upon the surface; and these being oftentimes either unripe or dead veins, cheat the miners with vain. hopes*.-The second elevation of this ridge is called Dufton Fell; the mineral productions whereof are chiefly lead of which there is such plenty got, as keeps a lead mill for the most part smelting down the ore. That which is here most remarkable is, that all the ore got upon this mountain is not found in natural veins, which run down perpendicularly or sloping (which is most usual), but in seams like coal, which run parallel, being inclosed within the strata of an hard and solid limestone sill, without any considerable depression from the horizon. This we generally call flat ore, being the overflowing of a rich vein; and doubtless, if the miners. would be at the charge of cross-cutting the rise of this limestone-sill, they would discover the vein from whence this ore doth flow. Upon this mountain there is a petrifying spring, which turns moss, or any other porous matter, that either falls into the water and sucks it up, or comes within the steam and vapours that arise from it, into stone;

*These mines have been now worked for many years by "The Governor and Co." or "The London Lead Mining Company," sometimes called The Quakers' Company, a wealthy body, (many of them Quakers) from London. Mr. Masterman, the banker, is their present Governor. Their respective Agents reside in excellent mansions prepared for them at Middleton in Teasdale, Stanhope in Weardale, Marton, Dufton, and Nent-Head. Dufton Fell is also worked by them. The others, as Silverband, are worked by private companies, but with little success.

insomuch that upon the mouth of the well there is raised a considerable hill of such petrefactions.The third elevation of this ridge of mountains is called by the name of Silverband; so called from the richness of the ore, which when refined by art yields a valuable product of silver. The fourth

elevation is called Blencarn Fell: the mineral productions, by the veins of spar and soil which appear at day, seem to be lead; there having been as yet no trials made. The fifth elevation is Kirkland-Fell; which, as well as the other mountains, hath its veins of spar: but as yet no trials have been made. The sixth and highest elevation is Cross-Fell. From whence descending the first depression is Green Fell; the mineral productions whereof are lead, copper, coal, and oker. The copper is very rich, but so intermixed with the lead ore in the same vein, that it requires some labour to separate them. In this fell there is a large vein of copperish sulphur, two yards wide, which is discovered by the rivulet. I doubt not, but if this vein were sunk down, till it got its natural feeder, it would turn to a rich vein of copper; for it is very usual in the kingdom of Peru, that the richest veins are sulphur at the top, and as they get more moisture, turn to copper, and when sunk deeper into the veins, turn to silver. The coal lieth upon the inside of the mountain, and is so broken and disjointed that it turns to no account.- -The second depression is Melmerby Fell; the mi

neral productions are lead, of which some quantities have been got; the veins are very hopeful, but no thorough trials have been made.The third depression is Gamelsby Fell, known by the name of Hartside. The mineral productions are chiefly coal. There is some appearance of veins of glassy spar and float copper, but no trials of either have been made. Here the metallic class changeth into a class of coal; and as the lead gradually goes off, so the seams of coal do gradually come in and increase. The seam of coal at Hartside colliery is about half a yard thick.— The fourth depression is Busk Fell, where no trials have been made. The fifth depression is Renwick Fell, where the seam of coal is increased to three quarters thick.-The last and lowest depression is Coal Fell, so called from the colliery. Here the coal class is in full strength and perfection, the seams being at their full height and growth. All the solid strata upon these mountains have their horizontal depressions, which the miners call dibbing and rising; and they dib most commonly to the north."

He then proceeds to the inner parts of the county of Westmorland, and observes, "At Reagill and Sleagill we meet with some small seams of coal, the main body of the coal lying upon Stanemore-heath; so that if the miners should sink there for a lower coal and a thicker seam, they would run a hazard of losing both labour and

money. For as in all classes of coal, the seams gradually increase in thickness till they come to their full height and growth; so they gradually decrease till they dwindle out into small seams, and then the covers change, and the coal goes out." So in Cumberland he shews, how the vein of coal comes in at Sourby pasture about eight or nine inches thick, then advances to fourteen inches, then at Warnel Fell to half a yard, then in the manor of Westward to a yard, where also a small seam of canal coal comes in; then in the manor of Bolton it is increased to seven quarters or two yards, and the canel seams to a yard, and the craw coal to three quarters. And here it is come to its full growth and perfection, and spreads over a great part of the level country to the Scotch sea.

He then proceeds to the mountains which are the boundaries of Westmorland on the South and West and observes how the seam of coal diminishing from Stanemore (where the seam is about a yard and a quarter thick), comes in at Hartley Fell; so also we may add, at Nateby, Mallerstang, Ravenstondale, and other places. The western fells, he observes, are of a quite different nature from the others above-mentioned, consisting of a blue crag and continued rock, without any horizontal flat beds. And the mineral productions of all of them are lead, copper, and iron; there is no prospect of coal in any of them, for where there are no flat and pinguid strata, there can be expected no

coal. From these mountains fine blue slate is got, which supplies several parts of the kingdom.

The same author further observes: "Though we cannot hope to make any discovery of veins either of gold or silver in these two counties, yet we have rich veins of silvery lead, in which we frequently meet with stones richly imbossed with clusters of diamonds, as bright and sparkling as any we have from Bristol. We have also in our rich lead veins great variety of spar; some white, and as transparent as fine crystal. We have others green, blue, red, and of a violet colour; which if they could be so softened as to be cut into figures, might be of use and value*.”

Dr. Woodward, in his Natural History, says, That near Ambleside, and in the ridge of mountains leading from thence to Penrith, there is marble of a dusky green colour, veined with white; and in Knipe Scar, are several talky fibrous bodies, which might be employed for the making wicks for lamps, as they will burn very long without any sensible diminution; they are opake, and of an ash colour. Fossils of various kinds are found in different parts of this country; as at Threapland

* There are also Copper mines at Asby belonging to John Hill Esq., of Bankfoot, the Lord of the Manor. There are also valuable marble quarries there worked by our kind friend. If the diggings in California should oblige us to resort to a Copper Standard of Currency (as some prophesy), may not these mines become some day worth their weight in gold?