to know what fort of weather they fhall have; and they regulate their work accordingly. An account of Old Thomas Parr,, and of the diffection of his body after his death; from a manufeript of the famous Dr. Harvey, wha difcovered the circulation of the blood. THO a 'HOMAS PARR was poor countryman of Shropfhire, whence he was brought up to London by the right hon. Thomas earl of Arundel and Surrey, and died after he had out-lived nine princes, in the tenth year of the tenth of them, at the age of 152 years and nine months. Being opened after his death (ann. 1635, Nov. 16) his body was found very fiefhy, his breaft hairy, his genitals unimpaired, ferving not a little to confirm the report of his having undergone public cenfures for his incontinency; efpecially feeing that after that time, viz. at the age of 120 years, he married a widow, who owned, eum cum ipfa rem habuife, ut alii mariti falent; et ufquæ ad 12 annos retroactos folitum cum ea congreffum frequentaffe. Further, that he had a large breaft, lungs not fungous, but fticking to his ribs, and diftended with much blood; a lividnefs in his face, as he had a difficulty of breathing a little before his death, and a long-lasting warmth in his arm-pits and breaft after it, (which fign, together with others, were fo evident in his body, as they ufe to be on thofe that die by fuffocation). His heart was great, thick, fibrous, and fat. The blood in the heart blackish and diluted. The cartilages VOL. XII, of the fternum not more bony than in others, but flexile and foft. His vifcera were found and ftrong, efpecially the ftomach; and it was obferved of him, that he used to eat often by night and day, though contented with old cheefe, milk, coarfe bread, fmall beer, and whey; and, which is more remarkable, that he did eat at midnight, a little before he died. His kidneys covered with fat and pretty found; only on the interior furface of them were found fome aqueous or ferous abfceffes, whereof one was near the bignefs of a hen-egg, with a yellowilh water in it, having made a roundifh cavity, impreffed on that kidney: whence fome thought it came, that a little before his death a fuppref fion of urine had befallen him: though others were of opinion, that his urine was fuppreffed upon the regurgitation of all the ferofity into his lungs. Not the leaft appearance there was of any ftony matter, either in the kidneys or bladder. His bowels were alfo found, a little whitish without. His fpleen. very little, hardly equalling the bignefs of one kidney. In fhort, all his inward parts appeared fo healthy, that if he had not changed his diet and air, he might perhaps have lived a good while longer. The caufe of his death was imputed chiefly to the change of food and air; forafmuch as coming out of a clear, thin, and free air, he came into the thick air of London; and, after a conftant, plain, and homely country diet, he was taken into a fplendid family, where he fed high, and drank plentifully of the beft wines, whereupon the na tural functions of the parts of his body were over-charged, his lungs obftructed, and the habit of the H whole of ECTON-HILL, that part This copper-mine was difcovered about thirty years ago by a Cornish miner, who, in paffing over the hill, accidentally picked up a bit of ore, annexed to fome fine fpar, which that metal ufually adheres to. On viewing the fituation, and confider ing the great height of the hill, he concluded that vaft quantities of copper ore might be found there; and if that fhould be the cafe, no place could be more convenient for working it; and therefore he communicated his fentiments and difcoveries to fome adventurers at Ashburn, who approving the project, applied to the then Duke of Devonfhire (grandfather to his present Grace) for a leafe to fearch for copper on that hill. It appears by the moft authentic accounts, that more than 13,000l. were expended before any returns were made, and feveral of the original adventurers, defpairing of fuccefs, fold out their fhares at a confiderable lofs. But the fecond adventurers were more fortunate. After finking a fhaft of about 200 yards deep, and driving in an adit, immenfe quantities of copper ore were found, which continued to increase the lower they defcended, till the termination of the leafe, by which very confiderable fortunes were acquired. About fix months before the deceafe of the late Duke, (father to his prefent Grace) the leafe expired, and the whole undertaking fell into his Grace's hands, and has ever fince continued working to great advantage, To take a view of this ftupendous copper-mine, you muft enter at an adit at the bafe of the hill by the river Dove, and proceed about 400 yards, almost in a direct line. At your entrance, for about fixty yards, it is four feet and a half high, walled up on each fide with good ftone mafonry; but afterwards it varies in its height, and rifes in fome places to fix feet. When