with bellowes, by the billowes, and flowing and ebbing of the Sea, and
therethrough becommeth pure, and subtill, and, by consequence,
healthfull. So as the Inhabitants doe seldome take a ruthful and
reauing experience of those harmes, which infectious diseases vse to
carrie with them. But yet I haue noted, that this so piercing an
ayre, is apter to preserue then recouer health, especially in any
languishing sicknesse which hath possessed strangers: neither know I,
whether I may impute to this goodnesse of the ayre, that vpon the
returne of our fleete from the Portugall action, 1589. the diseases
which the Souldiers brought home with them, did grow more grieuous, as
they carried the same farther into the land, then it fell out at
Plymmouth, where they landed: for there the same was, though
infectious, yet not so contagious, and though pestilentiall, yet not
the verie pestilence, as afterwards it proued in other places.
The Spring visiteth not these quarters so timely, as the Easterne
parts. Summer imparteth a verie [6] temperate heat, recompencing his
slow-fostering of the fruits, with their kindly ripening. Autumne
bringeth a somewhat late Haruest, specially to the middle of the
Shire, where they seldome inne their Corne before Michaelmas. Winter,
by reason of the Southes neere neighbourhead, and Seas warme breath,
fauoureth it with a milder cold then elsewhere, so as, vpon both
coastes, the Frost and Snow come verie seldome, and make a speedie
departure. This notwithstanding, the Countrie is much subiect to
stormes, which fetching a large course, in the open Sea, doe from
thence violently assault the dwellers at land, and leaue them
vncouered houses, pared hedges, and dwarfe-growne trees, as witnesses
of their force and furie : yea, euen the hard stones, and yron barres
of the windowes, doe fret to be so continually grated. One kind of
these stormes, they call a flaw, or flaugh, which is a mightie gale
of wind, passing suddainely to the shore, and working strong effects,
vpon whatsoeuer it incountreth in his way.
The Cornish soyle, for the most part, is lifted vp into many hils,
some great, some little of quantitie, some steepe, some easie for
ascent, and parted in sunder by short and narrow vallies. A shallow
earth dooth couer their outside, the substance of the rest consisteth
ordinarily in Rockes and Shelse, which maketh them hard for manurance,
& subiect to a drie Summers parching. The middle part of the Shire
(sauing the inclosures about some few Townes and Villages) lieth waste
and open, sheweth a blackish colour, beareth Heath and spirie Grasse,
and serveth in a maner, onely to Summer Cattel. That which bordereth
vpon either side of the Sea, through the Inhabitants good husbandrie,
of inclosing, sanding, and other dressing, carrieth a better hue, and
more profitable qualitie. Meadow ground it affoordeth little, pasture
for Cattel and Sheepe, store enough, Corne ground plentie.
Hils of greatest name and height are, Hinxten, Rowtor, Brownwelly,
S. Agnes, Haynborough, the foure Boroughs, Roche, Carnbray, and the
two Castellan Danis.
In the rest of this earthy description, I will begin with such
mynerals as her bowels yeeld forth, and then passe on to those things,
of growing, and feeling life, which vpon her face doe relieue
themselues.
These mynerals are not so deepe buried by nature in the entrailes of
the Earth, nor so closely couched amongst the Rockes, but that desire
of gaine with the instrument of Art can digge them vp: they may bee
diuided into stones and mettals.
Quarrie stones are of sundrie sorts, and serue to diuers purposes.
For walling, there are rough, and Slate: the rough maketh speedier
building, the Slate surer. For Windowes, Dornes, and Chimnies, Moore
stone carrieth chiefest reckoning. That name is bestowed on it, by
the Moores or waste ground, where the same is found in great
quantitie, either lying vpon the ground, or verie little vnder.
This stone answereth the charge of fetching, with the fairenes of his
whitish colour, containing certaine glimmering sparkles, and
counteruaileth his great hardnesse in working, with the profit of long
endurance, nature hauing ordained the same, as of purpose, to
withstand the fretting weather. There are also three other sorts of
stones, seruing to the same vse, and hewed with lesse, though
differing labour: Pentuan digged out of the Sea Cliffes,and in colour
[7] somewhat resembleth gray Marble, Caraclouse blacke, not vnlike the
Ieat; the third taken out of inland Quarries, and not much differing
from the Easterne free stone.
The Sea strond also in many places, affordeth Peeble-stones, which
washed out of the earth, or falling from the Rockes, and there lying
loose, are, by often rolling of the waues, wrought to a kind of
roundnesse, and serue verie handsomely for pauing of streetes and
Courts.
