M I N 
M I N 
432 
whofe ore is undergoing this procefs. The copper-ores, 
when ready for fale, are fampled by agents of the fmei ting- 
companies, who vifit the mines for that purpofe, and are 
fold on a fixed day by a public fale, called a ticketing, and 
afterwards weighed and carried to a port, and (hipped to 
Wales, where the copper-fmelting-houles in general are. 
Tin-ores are fmelted in Cornwall, and are fold by the 
miner to the owners of the fmelting-houfes by private 
contrail, valuing them by an allay made by the buyer. 
In this refpeit the value of tin-ores is determined by a 
mode more uncertain and irregular than that employed 
for copper, the allay of which is conducted with extreme 
care, and wonderful accuracy. 
' Some individual mines in Cornwall employ near a 
thoufand perlons, and have feveral fteam-engines w'orking 
for the different purpofes of pumping the water and railing 
the ore. In the county of Devon, llreams of water being 
at hand, large overfhot wheels are employed for working 
the pumps, and feveral have been ereiled of late years 
equal in power to the larger fteam-engines. Within a 
very late period, the fame economical means have been 
applied in a very ingenious manner to the winding tip 
the ores from under ground, which, from the crooked- 
nefs of the fhafts of copper-mines, was a work of more 
difficulty than might at firft appear. 
The king, by his prerogative, hath all mines of gold 
and filver to make money; and therefore thofe mines, 
which are properly royal, and to which the king is enti¬ 
tled when found, are only thofe of filver and gold. 2 Injl. 
577. By the old common law, if gold or filver be found 
in mines of bafe metal, according to the opinion of fome, 
the whole was a royal mine, and belonged to the king; 
though others fay that this was only the cafe when the 
quantity of gold or filver was of greater value than the 
quantity of bafe metal. Plowd. 336. But, by ftatute, no 
mines of copper, tin, iron, or lead, lhall be adjudged royal 
mines, though gold or filver be extrailed. 1 W. M. 
c. 30. And perfons having mines of copper, tin, lead, &c. 
fhall enjoy the fame, although claimed to be royal mines; 
but the king, or perfons claiming royal mines under his 
authority, may have the ore, (except tin-ore in Devon 
and Cornwall,) paying to the owners of the mines, within 
thirty days after it lhall be railed, and before removed, 
161. per ton for copper-ore waflied and made merchanta¬ 
ble ; for lead-ore, 9I. per ton; tin or iron, 40s. &c. 5 W. 
&• J\I. c. 6. If any perfon malicioully fet on fire any 
mine or pit of coal, he lhall be guilty of felony without 
benefit of clergy. 10 Geo. II. c. 32. If any perfon fhall 
wilfully or malicioully fet fire to, burn, demolilh, pull 
down, or otherwife deftroy or damage, any fire-engine, or 
other engine eredled for draining water from coal-mines, 
or for drawing coals out of the fame; or for draining 
water from any mine of lead, tin, copper, or other mi¬ 
neral ; or any bridge, waggon-way, or trunk, ereiled for 
conveying coals from any coal-mine, or lfaith for depo- 
iiting the fame; or any bridge, or waggon-way, eredfed 
for conveying lead, tin, copper, or any other mineral, 
from fuch mine, or caufe the fame to be done ; he lhall 
be guilty of felony, and tranfported for feven years. 
9 Geo. III. c. 29. Provided that no perfon be profecuted 
under this adt beyond eighteen months after the offence 
committed. By 39 and 40 Geo. III. c. 77. deftroying or 
damaging mines, or roads leading to or from the fame, &c. 
incurs the guilt of mifdemeanor; and any perion fo of¬ 
fending may, on convidtion, be imprifoned for any time 
not exceeding fix months. Colliers and miners working- 
in a manner contrary to their agreement, or not fulfilling 
their contrails, lhall, on convidtion, forfeit not exceeding 
40s. and on non-payment be imprifoned for a time not 
exceeding fix months, or until the penalty and cofts lhall 
be paid. Stealing ore out of mines is no larceny, except 
only thofe of black-lead, the Healing ore out of which is 
felonjj, punilhable with imprifonment and whipping, or 
tranlportation not exceeding feven years; tend- efcaping 
from fuch imprifonment, or returning from traafpopta- 
tion, is felony without benefit of clergy. 29 Geo. II. c. jo. 
