The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-07 00:00:00

No. 18,913.]

MR. BURKE'S NEW WORK.
Now r"ady. in 2 vols., 21s- bound,
AMILY ROMANCE;
OR, EPISODES IN TIIE
DOMESTIC ANNALS OF 'r lIE ARISTOCRACY.
By J. BERNARD BURKE, Esq ,
Author of " The Peerage," "The Landed (Sentry," &C.
" It were impossible to praise too highly these most interesting
volumes. The aristocracy and gentry owe, indeed, a great debt to
Mr. Burke as their family historian."—Standard.
Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, successors t ) Henry Colburn, 13,
Great Marlborough•street.

THE ENGLISH CYCLOP/EDIA,
No. 11., being the First Number of the Naturel History Divi-
sion, is published th's day, price 6d., illustrated with more than one
huadred Woodcuts.
Conducted by Mr. CHARLES KNIGHT.
Published by Bradbury and Evans, No 11, Bouverie street.

CAPTAIN CHESTERTON'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
On Friday next will be published, in 2 vols , post Bvo.,
PEACE, WAR, AND ADVENTURE :
An Autob!op,raphical Memoir of GEORGE LAVAL CHES-
TERTON, formerly of the Field Train Department of the Royal
Artillery, subsequently a Captain in the Army of Columbia, and at
present Governor of toe House of Correction at Cold Bath Ftelds.
London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.

CONTRACT FOR TALLOW.
Department of the Storekeeper General of the Navy,
Somerset-place, sth May, 1853.
THE Commissioners for Executing the Office of
Lord High A dmiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, do Hereby Give Notice, that on TUESDAY, the 31st
instant, at One o'clock, they will be ready to treat with such
persons as may be willing to Contract for supplying her Majesty's
Dockyards at Deptford and Woolwich with
RUSSIA OR ENGLISH TALLOW.
A Distribution and a Form of the 'fender may be seen at the said
Office. No Tender will be received after One o'clock on the day of
Treaty, nor IN ill any be noticed, unless the party attends, or an
agent for him, duly anthorised in writing.
Every Tender must be addressed to the Secretary of the Admi-
ralty, and bear in the left-hand corner the words, " Tender for
Tallow," and must also be delivered at Somerset-place, accon.panh d
by a letter signed by two responsible persons, engaging to become
bound, with the person tendering, in the sum of 1,600 L for the due
performance of the Contract.

TOLTIMORE COPPER and GOLD MINING
COMPANY.
^4-ADJOURNED HALF-YEARLY GENERAL MEETING of RE-
GISTERED SHAREHOLDERS, held at the Offices of the Company,
Vernon-house, 50, Pall-mall, on Thursday, May 5, 1855.
-- •

CHARLES HENEAGE, Esq., In the Chair.

The Circular convening the Meeting having been read, the follow-
ing Report was laid before the Shareholders :