you arrive at the centre, there is a fpacious lodgment of timber, for landing and receiving the ore from below, which is drawn up by a man at a winch, who generally works naked, and is put into fourwheel waggons that will hold abont a ton and a half each. Thefe wag-, gons have caft brafs wheels, and are run in grooves through the adit, by boys from 12 to 14 years of age, with great facility. When on the lodgment, you behold a large hollow over your head, at leaft 250 yards high, by the fides of which there is a paffage to the fummit, but dangerous to attempt, as the timber-works feem in a decayed ftate. Thus far into the mountain, with the aid of lights, it is eafy enough of accefs. The late duke of Devonshire ventured to this platform, took a curfory view of the works, gave the miners ten guineas to drink, but returned immediately, not choofing to defcend below. Indeed, fuch a horrid gloom, fuch rattling of waggons, noife of workmen boring of rocks under your feet, fuch explofions in blafting, and fuch a dreadful gulph to defcend, present a scene of terror, that few people, who are not verfed in mining, care to pass through. From the platform the defcent is about 160 yards, through different lodgments, by ladders, lobs*, and crofs-pieces of timber let into the rock, to the place of action, where a new scene, ten thousand times more aftonishing than that above, At the bottom of this amazing work, the monftrous cavern or vacuum above, the glimmering light of candles, and nafty fuffocating fmell of fulphur and gunpowder, all confpire to increase your furprize, and heighten your apprehenfions. This fingular mine, in its pofition, fituation, and inclination, is different from any yet difcovered in Europe, Afia, Africa, or America. The wonderful mass of copper ore with which the mountain is impregnated, runs not in regular veins, or courses; but finks perpendicularly down, widening and fwelling out at the bottom, in form like a bellt. H2. Sup *Lobs, are steps that afcend and defcend within the mines, as ftairs up and down from a chamber. The principal copper, lead, and tin mines, in Cornwall and Devonshire, all direct in their courfes from the N. E. to the E. points, parallel to each other, inclining, or dipping to the N. or S. according to the fide of the hill where This inclination or dipping is fometimes onc foot in fix, eight, they are found. ten, or twelve, in form of the roof of a houfe: and although thefe veins or courfes fometimes fly off in all directions, only as it were the fports of nature, they fall again at a little diftance into their former ftations. The fame is likewife obferved in other mines in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The copper-mines in and near the Carpathian hills in Hungary, fuppofed to have been now worked at leaft 1100 years, extend under ground, in feveral places, ten, twelve, and fifteen English miles in length, employing generally 4000 miners under-ground, besides those of all ages and fexes above. Their veins, Suppofe, yourfelf now upwards of 200 fathoms deep in the bowels of a large mountain, in a great hollow of immenfe diameter; then fuppofe around you an impenetrable wall of time-ftone rock, interfperfed with small veins of copperore, yellow, black, and fome brown, intermixt with fpar, marcafite, mundic, and other fulphureous compofitions, of all colours; and at the fame time figure to yourfelf the footy complexions of the miners, their labour, and miferable way of living in thofe fubterraneous regions, and you will then be apt to fancy yourfelf in another world. Yet thefe inhabitants, being trained up in darkness and flavery, are not perhaps lefs happy, or lefs con tented, than thofe who poffefs the more flattering enjoyments of light and liberty. Hence the wifdom of providence is confpicuous, which, as veins, or courfes, all direct from the N. to the E. point, inclining or dipping generally one foot in ten, fome more, fome lefs. Some of thefe mines are from 300 to 400 fathoms deep; the fhafts are all timbered with great fquare logs of pine, laid one upon another, and pinned together with oak trunels; this method is ftronger and more lafting than planking, which is usually done in fome mines in England. The filver mines at Freiberg in Saxony, upwards of 400 English fathom deep, fuppofed to have been difcovered in the year 1180, and continued ever fince, from whence immenfe quantities of filver have been gotten, extend to a great length under ground, for many miles, in the direction from the N. to the E points, at different times flying off and a-crofs, from N. W. to W. S. W. and back to the S. E. but foon return to their former ftation, inclining, or dipping to, the N. then perpendicular for a few fathoms, till they jet off again to their natural floping pofition. In thofe famous mines of filver, copper, lead, and tin, which are in fuch plenty, and from whence fuch incredible quantities of