to rise to the top, and (by attraction of gravitation again) the tin, which is heaviest, to sink to the bottom. The pure metal, now liquidated by fervent heat, and glowing in the furnace, is poured into iron moulds, two feet long and one foot wide at top, and lessening at bottom, and eight inches deep: this done, behold a BLOCK OF TIN! bright, pure, valuable and universally esteemed throughout the known world,—like a CORNISH LADY! These blocks of tin, weighing three cwt, and a half, are principally sent into Wales, Small bars are cast in marble moulds, half a yard long, and half an inch thick and wide, for the foreign market, and for the home consumption of plumbers and others; who, with lead and resin, make therewith metallic cement, well known by the name of soder. Wheal Vor produces copper, to a small extent; but it undergoes no process there. There is a school at this mine, for the instruction of the children. Mr. Hodge perfected his friendliness, by presenting me with specimens of ore, washed and calcined powders, and pure tin; which I have placed in the museum at my little place in Surrey: the sight of which, I hope, will continually remind me of his urbane attention. Taking leave of this gentleman, I retired from this didactic and interesting scene,-pondering on what I had beheld, the space occupied above, the depth attained below,-the powerful engines exercised, the number of human beings employed,—the variety of processes, the elements brought to operate. Lofty courage had dared, and Herculean toil had accomplished, the operose undertaking of diving 240 fathoms into the bowels of the earth;-a gigantic engine raised up the inundating waters from the subterranean theatre of human industry;-another engine stamped, with iron feet, the hard ore to powder;-1200 men, women, and children were employed, in various compartments of divided labour;-while streams of water and fiery furnaces unite the irresistible powers of their opposing elements, to mundify and fuse the metal. Since the sons of Tyre and Carthage, and the merchants of ancient Judæa in the days of her sceptred glory, first traded and colonized in this metalliferous region, how many generations of adventurous souls must have traversed distant seas, to traffic in this Cornubian merchandize! what thousands and tens of thousands, in countless, conbecutive generations, have toiled in these awful subterraneous profundities;-what multifarious advances must have been made in science; -'ere all these admirable circumstances of combined power and art have produced the tons of this useful and valuable metal, which I beheld, in glittering blocks, in the stanneal treasury of the Wheal Vor! I now pursued my route to Helston, distant about three miles; and walked to Penryn, ten miles and a half from Helston. I cannot chuse but notice, in this place, the toll-houses and gates on the eastern side of Helston, and the northern side of Penryn; which are large, and unique in architectural style. Crosswolla toll-house, at Helston, is an octagonal building, two stories high, with a square-built addition in the rear: the material being neatly hewn stone. The gate, which is hung on, and fastened to, pretty octagonal pillars, is formed of two horizontal bars, the lowest of which is half a yard from the ground, which are united by various ties of wood, placed diagonally between them, and forming lozenges. These houses and their gates are ornaments to their respective localities. Remove their gates, and adorn them with the rural circumstances of water and plantation, and they would resemble elegant lodges: I now entered Penryn, and paid my respects again to Mrs. Trenery; and had |