For couering of Houses there are three sorts of Slate, which from that
vse take the name of Healing-stones. The first and best Blew: the
second, Sage-leafe coloured, the third and meanest Gray. The Blew,
and so the rest, are commonly found vnder the walling Slate, when
the depth hath brought the workmenn to the Water. This Slate is in
substance thinne, in colour faire, in waight light, in lasting strong,
and generally carrieth so good regard, as (besides the supplie for
home prouision) great store is yeerely conueied by shipping both to
other parts of the Realme, and also beyond the Seas, into Britaine
and Netherland.
They make Lyme, moreouer, of another kind of Marle-stone, either by
burning a great quantitie thereof together, with a seruent fire of
Furze, or by maintaining a continuall, though lesser heate, with stone
Cole in smaller Kils: this is accompted the better cheape, but that
yeeldeth the whiter Lyme.
Touching mettals: Copper is found in sundrie places, but with what
gaine to the searchers, I haue not beene curious to enquire, nor they
hastie to reueale. For at one Mine (of which I tooke view) the Owre
was shipped to bee refined in Wales, either to saue cost in the fewell
or to conceale the profit.
Neither hath nature denyed Siluer to Cornwall, though Cicero excluded
the same out of all Britaine: and if wee may beleeve our Chroniclers
reports, who ground themselues vpon authenticall Records, king Edward
the first, and king Edward the third, reaped some good benefit
thereof. But for our present experience, what she proffereth with the
one hand, shee seemeth to pull backe with the other, whereof some
Gentlemen not long sithence, made triall to their losse: howbeit,
neither are they discouraged by this successe, nor others from the
like attempt.
Tynners doe also find little hoppes of Gold amongst their Owre, which
they keepe in quils, and sell to the Goldsmithes oftentimes with
little better gaine, then Glaucus exchange.
Yea it is not altogether barren of precious stones, and Pearle: for
Dyamonds are in many places found cleauing to those Rockes, out of
which the Tynne is digged: they are polished, squared, and pointed by
nature: their quantitie from a Pease, to a Walnut: in blacknesse and
hardnesse they come behind the right ones, and yet I haue knowne some
of them set on so good a foile, as at first sight, they might appose a
not vnskilfull Lapidarie.
The Pearle (though here not aptly raunged) breed in bigge Oysters, and
Muscles, greater in quantitie, then acceptable for goodnesse, as
neither round nor Orient. Perhaps Caesar spoyled the best beds, when
he made that gay Coate of them, to present his graundame Venus.
Cornwall is also not altogether destitute of Agates [8] and white
Corall, as by credible relation I haue learned.
But why seeke wee in corners for pettie commodities, when as the onely
mynerall of Cornish Tynne, openeth so large a field to the Countries
benefit? this is in working so pliant, for sight so faire, and in vse
so necessarie, as thereby the Inhabitants gaine wealth, the Merchants
trafficke, and the whole Realme a reputation: and with such plentie
thereof hath God stuffed the bowels of this little Angle, that (as
Astiages dreamed of his daughter) it ouerfloweth England, watereth
Christendome, and is deriued to a great part of the world besides.
In trauailing abroad, in tarrying at home, in eating and drinking,
in doing ought of pleasure or necessitie, Tynne, either in his owne
shape, or transformed into other fashions, is alwayes requisite,
alwayes readie for our seruice: but I shall rather disgrace, then
endeere it by mine ouer-weake commendation, and sooner tire myselfe,
then draw the fountaine of his praises drie. Let this therefore
suffice, that it cannot bee of meane price, which hath found, with
it, Dyamonds, amongst it Gold, and in it Siluer.
The Cornish Tynners hold a strong imagination, that in the withdrawing
of Noahs floud to the Sea, the same tooke his course from East to West,
violently breaking vp, and forcibly carrying with it, the earth, trees,
and Rocks, which lay any thing loosely, neere the vpper face of the
ground. To confirme the likelihood of which supposed truth, they doe
many times digge vp whole and huge Timber trees, which they conceiue
at that deluge to haue beene ouerturned and whelmed: but whether then,
or sithence, probable it is, that some such cause produced this effect.
