ash tree and discovered a mass of fine plumbago at its root. The mine now at work is in the midst of a mountain about 2000 feet high, which rises at an angle as near as I could guess of 45 degrees, and is situate among other stupendous hills in a district known by the name of Barrowdale. When the value of this mine became known, the proprietors found it very difficult to guard it so as to prevent depredations. The practice of robbing it was become so common, that several persons living in the neighbourhood were said to have made large fortunes by secreting and selling the mineral: this, however, is now entirely prevented by some expedients hereafter to be mentioned. Even a guard stationed on the spot was of no avail, for 70 or 80 years ago a body of miners broke into the mine by main force, and held the possession of it in spite of the proprietors them selves. At one time the depredations had arrived to such a pitch, and such vast quantities had been stolen, that the delinquents undersold the proprietors in the London market, so that the latter found it expedient to buy up the remainder of their stock, in order to bring the price to its old level. It is not many years since a very large quantity of fine black-lead was found on Vicker's Island, situated in Derwentwater; and it is supposed that this was secreted there at the time the robbers had possession of the mine in Barrowdale. "It has been already mentioned that the black-lead mountain has an altitude of about 2000 feet; and as that part of the mine which is now working is near the middle of the mountain, the present entrance is about 1000 feet from its summit. There are indeed two entran ces; a small one by which the work men descend by means of a flight of steps; the other is a large horizontal one capable of admitting hand carts and wheelbarrows for the removal of the rubbish and loose earth by which the black lead is enveloped, and through this entrance the water passes off which constantly rue through the mine. "In order o secure the vast treasure which is contained within this mountain, the proprietors have now erected a strong brick building, consisting of four rooms on the ground floor, one of which is immediately over the opening by which the workmen eater the mine as they go to their work. This opening is secured by a trap door, and the room connected with it is called the dressingroom; for, when the men enter it, they strip off their usual clothes, and each of them puts on a dress suitable for working in a mine. The men work six hours each, and then they are relieved by others. When the hour of relief comes, the steward attends in the dressing-room, to see the men undress, as they come up the steps one by one out of the mine, when they put on their usual clothes, which are also examined by the steward to see that they have no black-lead concealed within them. This room contains no furniture except the pegs on which the clothes are hung all round the room, each man knowing his own. When these have dressed and departed, another set of men clothe themselves for their work and enter the mine as before, when the trap-door is again shut, and the steward is relieved to attend his other occupations. "I have said that the house consists of four rooms, and these are contrived so that they connect with each other. In the inner-most of these rooms there is a kind of counter or strong table, under the window, at which two men sit; who are constantly employed in assorting and dressing the mineral. This is necessary, because it is usual to divide the black-lead into two kinds, called best and coarse; and as the finest specimens have generally pieces of ironore or other impurity attached to them, these are dressed off by peculiar tools adapted to the purpose. These men are constantly shut in when at work, and the steward walks backwards and forwards in an adjoining room furnished with two loaded blunderbusses, which hang within his reach, for the sake of further security. As the black-lead is cleaned, it is put into firm casks which hold about 112lb. each, and these are sent by waggons to the warehouse of the proprietors in London. Formerly this mine was opened only once in six or seven years; but in conse quence of the demand being greater, and the quantity which they have dis covered not being so large, it has been found expedient to open it and dig for ore during 6 or 7 weeks every year. During this time the mine is guarded night and day; and it is thought neces sary that the steward, who lives only at the village of Seathwait, at the foot of the mountain, should not leave the house night or day during the whole of this period, except an hour or two on the Sunday to visit his family, and even then, as he told me, he was always careful to return to his dwelling on the mountain while it was yet light. In consequence of the mine having of late years been opened every summer, they now raise all the black-lead they find and then the mine is securely shut up in the following manner :-The workmen wheel back the rubbish which had been removed at the opening of the mine, and this is laid in one continued heap to the amount of some hundred cart loads, which securely blocks up both passages into the mine. The door is then locked, as well as the door into the house, and all the men leave the premises in a state of safety; for the mass of rubbish which is thus wheeled in at the large door, dams up the small rill of water which usually flows through the mine, and this has the effect of flooding it completely. Thus, if an attempt were made to break the house and enter the mine by that road, the robbers would find that the water had arisen to such an height as would drown any individual who should attempt to search for the ore. gether to 2552 casks, of