238 TRANSACTIONS OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
found it in weight, and otherwise, to differ from Marchasites, and 
the Mine Men think it of a poysonous nature. 
" 12. They have a thing called Maxy, mixt with the Ore, which 
cannot be separated by the water, but by the fire, and then smells 
very ill, and is of a blewish colour. 
"13. Lastly, They also find something like bright Ore, which 
they call Shim" 
The Doctor concludes by saying : 
"And thus much of this Metal, seeing there is no need to 
speak of any Mendicaments prepared forth of it, because I have 
not had experience of any such." 
This technical description, communicated by a Dartmoor tinner 
in the seventeenth century, is interesting, and throws a little light 
on a subject which is at present very obscure. 
If there be one district in the Forest of Dartmoor which shows 
more results on its surface of the work, both of ancient and modern 
miners, than another, that district lies near Post Bridge. Stream 
works abound in all directions, testifying to the activity of the " old 
men," whilst the ruins of modern tin-mines are dotted about for 
miles. The greatest interest, however, in this district centres at 
the Furnum Regis, or King's Oven. This smelting-place is 
mentioned in the Perambulation of Dartmoor, made in the twenty- 
fourth year of the reign of Henry III., 1240. In the ancient 
map defining the limits of this Perambulation it is shown as a 
large circle lying between Wellabroke, and Capud Wallebroke, or 
the head of the Wallabrook, which stream flows into the Dart. 
The Furnum Eegis is mentioned simply because it falls on the 
line of this Perambulation, and not a word is said which indicates 
whether it was the king's furnace of that time, or of some previous 
period. It is probably much older than the thirteenth century, 
and is without doubt the most ancient remains of a smelting-place 
on Dartmoor. It lies about four hundred yards almost due north 
of the " Warren House Inn," or about two and a half miles from 
Post Bridge, and consists of a circular enclosure of about seventy- 
two yards in diameter. The wall, forming the enclosure, is 
composed of small granite stones, and is in ruins. In the centre 
of the circle is a roughly-worked rounded stone, three feet in 
diameter, and close by it is a small pile formed of stones with 
one end rounded. 
These smaller stones were taken away from the enclosure with 
the view of using them in a modern mine-house now standing in 
