316 N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y
to corre£t the errors of - -the- -«odenr Goijnifh,. .vik&t in many particulars,
S E C T . XIX.
T h e prelent
Ante o f arts
in this county
had greatly degenerated from the. orthography o f their forefathers,
and wanted a reformer df fuch capacity to chaften 'and
reduce their - fpeech to the true radical original elements. His
Grammar will prefcrve the rudiments of this language as long as
his works remain, which will be as long as any regard for etymology
and the ancient hiftory of thefe kingdoms fubfifts. It lays a
foundation alfe for1 correcting the MSS. we havedni'this tongue, and
by diligently examining, collating, and making proper extracts from
the cleareft parts of them, for perfecting a Cornu-Englifh and an
Anglo-Cornifh Vocabulary.
That we may attend it to the grave, t This language is now altogether
ceafed, fo as not to be fpoken any where in converfation j
but as our ancient towns, caftles, rivers, mountains, manors, feats,
and families, have their names from the Cornifh tongue, and as
moft of the technical names of mining, hufbandry, fifhing, and
indeed foflie 'terminations of lands are in Cornifh ', it will in all ages
be entertaining, and upon many occafions ufeful and inftruCtiVe for
this county to have as correCt and copious a Vocabulary of its
ancient language, as can be procured from the materials now extant*
In difcourfing o f the arts now practiced in; this county, I intend
not to difplay their perfections, and applaud their late advances,
but to point out their deficiencies, and hint at their improvement.
About fifty years fince the principles and powers of mechanics
were but little known among the Cornifh: they, generally drew the
water from their mines by dint of human labour, which was extremely
expenfive, tedious, and impotent. Within thefe thirty
years, their hydraulics are greatly improved, their horfe-engines,
water-wheels, arid fire-engines are frill growing more numerous,
moft o f them now built by the natives, and gradually prevailing
againft inveterate cuftoms, which are not to be gat the; better of
all at once. Thefe engines are frill capable of farther improvement,
particularly the horfe-engine, called the Whim, whofe cylinder,
vulgarly called the Cage, which winds and unwinds the rope, I
have obferved in moft places of too final! a diameter, fo that it has
not the power it is capable of with equal labour : this whole machine
alfo wants a proper check., fo as that it might be eafily controlled,
or ftop itfelf (as the fire-engine will do when the motion
becomes too violent), for want of which many fatal accidents
happen to men as well as horfes. A thorough knowledge of mechanics
is indeed fo neceflary to mining, that one would wonder
how they could carry on mines here formerly with fo fmall a.
1 Antiquities o f Cornwall, page 374..
fhare
fhare of it: at prefent the Cornifh are very fenfible of this, and
there is foch a conftant call a t.one mine or other,' that . no. man
who is induftrious, and underftands mechanics, can fail of a hand-
fbme livelihood., t.
t. Our hufbandry would dpubtlefs admit of feveral improvements, Tillage,
but two more obvious than the. reft; as, firft,. ploughing and harrowing
with large horfes, inftead of the prefent mucfrflpwpr ,pro-
grefetio f ,o,uy*jMen ; fecopdly,- 'jhfodn&odneing .the jyneel7plough tin
many plain arid'even parts of the county, whereby, the weighs
would be' muclfidiminifned, and thej work accelerated. ..
T he wheel-carriages»ibr.timber and heavy dpaug . may afTo-be im- Carriages,
proved fofimur hntrj^ and, vgajns have »only atoo wheejs, va nti thofe
o f ,fmall> diameter Pyfrkefi f o - u r ^ f p r parrying h‘ay and
corn, ard more1 capacious; an'd.&su.fh©<wheels foppory, t;i^fourden and
leave no dead weight on thercattley ate much tpidmrpferred : the
lighter carts alfqdbr expedition muff much exceed om huttsiand w ill
carry mp^e, ,buf are not-fq^nnch in jufe as might,be wifhed
as the. highways, in moft parts. o£rthe.muftDi^hav^ b een oOate years
much widened, levelled, ;and repaired, it^is^q, be nopal» timt .the
fame method ofycarriage which te-xperience h|^|ga immended^ ^m e
moft, knowing and bufy parts o f the kingdom, will ^alfewfoon. Jaife
place pere^„Jt h^s been already Minted eafily our water.-carriage
maytbe extended*, by: making, onty^ig^s mavigable^eithir^by feats
and canals,'', pr bydocks, and ..the advantages', accruing from ifience
tojhufbandry, and ?every ’other, employ,, arertqp apparent tq qe farther
particularised.
Our fences, efpeGially in^the northern ».ana^yyeffCTp^pl^; mightFence3, ,
be bettered, that) is, more' commonly mlanted, 'which, \ypp^d,jmake
the pactions o f out fields-, more laftmgf! mqre, fightly;
and i f tenants were^encquraged,. and obliged b y efivepinji,with thdlip
Lords to plant every new hedge they .made, ,^^p,pnlyrw it^ q u k k fa ,
but with young faplings o f oak, am, ,^am, ,ob iycamore, the, defo'-
late nakednefs of, ftone and mqsr. turf hedges;- imfo,;i^‘di a climate.^
swoufd foon.be at an end, and fufficient ccm^penfation ^fia^e the.
Itlantefs:;;in: foe! and fhelter. „We hajje many, lands pf.rtl^ov^rpn
with fea-fandsj j which lands, efjpecially on the north.., epafq ,^ e r6£
a very fhelly1;, prolific kinduj-i perhaps faffron,might .be, cultivated-i|i
foniStM the moft fandy. foils tojigreat advantage.
WP have pfefr^ibf:w.Qol ip;^poJffc; parts this cpupty ; .but JihisiWosi. _s^
wool has sheen generally fold tp chapmen, who trav|:ji,C5n .pUrpoie, to
buy and carry it off, and ’Ms neither..carded,fpun,>,pr weaved, .but m
very few places. This being obferved by, fpmetpublick-fpirited gentle^
I K S B men,