The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-22 00:00:00

"iifhe following circumstances, of which we gained

information, will conclude the account of these
mines. They lie on the east side of a very steep
mountain, which forms the west side of the vale of
Stomethwaite. There are two workings, the lower
one.is about 340 yards above the level of the sea,
the upper one about 390 ; the perpendicular depth
of the lower one is about 105 yards, and of the upper
between 20 and 30 yards. There are two certain
marks on the surface to direct the miner to the
mineral. The strata of the mountains are very ir-

regular and broken, and the black-lead probably
was found in the fissures of the rocks. There is no
regular stratum of this mineral; it is met with in
lumps and irregular masses. The mines generally
work through a quantity of earth mixed with stones
of various kinds, then a species of hard grey granite,
and after that a dark blue stone of a softer nature,

where they sometimes meet with it (the miners]

Quartz and crystals are found in the workings.
The rock adjoining to this mineral is sometimes
tinged as dark as
,the mineral itself to the depth of
two or three feet. The mines are well defended
against pilferers by a temporary mason-work and
walling within, and a house over each entrance,
which are occupied by the stewards and workmen.

The best sort is now valued at three guineas per
pound."

Of this mine it is written in 1792 :—" The Wad
mines were very unsuccessful for some years past,
but last year they met with the black-lead again, in
a pretty large quantity, but of the illferior quality,
of which in a short time the miners procured about
five tons. The mineral is described as lying in the
mine in form resembling a tree; it hath a body or
root, and veins or branches fly from it in different

directions ; the root or body is the finest black-lead,
and the branches or extremities the worst the further

they fly. The metals (query minerals) in the low
mine lies in two veins, one crossing the other; where
they cross is the main body, and the best black-lead,

and these veins fall perpendicularly for sixty fathoms
in depth, the blue rock on each side ; at the end of
sixty fathoms they found the end of the cross vein,
and a large sop of the mineral, which came out as

if it had been in a wrought basin, the form of the
black-lead and the rock were so equal. A blue rock
lies on each side of the mineral, and sometimes there

is a wet sludge between the rock and the black-lead.
It is sometimes formed in sops or floats in a body
without branches."

(To be continued.)

Important to Embyro Consuls.

The following letter has been addressed to the
editor of the Anglo-American Times :

Sir,—l was delighted to see an extract from the
Philadelphia Inquirer in your valuable paper of Sa-
turday last upon the question of United States
Consuls in Europe. I have travelled much in
Europe, and have frequently come in contact with
many of these officers, and, until of late years, I
have in many cases felt real sorrow to find men ac-
who could not speak
the country in which
ocrneedwiteodrdtoof fothree ngiglancuoaugnetrioefs
they resided. Men without any acquaintance with
international,
any law, or of anything
h
and bearing. All officers
u t
gentlemanly
manners i n
from the United States to European Governments
should at least be gentlemen, and it is to be hoped
that the State Department will abide by the circu-
lar they have recently issued, and compel every
candidate for a foreign appointment to pass a rigid
examination, and prove his qualification for the
honourable position he seeks. In fact, gentlemen
should be specially educated for the position, but
to insure this, it would be necessary to make the
appointments of a more permanent character than
they are at present, and also that good. conduct
and efficiency should insure promotion, and not—
as in some cases chat have come under my know-
ledge—a recall.

I have, however, met many high-minded and
well-educated gentlemen filling with great honour
and universal respect the Consular Office, and doing
credit to their country and Government, and notably
amongst them I may mention the veteran Hon. Mr.
Vesey, Consul of the United States at Aix-la-
Chapelle,in Prussia, who for more than 35 years
has
reside
resided in Europe as Consul at some important
post, and always won the good opinion and re-
spect of all with whom his office has brought him
in contact. The almost veteran Hon. W. S.
Campbell, now in Dresden, who for nearly twenty
years was the Consul at Rotterdam, and in that '
city of sturdy Dutchmen made the name of an
American beloved and respected ; and I believe that
when the State Department removed him to his
present post, such was the feeling towards him in
that city that a petition was actually sent by the
principal inhabitants to' the Government, asking
that his Excellency, Mynheer Campbell might still
be allowed to remain among them ; the Hon.
Captain Eastman, of Queenstown, and many other
noble-minded men, who -do honour not only to
themselves, but to the country they so worthily re-
present—they aro model Consuls, the right men in
the right place.

Seeing the power for good or evil that is exer-
cised by these officers, questions worthy the most
careful consideration of the United States Govern-
ment are those of the proper education of gentlemen
intended for the Consular Office, and the appoint-
ment of none but men of the highest respectability

to posts of so much honour and importance, for the
character of a people is often judged in foreign
countries by the officers sent out to represent them.
—I am, Sir, yours very respectfully, A. L.