The Wilmingtonian., 1823-12-11

iII1uu, duu tHuS leHuttEu 81 CUiu dtlu SllV-
Ipy, that we could have no dependence up
on our benumbed fingers, if our feet failed
JUS. Then, to complete our apPrehensions.
Jas we mentioned this to the miners, they
said, " have care! 1t was just so, talk
ling about the slaves, that one of our wo-
linen fell, about four years ago, as she was
to her work." Fell'' ex-
|claimed our Swedish interpreter, rather
simply. "and pray what became Of her?'
/" Became of her! !" continued the foremost
of our guides, disengagng one of his hands
from the ladder and slapping it forcibly
against his thigh, as if to illustrate the
manner of the catastrophe, "she became
Ia pancake"
As we descended farther from the sur
face, large masses Of ice appeared, cover
ling the sides of the precipices. Ice is
raised in the buckets with the ore and rub
bic of the mine; it has also accumulated
lin such quantities in some of the lower
chambers, that there are places where it
lis fifteen fathoms thick, and no change OF
temperature above prevents its increase
This seems to initiate against notion
low becoming prevalent, that the tempe
|rature of the air in mines increases direct
lily as the depth from the surface, owing to
1.-THE increased temperature of the earth
under the same circumstances, and in the
same ratio but it is explained by the width
|)f this aperture at the mouth of the mine,
which admits of free passage OF atmos-
'lpheric air. In our Cornish mines, ice
would not be preserved in solid state at
any considerable depth from the surface.
! After much fatigue, and no small share
a,Iof apprehension. we at length reached the
bottom Of the mine Here we had no soon
Ter arrived, than our conductors, taking
leach of US by an arm, hurried US along
; Through regions of thick-ribbsd ice" and
'llarkpess, into vaulted level, through
(which we we're to pass into the principal
. lchanber of the mine. The noise of count
-ess hammers, all in vehement action, in
: Creased as we crept along this level; un-
,lti, at length, subduing every other sound,
y we could no longer hear each other speak.
Notwithstanding our utmost efforts. At
Iihis moment we were ushered into pro-
ldigious cavern, whence the sounds pro-
Iceeded, and here amidst falling waters,
ltumbling rocks, steam, ice and gunpowder,
about fifty miners were in the very height
. of their employment.
ri The magnitude of the cavern, over all
E elparts of which their labours were going on,
! was alone sufficient to prove that the iron
lore is not deposited in veins, but in beds.
d Above, below, on every side, and in
4 every nook of this fearful dungeon, glim-
: mering tapers disclosed the grim and anx-
\ ious countenances of the miners. They
b we're now driving bolts of iron into the
0 rocks, to bore cavities for the gunpowder
a for blasting. Scarcely had we recovered
, from the stupefaction occasioned by our
tlhrst introduction into this Pandemonium,
| when we beheld, close to US, hags more
:, horrible than perhaps it is possible for any
|other female figures to appear, holding
/, their dim quivering tapers to our faces,
J land believing in our ears. One of the
J same sisterhood, snatching lighted splin-
liter of deal, darted to the spot where we
Z, stood, with eyes inhamed and distillng
lrheum, her hair clotted with mud, breasts
naked and pendulous and with such face,
t and such hideous yells, as it is impossible
Ito describe.
"Black it stood, as night-ferce as ten furies
{ terrible as hell"
If we could have heard what she said,
we should not have comprehended sylla-
|Dle but as several other Parce, equally
|Gorgosian in their aspect, passed swiftly
|hy US Fastening tumuItuously towards the
entrance, we began to perceive, that if we
remained longer in our present situation,
Atroput might indeed cut short the threads
|of our existence, for the noise of the ham,
, mers had now ceased. and tremendous
blast was near the point of its explosion.
We had scarcely retraced, with afspeed,
our steps along the level, and were begin
ming to ascend the ladders, when the full
volume of the thunder reached US, as if
roaring with greater vehemence because
bent amongst the crashing rocks, whence
being reverberated over all the mine, SEEM
ed to shake earth itself with its terrible
vibrations.
! INTERESTING TRIAL.
/ The trial of Horatio John Pail, aged
H. Al. Al