Hence it commeth, that albeit the Tynne lay couched at first in
certaine strakes amongst the Rockes, like a tree, or the veines in a
mans bodie, from the depth whereof the maine Load spreadeth out his
branches, vntill they approach the open ayre: yet they haue now two
kinds of Tynne workes, Stream, and Load: for (say they) the
foremencioned floud, carried together with the moued Rockes and
earth, so much of the Load as was inclosed therein, and at the
asswaging, left the same scattered here and there in the vallies and
ryuers, where it passed; which being sought and digged, is called
Streamworke: under this title, they comprise also the Moore workes,
growing from the like occasion. They maintaine these workes, to haue
beene verie auncient, and first wrought by the Iewes with Pickaxes of
Holme, Boxe, and Harts horne: they prooue this by the name of those
places yet enduring, to wit, Attall Sarazin, in English, the Iewes
offcast, and by those tooles daily found amongst the rubble of such
workes. And it may well be, that as Akornes made good bread, before
Ceres taught the vse of Corne; and sharpe Stones serued the Indians
for Kniues, vntill the Spaniards brought them Iron: so in the infancie
of knowledge, these poore instruments for want of better did supplie
a turne. There are also taken vp in such works, certaine little
tooles heads of Brasse, which some terme Thunder-axes, but they make
small shew of any profitable vse. Neither were the Romanes ignorant
of this trade, as may appeare by a brasse Coyne of Domitian's, found
in one of these workes, and fallen into my hands: and perhaps vnder
one of those Flauians, the Iewish workmen made here their first
arriuall.
[9] They discouer these workes, by certaine Tynne-stones,lying on the
face of the ground, which they terme Shoad, as shed from the maine
Load, and made somwhat smooth and round, by the waters washing &
wearing. Where the finding of these affordeth a tempting likelihood,
the Tynners goe to worke, casting vp trenches before them, in depth 5,
or 6. foote more or lesse, as the loose ground went, & three or foure
in breadth, gathering vp such Shoad, as this turning of the earth doth
offer to their sight. If any ryuer thwart them, and that they resolve
to search his bed, hee is trained by a new channell from his former
course. This yeeldeth a speedie and gaineful recompence to the
aduenturers of the search, but I hold it little beneficiall to the
owners of the soyle. For those low grounds, beforetime fruitfull,
hauing herethrough their wrong side turned outwards, accuse the Tynners
iniurie by their succeeding barrennesse.
To find the Load-workes, their first labour is also imployed in seeking
this Shoad, which either lieth open on the grasse, or but shallowly
couered. Hauing found any such, they coniecture by the sight of the
ground, which way the floud came that brought it thither, and so giue
a gesse at the place whence it was broken off. There they sincke a
Shaft, or pit of five or six foote in length, two or three foote in
breadth, and seuen or eight foote in depth, to proue whether they may
so meete with the Load. By this Shaft, they also discerne which was
the quicke ground (as they call it) that mooued with the floud, and
which the firme, wherein no such Shoad doth lie. If they misse the
Load in one place, they sincke a like Shaft in another beyond that,
commonly farther vp towards the hill, and so a third and fourth, vntill
they light at last vpon it. But you may not conceiue, that euerie
likelyhood doth euer proue a certaintie: for diuers haue beene
hindered, through bestowing charges in seeking, and not finding, and
many vndone in finding and not speeding, whiles a faire show, tempting
them to mvch cost, hath, in the end, fayled in substance, and made the
aduenturers Banckrupt of their hope and purse.
Some have found Tynne-workes of great vallew, through meanes no lesse
strange, then extraordinarie, to wit, by dreames. As in Edward the
sixts time, a Gentlewoman, heire to one Tresculierd, and wife to
Lanine, dreamed, that a man of seemely personage told her, how in such
a Tenement of her Land, shee should find so great store of Tynne, as
would serue to inrich both her selfe and her posteritie. This shee
reuealed to her husband: and hee, putting the same in triall, found a
worke, which in foure yeeres, was worth him welneere so many thousand
pounds. Moreouer, one Taprel lately liuing, & dwelling in the Parish
of the hundred of West, call'd S. Niot, by a like dreame of his
daughter (see the lucke of women) made the like assay, met with the
effect, farmed the worke of the vnwitting Lord of the soyle, and grew
thereby to good state of wealth. The same report passeth as currant,
touching sundrie others; but I will not bind any mans credite, though,
that of the Authors haue herein swayed mine: and yet he that will
afford his eare to Astrologers and naturall Philosophers, shall haue
it filled with many discourses, of the constellation of the heauens,
and the constitution of mens bodies, fitting to this purpose.
