Rambles among the Channel Islands / by a Naturalist.

Date:
[1855?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rambles among the Channel Islands / by a Naturalist. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a short time after the discovery of this metalli- ferous vein. A gentleman being at the south- western part of the island rabbit-shooting, shot one of these little animals near the edge of the cliff, over which it fell. A man was sent to look for the rabbit, and he brought up in addi- tion several ston'bs exhibiting glittering metallic indications. After a little search the vein was discovered standing quite out of the cliff: the surrounding rock being more easily acted on by the waters and chemical influence of the air than it, wasted away around it, leaving the metalli- ferous vein untouched. Mr. Darwin relates in almost the same terms the discovery of the lucrative silver mines of Chanuncillo, from which silver to the value of many hundred thousand pounds has been raised in the course of a few years. A man, in that instance, threw a stone at his loaded mide, and, thinking it very heavy, he picked it up, and found it rich in pure silver. By a little scrutiny the vein was discovered close by, standing up like a wedge of metal. The vein thus discovered was speedily worked, and received the name of Sark’s Hope. A landing place for vessels was formed, a road to the newly-discovered mine was made, shafts were sunk, steam-engines erected, with the necessary machinery, for the preparation of the