about 112lbs. each. It might be a matter of difficulty to those who visit the mine, to conceive how these casks of black-lead can be conveyed with safety down the face of so steep a mountain. This is done by men who have been long accustomed to the task. The cask is fixed upon a light sledge with two wheels, and the man who is well used to this sort of precipitous path, walks coolly down before the sledge, taking care that it does not acquire too great a momentum, and thus overpower him. The empty sledge be then carries back upon his shoulders, and takes another cask. All the blacklead is sent to London, as I have already mentioned, where it is deposited in the warehouse of the proprietors, and afterwards disposed of by public auction, held at Essex-street, in the Strand, London. This happens on the first Monday of every month throughout the year; and the best kind usually sells for two guineas or more per pound. The property of this valuable mine is divided, as I understand, into two equal parts, one of which belongs to Henry Banks, Esq. representative in parlia ment for Corfe Castle, in the county of Dorset; and the other moiety is divided into ten or twelve shares belonging to Sir Joseph Banks, Sir John Mitford, the Executors of the late Mr. Gilbert, and others. In some years the net produce of the black-lead has amounted to thirty or forty thousand pounds." T. P. A. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. No. XXXI. Trected up to the end of the pre "From an examination of the exterior of the mountain it appears, that, in former times, various small shafts have been sunk for getting the blacklead, and the mine which they are now working was one of those which had been closed for a century, but was again opened in the year 1769, in consequence of another mine in the immediate vicinity having failed. The expense of raising the black-lead varies very much in diferent years, according to the size of the masses which the HE Admiralty Navy List, corworkmen happen to meet with: for instance, that which they found in the year 1778 was four yards in diameter, and twelve yards high; that of 1803 was twenty-one yards and a half-high, two yards and an half in diameter, and perfectly round like a column; that which they found in 1812, was rather less than 20 yards in height, and only 2 feet in diameter; and what they are now getting is found only in a narrow string. The expenses in driving the level, building the house, and working the mine, from the 23d of April, 1798, to the 4th of April, 1814, have amounted to 66377. 98. 4d.; and during this period there have been produced 136 casks of fine black-lead, and 1816 casks of a coarse kind, amounting to sent month, contains 198 Admirals, 854 Post Captains, 814 Commanders, 3980 Lieutenants, 688 Masters, 946 Surgeous, 412 Assistant Surgeons, and 935 Pursers. Oct. 31, 1816. PARLIAMENT. It is calculated that the number of persons-qualified in England to vote in the election of members for the House of Commons, amounts to 112,875 ; in Wales, to 6,512; and in Scotland to only 2,697; making a total of 122,084 electors in Great Britain. What propor tion does this number bear to a popula tion of nearly Fourteen Millions. An Account of the Number of Country Banks in England and Wales, for which Licences to issue Promissory Notes have been taken out, for Two Years ending 5th January, 1816; distinguishing each Year, and distinguishing the Number in each County, and the Number of Partners concerned in the Banks of each County. An Account of the Amount of Payments made by Great Britain, on Account of the Joint harge of the United Kingdom; and also of the Expense of managing and collecting the hevenue of Great Britain, in Fourteen Years, ended the 5th of January 1816. Total 659,122,094 18 6 39,154,019 8 8 698,276,114 Whitehall Treasury Chambers, 10th May, 1816. An Account of Payments made by Great Britain, on the Joint Account of Great Britain and Ireland, in the Year ended the 5th January 1815. S. R. LUSHINGTON. No. 9.-Expenses of managing and collecting the Revenue of 1,763.368 16 5 3,572,261 11 42 £77,589,312 4 8 An Estimate of the Sum necessary to defray the Expense of Miscellaneous Services during the present Year. To pay interest on Exchequer bills To pay Sinking Fund on Exchequer bills outstanding Το do. at 10th Oct. 6 43,151 2 0 pay off Debentures outstanding at 5th April 1816 To pay half a year's interest on ditto.. To discharge the debt due to the East India Company in addition to the sum of 554,508 68. 8d. paid to them last year Other Miscellaneous Services.. Whitehall Treasury Chambers, 13th May 1816, £ S. d. 2,000,000 0 0 260,000 217,832 4 787,400 0 0 19,695 0 0 945,491 13 4 4,230,408 17 10 2,000,000 00 £6,230,408 17 10 S. R. LUSHINGTON. An Estimate of the Sum necessary to defray the Extraordinary Expenses of the Whitehall Treasury Chambers, 13th May, 1816. S. R. LUSHINGTON. An Account of the Quanlity of Dollars, Three Shilling Pieces, and One Shilling and Sixpenny Pieces, issued by the Bank of England in each Year, from the Year 1797 to the 6th Day of June, 1816, inclusive. N.B. The receipt of Bank Dollars and Tokens in 1816 have exceeded the issue by 105,8597. 3s. 6d. Bank of England, 13th June 1816. H. HASE, Chief Cashier. An Account of the various Prices per Ounce paid by the Commissary General to the Bank for Dollars, between the Month of April 1811, and the Month of December of the same Year, stating the Dates at which such Purchases were made. 1811. oz. d. 31st July, 433,000 paid for by the Commissary in Chief at 71 per oz. 3d Sept...259,800. 22d Nov...887,968... Bank of England, 13th June 1816. ...ditto ....ditto Importations of Coal into the Port of London since 1800. Chaldrons. Average of Five Years. 1801 1802 859,738 902,284 |