REPORT.
In meeting the Shareholders for the first time, the Committee
have much pleasure in being able to report most satisfactorily as to
the position and prospects of the undertaking.
It w 11 be remembered that the Company was formed for the pro-
duction of copper mainly, but as the gossan of the locality had been
proved to be auriferous, and as immense deposits existed on the Pol-
timore sett, a yield from this source was made an anticipated ad-
junct. There is now before the public a fair estimate of the average
product veness of this gossan—not from picked specimens or excea-
lions! pieces but from numerous experiments taken from the
general mass which had no auriferous signs. These experiments
admit of no ffirther doubt as to the presence of gold, and that in suf-
ficient quantities to render -it highly remunerative. The reduction
in bulk has exceeded expectation. The cake of gold which is on
the table weighs 26% ounces, and was extracted from 20 tons of red
gossan.
The circular which was sent to the Shareholders on the 16th of
last month, a transcript of which is added to this report, contains the
particulars of the reduction; but it is necessary to mention here,
that the red gossan, which proves an average yield of 1 oz. 7 dwts.
per ton, is apparently an inexhaustible deposit, while the brown,
from which 6 dwts. of gold were extractfsd, besides silver and
copper, can be traced across the entire sett. There would, conse-
quently, be no difficulty in bringing to surface the 300 tons per
week proposed to be taken by Messrs. Rawlins and Watson at 41. 4s.
per ton, or double this quantity ; so that much more than the large
profits in favour of the Company mentioned by those gentlemen may
be calculated upon.
A question, however, of much interest here presents it.,elf for the
consideration of the Shareholders, namely, whether it wodld not be
advisable to erect reduction works on the premises, under the super-
intendence of Me- srs. Rawlins and Watson, or others; but, in the
mean time, the Committee have taken the necessary steps for a con-
tinuous supply of the red gossan to St. Helen's. A strong reason in
favour of reduction works et the m'ne is the fact, that the brown
gossan, which could g.ve but a small profit by tran=mission to Messrs.
Rawlins and Watson, would return a cons,derable benefit if reduced
on the mine. The Britannia Mining Company, whose sett adjoins
the Poltimore Mine, leave contracted for the erection of works for
crushing and amalgamating their aurifevious gossan, under the di-
rection of Captain W. J. Moorsom and Mr. Mitchell.
As respects the production of copper, all points likewise progress
with energy and efficiency The necessary machinery is on the
ground, the wheel is nearly finished, and in about a for.nlght it is
anticipated the full power will be in motion to clear the shafts and
levels of water.
In reference to the old works generally, it is no exaggeration to
I say they are gigantic, and the natural inference to be drawn is, that
they were not carried on without beneficial returns; but whether it
was for copper or for gold, or both, which the ancients explored,
there is not the slightest clue to determine. 'I here is not even tra-
dition as to the period when these extensive operations were carried
on, but there is every indication of their being the labour of Romans.
Slag is found in different parts of the locality, but nothing can be ex-
tracted from it to show whether the reduction was for the precious
or the baser metals.
There are four engine-shafts sunk to depths of 20 and 40 fathoms ;
nine whim-shafts from the surface ground to the adit-levels, about
30 to 40 fathoms deep : 300 fathoms in the eastern, and 200 fathoms
in the weste;lt side of the valley have been removed in the adit-
level from the gossan lode, in some places in chambers of great di-
mensions. The copper, or bamfyide lode, has likewise been stink and
driven on. All theta different point wall be explored and carefully
examined so soon as the mine is clear of water. The teats, lobbies,
and archings have also been executed in a manner evidently regard-
less of coat or labour, and the Poltimore Mine altogether presents an
area of vast operations and interest. It is probably one of the largest
undertakings in the kingdom. Its extent and capabilities, in fact,
can only be fully understood by personal inspection, and all who
visit it will return satisfied of the mineral resources of the property.
An accountant has investigated the accounts of the Company, and
handed in a certified balance sheet, whi h shows that the number of
Shares paid up,l inclusive of those appropriated to the lessees in pur-
chase of the sett, was 51,720, leaving a balance of 8,280 shares, which
the Committee recommend should be offered to the public at 3/. per
share, giving the present Shareholders a priority at that price. All
the charges to date have been disbursed, with the exception of some
for the machinery, Sec., now in course of erection, not exceeding
„AWL; apd the balance to the credit of the c.ompany at thp bankers is.
19.7541. 17s. ad.
Considering the strong probability of early profits from the re-
sources of the mine, the Com eittee propose to the Shareholders to
cancel the 2nd of the rules and regulations, which provides for the
payment of dividends from capital, until the mine should be produc-
tive, and that the next meeting should be declared special for the
purpose in pursuance of Rule 26th.
Proposed by the CIIAIAMAN ; seconded by WILLIAM FELL, Esq. ;
and resolved :
That the Report now read be received and entered in the Cost
Book.
• • -

Proposed by CHARLES CLARKE DTPPA, Esq.; seconded by Fitericts
BILL, Esq.; and resolved:
That the best thanks of the Meetin't are given to the Chairman
and Committee of Management for the efficient manner in which
the affairs of Company have been conducted.

Proposed by WILLIAM GREENE, Esq. seconded by Captain Mooa-
sox ; and resolved

That the present Committee of Management be re-appointed, and
do consist of . _ -

Charles Heneage, Esq.
Viscount Ranelagh

Thomas Inglis Hampton, Esq.
Henry Wm. Taylor, Esq., F.G.S,
Henry Mogford, Esq., F.G.S.
Richard Martin, Esq.

James Cook, Esq.
Edward Hobhouse, Esq.