It is stated by Carew:
Fol. 8. “They [the Cornish Tinners] maintaine these workes [“two kind
of Tynne workes, _Stream_ and _Load_”] to have beene verie auncient,
and first wrought by the Jewes with _Pick-axes_ of holme, boxe, and
_hartshorne_: they prove this by the name of those places yet
enduring, to wit _Attall Sarazin_, in English, the _Jewes’ Offcast_,
and by _those tooles daily_ found amongst the _rubble of such
workes_.” So, in the stream-work now prosecuted at Carne between Truro
and Penrin, were found two stems of deer-horns, which I inspected at
Tregothnan in Nov. 1792, and which had been plainly shaped into
pickaxes. One of them was even tinged strongly at the picking end,
with the stain of some metallic matter on which it has been employed.
Not far from them was found a brass instrument, that had clearly, from
the shade still remaining upon the covered part, once had a handle
clipping it round the middle, and leaving out the two ends for
striking. July 19, 1794, was promised by Lady Falmouth a sketch of all
three, done by the hand of the Rev. Mr. Hennah, Rector of St. Austle;
but, as he had pronounced the brass instrument to be no celt, and as I
proved it to be one, he never sent the sketch.
“There are also taken up in such works,” adds Carew, “certaine little
tooles’ heads of brasse, which some terme thunder axes; but they make
small show of any profitable use. Neither were the Romaines ignorant
of this trade, as may appeare by a brasse coyne of DOMITIAN’S, found
in one of these workes,” stream or load, “and fallen into my hands.”
Fol. 56. “Most of the inhabitants can [speak] no word of Cornish, but
_very few_ are ignorant of the English; and yet _some so affect their
owne_, as to _a stranger they will not speake it_: for, if meeting
them by chance, you inquire the way or any such matter, your answer
shal be, _Meea navidua cowzasawsneck_, I can speake no Saxonage.” W.]