEaft and Weft, and all other ways with very great 
variety. 
Sometimes there is a rich and fat Metal ; fomef imes hungry 
and ftarved; fomecimes nothing but a droffiefubftancej not 
purely Earth, nor Stone, nor Metal ; bur a little refembliiig 
the rejefted Cyoders of a Smiths Forge : appearing fome- 
times of a more flourifiiiDg colour rending ro Carnation 5 
and fometimes more umbratile : and where this is found, the 
Miriers judge the Mefal to be ripe. 
The Piti are 40, 50j--and fomeilmes 60 Fat-horns deep^ 
and more. , 
The Load being very rich and good , above that is ten' 
fathoms from tiie grafs, or thereabouts. And below that, 
there's a ftrange cavity or empty place, wherein is nothings 
but Air for many fathoms deep , as the Miners have tried 
witlr long Poles and Pikes. This cavity lies between hard^ 
Stony walls, difiatit one from another about fix or nine In- 
ches. The Labourers tell ftories of Sprightsor fmall Peo- 
ple, as: they call them : and that when the Damp arifeth- 
from the fubterraneal Vaults, they hear ftrangenoifes ^ hor- 
rid knockings, and fearful hammerlDgs. Thefe Damps ren-- 
der many lame, aad kill athers oiuright, withooc any vifible 
hurt upon them... 