[10] There are, that leauing these trades of new searching, doe take in
hand such old Stream and Loadworks, as by the former aduenturers haue
beene giuen ouer, and oftentimes they find good store of Tynne, both in
the rubble cast vp before, as also in veines which the first workmen
followed not. From hence there groweth a diuersitie in opinion,
amongst such Gentlemen, as by, iudgement and experience, can looke into
these matters; some of them supposing that the Tynne groweth; and
others, that it onely separateth from the consumed offall. But
whosoeuer readeth that which Francis Leandro hath written touching the
yron mynerals, in the Ile of Elba, will cleaue perhaps to a third
conceite: for hee auoucheth, that the trenches, out of which the Owre
there is digged, within twentie or thirtie yeeres, become alike ful
againe of the same mettall, as at first, & he confirmeth it by sutable
examples, borrowed from Clearchus, of Marble, in Paros Iland, and of
Salt, in India, deducing thence this reason, that the ayre and water
replenishiing the voide roome, through the power of the vniuersall
agent, and some peculiar celestiall influence, are turned into the
selfe substance; and so by consequence, neither the Owre groweth, nor
the earth consumeth away: and this opinion, Munster in his
Cosmographie, doth seeme to vnderprop, affirming, that neere the Citie
of Apolonia in Dalmatia, the veines whence Brasse is digged, are filled
in like maner. So doth he report, that neere Ptolomais, there lieth a
round valley, out of which glassie Sand being taken, the winds fill the
pit againe, from the upper part of the adioyning mountaines; which
matter is conuerted into the former substance and that euen Mettals
throwne Into this place, doe vndergoe the like Metamorphosis.
The colour both of the Shoad and Load, resembleth his bed, as the Sea
sand doth the Cliffes, and is so diuersified to reddish, blackish,
duskie, and such other earthy colours.
If the Load wherein the Tynne lieth, carrieth a foote and halfe in
breadth, and be not ouerbarren, it is accompted a verie rich worke: but
commonly the same exceedeth not a foote, vnlesse many Loads runne
together.
When the new found worke intiseth with probabilitie of profit, the
discouerer doth commonly associate himselfe with some more partners,
because the charge amounteth mostly verie high for any one mans purse,
except lined beyond ordinarie, to reach vnto: and if the worke doe
faile, many shoulders will more easily support the burthen. These
partners consist either of such Tinners as worke to their owne behoofe,
or of such aduenturers as put in hired labourers. The hirelings stand
at a certaine wages, either by the day, which may be about eight pence,
or for the yeere, being betweene foure and sixe pound, as their
deseruing can driue the bargaine: at both which rates they must find
themselues.
If the worke carrie some importance, and require the trauaile of many
hands, that hath his name, and they their Ouerseer, whome they terme
their Captaine: such are the Pel, Whilancleuth, in English, The worke
of the Ditches: Pulstean, that is, The myrie head: Crueg braaz, The
great Borough: Saint Margets, and many surnamed Balls, which betoken
the Vales where the works are set on foote.
[11] The Captaines office bindeth him to sort ech workman his taske, to
see them applie their labour, to make timely prouision, for binding the
worke with frames of Timber, if need exact it, to place Pumpes for
drawing of water, and to giue such other directions. In most places,
their toyle is so extreame, as they cannot endure it aboue foure houres
in a day, but are succeeded by spels: the residue of the time, they
weare out at Coytes, Kayles, or like idle exercises. Their Kalender
also alloweth them more Holy-dayes, then are warranted by the Church,
our lawes, or their owne profit.
Their ordinarie tooles, are a Pick-axe of yron, about sixteene inches
long, sharpned at the one end to pecke, and flat-headed at the other,
to driue certaine little yron Wedges, wherewith they cleaue the Rockes.
They haue also a broad Shouell, the vtter part of yron, the middle
of Timber, into which the staffe is slopewise fastned.
Their maner of working in the Loadmines, is to follow the Load as it
lieth, either sidelong, or downe-right: both waies the deeper they
sincke, the greater they find the Load. When they light vpon a smal
veine, or chance to leefe the Load which they wrought, by means of
certaine firings that may hap to crosse it, they begin at another place
neere-hand, and so draw by gesse to the maine Load againe. If the Load
lie right downe, they follow it sometimes to the depth of fortie or
fiftie fathome. These Loadworkes, Diod.Sic.l.5.cap.8. seemeth to point
at, where hee saith, that the Inhabitants of Veleriumm Promontorie,
digge vp Tin out of rockie ground. From some of their bottomes you
shal at noone dayes discrie the Starres: the workmen are let down and
taken vp in a Stirrup, by two men who wind the rope.
