Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/145

 The Snow and Frost near the Grooves melt quickly, but continue long at further distance.

To the 18, 19. Sometimes, when a Mine hath been very near the surface, the Grass hath been yellow and discolour'd. Some have made use of the Virgula divinatoria; but the Experience Work-men have no value for it; yet they say, when the Mine is open, they may guess by it, how farr the Vein leades.

To the 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, Qu. White, Yellow and m'xt Earth are leaders to the Country (as they call it;) Changeable colours alwayes encourage their hopes. For Stones, they are sometimes 12 fathom deep, before they meet any: Otherwhile, when at stony Reak at top, they meet Ore just under the sword (superficies) of the Grass, which Ore hath gone down above 40 fathom. A black Stone is of bad signification, and leads to a Jam (a black thick Stone, that hinders their work.) A grey cleer dry one they account best. They seldome encounter Damps. If in linking they come to wet moorish Earth, they exspect a Jam, and to be closed up with Rocks. The nearness they guess by short britle Clay; for the tough is not leading. As to the rest of the Queries, belonging to this Title, the Minemen can give no satisfaction to them.

To the 31, 32. The Ore sometimes is Shole, and again, it is 14 or 20 fathom more or less, before they hit it. They follow a Veine inclining to some depth, when it runs away in flat Binns (their terme.) When the Stones part it, then they find a Veine again. Their Draughts are 14 or 16 Fathom, till they come to a Stone, where they call aside a Draught call'd a Cutt. Then they sink plum again 4 or 5 Cutts one under another. They find Ore at 50 Fathom. Their best Reaks are North and South; East and VVest are good, though not so deep. But 6 and 12 are proper Reakes, the rest not so.

To the 33 and 34. The Groove is 4 foot long, 2½ foot broad, till they meet a stone, when they carry it as they can. The Groove is supported by Timber of a Divers bigness, as the place gives leave. A piece of an Armes bigness will support 10 tun of Earth. It lasts long; that which was put in beyond the memory of man (nay, which by the difference in the manner of working their mines, they know to have layn above 200. years) Rh