Tully (a better Orator then Historian, yet better Historian then Metallist, affirm∣eth that Britain affordeth, ne micam auri vel argen•…•…i, not a grain of gold or silver: under∣stand him what in his age was discovered. Otherwise Wales, and especially Cardigan∣shire yields ROYAL MINES, where the silver holds standard, and pays with profit for the separation from Lead, and the refining thereof, as by the ensuing particulars will appear.
- 1. Six Mountains there are in Cardigan shire, (pardon British Reader, if I spell them rather after our English Pronunciation, then the Welch Orthography,) viz. Comsomelock, Tallabant, Gadarren, Bromefloid, Geginnon and Cummer∣rum.
- 2. The Romans first began to mine here, (as appears by their coines found therein,) working in trenches, not above twenty or four and twenty fathom deep, and found plenty of Lead.
- 3. The Danes and Saxons wrought by Sheafts, so they call what is long and nar∣row; whether mounting into the aire, (as Spires of Steeples,) or sinking in∣to the earth, as their Pits here, an hund•…•…ed fathom deep.
- 4 They found great plenty of Lead, but at last deserted their works, either because the vein of metall failed, or they drowned with the irruption of water.
- 5. Customer Smith, about the latter end of the raign of Queen Elizabeth, dis∣covered Silver in Comsomelock, and sent it up to the Tower of London with great expence, to be coined.
- 6. After his death, the design was prosecuted, and more perfected by Sir Hugh Middleton Knight, coining the Silver to his great charge, as his Predecessour, at the Tower.
- 7. After the death of Sir Hugh, Sir Francis Godolphin of Cornwall Knight, and Thomas Bushell Esquire, undertook the work.
- 8. King Charles, for their greater encouragement, and sparing their expence, granted them power of coinage at Aberrusky in that County.
- 9. Thomas Bushell (Sir Francis dying soon after, and Comsom•…•…lock being deser∣ted) adventured on the other five Mountains.
- 10. Not disheartned, that the first year and half afforded no effectuall discove∣ry, at last these Mines yielded one hundred pounds a week, (besides Lead amounting to half as much) coined at Aberrusky aforesaid.
- 11. The pence, groats, shillings, half-crowns, &c. of this Silver, had the Ostrich feathers (the Armes of Wales) for distinction stamped on them.
Then came our Civil Wars, and discomposed all the work, when Mattocks must be turned into Spear•…•…, and Shovells into Shields, or else probably before this time the project had arrived at a greater perfection.
Here by the way, it is richly worth the observing, how the modern manner of Min∣ing exceedeth what was formerly used. For thirty years since they began at the top of a Mountain, digging directly downwards with their Shafts, which was subject to a double mischief, of damps, and drowning. Besides, vast was the expense before they could come to the bowels of the Mountain, wherein the Oar (if any) was most pro∣bably expected.
Since they have gone a more compendious way by Adyts, making their entrance (some five foot and a half high, and perchance as broad,) into the Mountain, at the low∣est levell therereof, so that all the water they meet with, conveyeth it self away as in a channel, by the declivity of the place. And thus they penetrate the most expeditious way athwart the middle thereof, which bringeth them to the speediest discovery of the metal therein.