To MINE, v. 71. To dig mines or burrows ; to form any 
hollows under ground.—Of this various matter the ter- 
reftrial globe confifts, from its furface to the greateft depth 
we ever dig or mine. Woodwurd. 
The ranging ftork in (lately beeches dwells; 
The climbing goats on hills fecurely feed ; 
The mining conies Ihroud in rocky cells. Wotton. 
To pradlife feeret means of injury: 
Mining fraud lhall find no way to creep 
Into their fenced ears with grave advice. Sackvilfe. 
To MINE, v. a. To fap; to ruin by mines ; to deftroy 
by flow degrees, or feeret means.—If an houfebande man 
wifte in what houre the theef would come, fotheli he 
fchulde wake, and not luffre his houfe to be myned. 
Wicliffe, St. Luke xii. 
It will but (kin and film the ulcerous place, 
While rank corruption, mining all within, 
Infeits unfeen. Shakefpeare's Hamlet. 
MINE-ADVEN'TURERS (Company of), had its firft 
rife about the year 1690, when certain mines of lead and 
copper were found in South Wales, which were divided 
by the proprietors into twenty-four (hares; and in 1693 
fub-divided into four thoufand and eight (hares, for the 
term of twenty-two years and a half; to which term five 
years more were added in 1698, and the affairs of the 
company regulated by a new conllitution. In 1704, queen 
Anne granted a charter of incorporation to this company; 
in conlequence of which feveral new lhares were added, 
fo that the whole number amounted to fix thoufand and 
twelve. However, the interefts of this corporation were 
fo ill managed; that the proprietors and creditors peti¬ 
tioned parliament in 1710, and a committee of the houfe 
of commons was appointed to enquire into its (late. The 
refult of the enquiry was a cenlure on the principal ma¬ 
nagers ; and though, in 1711, a law was palled for the 
better regulation of the company, and the relief of the 
creditors and proprietors, nothing could preferve it from 
finking. 
MI'NE-DIGGER, or Mine-man,/ One who digs in 
mines.—A mine-digge7- may meet with a gem which he 
knows not what to make of. Boyle. —The heedlefs mine- 
man aims only at obtaining a quantity of fuch metal as 
may be vendible. Boyle. 
MI'NE-PIT, f. Amine.—A workman, to avoid idle- 
nefs, worked in a groove, or mine-pit , thereabouts, which 
was little efteemed. Boyle. 
MINE RIV'ER, a river of America, which runs into 
the Miffifiippi in lat. 41. 42. N. Ion. 91. 35. W. 
MINE', a town of Abyflinia : 170 miles fouth-weft of 
Gondar. Lat. 10. 4. N. Ion. 35. 30. E. 
MINE BILED EL HA'BESH, or Port of Abyssinia, 
a harbour on the coaft of Abyffinia, in the Red Sea, an¬ 
ciently called Sinus Inunmidus. Lat. 33. 15. N. 
MI'NEHEAD, a leaport town and borough, fituated 
on thefouthern fhore of the Briftol-channel, in the coun¬ 
ty of Somerfet. The town was firft incorporated by queen 
Elizabeth, who endowed it with many valuable privileges. 
In the reigns of Charles II. and queen Anne, fo great was 
the trade from this port to Ireland, that upwards of forty 
vellels were conftantly engaged in it. Several were like- 
wife employed in the Weft-India, Virginia, and Straits, 
trade; and not fewer than 4000 barrels of herrings were 
annually (hipped here for the Mediterranean. The chief 
articles of import, befides colonial produce, were wool, 
linen, and cattle ; and the exports confided moftly of coals 
and grain. All this trade is now entirely loft; the her¬ 
rings have deferted the coaft, and there are at prefent 
only five or fix vellels belonging to the port. In the time 
of its profperity the government of this borough was 
veiled in a portreeve, but lince its decline it has been 
1 committed 