filver have, and fill are, imported from the vaft empires of Chili and Peru in New Spain, or South Ame rica, which extend above forty degrees of fouth latitude; in all thofe mines which have been formerly wrought by the antient Indians, or difcovered and continued by the Spaniards, the principal veins run from east northerly, to weit foutherly, and in the northern part of the mountains, dip, or incline to the north; thofe that are on the fouthern fide of the mountains, dip, or incline to the fouth, after a floping pofition, and keep the fame directions. Thefe are alway efteemed by the moft judicious and fenfible Spanish miners, as the richest and moft valuable mines; whilft the others, which are fometimes found to jet off, or cross the grand courfes, are fcarce worth labour. The more inclinable to the northward of the eaft, fo much more valuable do they turn out in working. Many other inftances might be produced to prove the general pofition of mines different from this at Ecton, which we are now defcribing, which is the more wonderful and furprising. It is fuppofed there are no less than 40,000 working miners daily underground in the tin mines in Cornwall; and perhaps as many, if not more, in other works of copper, lead, and coal, in Great Britain. They reckon above 300,00 miners in Sweden, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Carinthia, Carniola, and other parts of Europe. And if we add the many thoufands employed in the various mines in South America, Indians, negroes, and white criminals, who are doomed to eternal darkness below, over and above thofe employed above-ground, we may modeftly admit fome millions of fouls, whofe bread depends on this laborious employment, and where many thousands live and die without ever tecing the light of the fun. as Pope fays, has placed happiness no where to be had, or every where. There is no timber made use of, except for lodgments, or platforms, ladders, or steps fet into the rocks, for afcending or defcending into the mine; neither is there any quantity of water to retard the works, notwithstanding it is at leaft 150 yards below the bed of the river four horfes, fix hours each at a common wem or engine, are fufficient to keep the mine clear. The timber works about the mine are very ill-contrived, and worfe executed. In defcending from the principal lodgment you pafs thirty ladders, fome half broken, others not half ftaved; in fome places by half-cut notches, or fteps in the rock; in others you muft almoft flide on your breech, and often in imminent danger of tumbling topsy-turvy into the mine; nor are the fhores which fupport the lodgment below in better condition. Notwithstanding the great depth of this mine, (which is the deepest in Great Britain) a little expence, judiciously applied, would render the approaches to the lowermoft part, eafy to the miners; but however troublesome the defcent may be, above fixty ftout, well-made fellows, work here night and day, fix hours at a time, for one fhilling each man; and although the major part work naked (a pair of coarfe canvafs drawers excepted) they are as merry and jovial a fet of mortals, as ever inhabited fuch infernal abodes. So much for the internal parts; we now come to the methods of dreffing, cleanfing, and fitting the ore for fale. The ore, as before obferved, when conveyed out by the boys, is thrown together in a heap, and two men with large hammers, or fledges, are employed to break it into fmall pieces. This done, it is carried in fmall hand-barrows, by little boys, to a place under a fhed, erected on purpofe, to be picked and forted, and is then laid by in different parcels, beft, fecond, and worft this operation is performed by little girls from eight to twelve years of age, who are furprizingly quick at the work, feparating the various kinds with aftonishing dexterity. From this place, the ore is carried to another large and convenient fhed, where about fifty women fit back to back, on benches, to buck or beat it with flat hammers, ftill keeping every particular fort feparate from each other. The ore, now reduced to a small fand, is again removed to the buddles, for washing, where an old experienced Cornish man has the fuperintendency of it, as a great deal of the fineft ore would be loft, if this operation is not properly performed. Here then it is curioufly cleanfed and washed, and afterwards expofed for fale in the open air, in various heaps, ticketed according to the different qualities and quantities. When all is ready, notice is given to the fmelting-houses, whofe proprietors, or managers attend, and each bids what price he thinks proper, (generally from 1. to 161. per ton) the highest bidder being the buyer; H 3 it Ticketing the ore is taking a couple of handfuls off a heap of ore promifcuously, and putting them into canvas bags by way of fample; then little labels are fixed to the bags, fignifying the quality of each parcel. |