If the Load lie slope-wise, the Tynners digge a conuenient depth, and
then passe forward vnder ground, so farre as the ayre will yeeld them
breathing, which, as it beginneth to faile, they sinke a Shaft downe
thither from the top, to admit a renewing vent, which notwithstanding,
their worke is most by Candle-light. In these passages, they meete
sometimes with verie loose earth, sometimes with exceeding hard Rockes,
and sometimes with great streames of water.
The loose Earth is propped by frames of Timber-worke, as they go, and
yet now and then falling downe, either presseth the poore workmen to
death, or stoppeth them from returning. To part the Rockes, they haue
the foremencioned Axes, and Wedges, with which, mostly, they make
speedie way, and yet (not seldome) are so tied by the teeth, as a good
workman shall hardly be able to hew three foote, in the space of so
many weekes. While they thus play the Moldwarps, vnsauorie Damps doe
here and there distemper their heads, though not with so much daunger
in the consequence, as annoyance for the present.
For conueying away the water, they pray in aide of sundry deuices, as
Addits, Pumps &. Wheeles, driuen by a streame, and interchangeably
filling, and emptying two Buckets, with many such like: all which
notwithstanding, the Springs so incroche vpon these inuentions, as in
sundrie places they are driuen to keepe men, and some-where horses also
at worke both day & night, without ceasing, and in some all this will
not serue the turne. For supplying such hard seruices, they haue
alwaies fresh men at hand.
[12] They cal it the bringing of an Addit, or Audit, when they begin to
trench without, and carrie the same thorow the ground to the Tynworke,
somewhat deeper then the water doth lie, thereby to giue it passage
away.
This Addit, they either fetch athwart the whole Load, or right from the
braunch where they worke, as the next valley ministreth fittest
opportunitie, for soonest cutting into the Hil: and therfore a
Gentleman of good knowledges, deduceth this name of Addit, Ab aditu ad
aquas. Surely the practice is cunning in deuice, costly in charge,
and long in effecting: and yet, when all is done, many times the Load
falleth away, and they may sing with Augustus bird, Opera & impensa
periit. If you did see how aptly they cast the ground, for conueying
the water, by compassings and turnings, to shunne such hils & vallies
as let them, by their two much height or lownesse, you would wonder
how so great skill could couch in so base a Cabbin, as their
(otherwise) thicke clouded braines.
As much almost dooth it exceede credite, that the Tynne, for and in so
small quantitie, digged vp with so great toyle, and passing afterwards
thorow the managing of so many hands, ere it come to sale, should be
any way able to acquite the cost: for being once brought aboue ground
in the stone, it is first broken in peeces with hammers; and then
carryed, either in waynes, or on horses backs, to a stamping mill,
where three, and in some places sixe great logges of timber, bound at
the ends with yron, and lifted vp and downe by a wheele, driuen with
the water, doe breake it smaller. If the stones be ouer-moyst, they
are dried by the fire in an yron cradle or grate.
From the stamping mill, it passeth to the crazing mil, which betweene
two grinding stones, turned also with a water-wheele, bruseth the same
to a fine sand: howbeit, of late times they mostly vse wet stampers, &
so haue no need of the crazing mils, for their best stuffe, but only
for the crust of their tayles.
The streame, after it hath forsaken the mill, is made to fall by
certayne degrees one somwhat distant from another; vpon each of which,
at euery discent lyeth a greene turfe, three or foure foote square,
and one foote thick. On this the Tinner layeth a certayne portion of
the sandie Tinne, and with his shouell softly tosseth the same to and
fro, that through this stirring, the water which runneth ouer it, may
wash away the light earth from the Tinne, which of a heauier substance
lyeth fast on the turfe. Hauing so cleansed one portion, he setteth
the same aside, and beginneth with another, vntil his labour take end
with his taske. The best of those turfes (for all sorts serue not)
are fetched about two miles to the Eastwards of S. Michaels Mount,
where at a low water they cast aside the sand, and dig them vp: they
are full of rootes of trees, and on some of them nuts haue beene found,
which confirmeth my former assertion of the seas intrusion. After it
is thus washed, they put the remnant into a wooden dish, broad, flat,
and round, being about two foote ouer, and hauing two handles fastened
at the sides, by which they softly shogge the same to and fro in the
water betweene their legges, as they sit ouer it, vntill whatsoeuer of
the earthie substance that was yet left, be flitted away. Some of
later time, with a sleighter inuention, and lighter labour, doe cause
certaine boyes to stir it vp and downe with their [13] feete, which
worketh the same effect: the residue after this often cleansing, they
call blacke Tynne, which is proportionably diuided to euerie of the
aduenturers, when the Lords part hath beene first deducted vpon the
whole.