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Printed in NC, 6: 367-9.
To the Rt.ble.
May it please your Lordships
The design of sending down two Persons well
skilled in assaying and working of minerals, Mr. Brandshagen
and Mr. Hamilton, to r.
Alva five miles from Sterling East and by North; being as I presume,
that they should in the first place survey the Mine with the
Mountain about it and Assay the Ore and make a Report
upon the whole that it may certainly appear whether the same
be a silver mine and of what value before they begin to dig &
work the Ore, and it being intended that in doing this they
should act under Mr. Haldane, r.
said r.r. Haldane living near the mine
and having expressed himself willing to encourage and supervise
the said two men and forward their design: I humbly propose
pursuant to your Lordships Directions the following Instructions
as proper for this purpose.
1. That in the presence of Substantial Witnesses, the said
two Persons cause to be broken off from each of the two Veins
of Ore which are in the said Mine, about Six or Eight pounds
of Ore, and Seal up the same in two papers with Inscriptions
upon them denoting what Vein each parcell is taken from: the
Inscriptions to be signed by the Witnesses, and the two Parcells
to be packed up together and sent to London to the Lords rs.
of his Majestys Treasury to be Assayed in London by their Order.
The Witnesses may be Mr. Haldane and one or two of his
Sons who are Parliament Men and Mr. Drummond
Warden of the Mint at Edinburgh or any other Gentleman
of Credit whom my Lord Lauderdale General of the said Mint
shall please to send thither for his own Satisfaction, and the
Satisfaction of the Government, and any other Person or Persons
whom your Lordships shall order to be present.
That in the presence of the same Witnesses other pieces
of Ore be broken
and the Assays reported by the said two persons and repeated
once or twice if need be for the Satisfaction of the Witness
and Signed by the said Witnesses in Testimony that the Assays
were made before them and sealed up and sent also to the
Lords Commissioners of his Majestys Treasury. And that a
Description of the said two Veins in Breadth and depth and
distance from one another be also sent and which way they run
and what sort of Earth or Stone the two Veins are lodged in, and
what is the depth of the Mine and the distance of each Vein from
the Surface of the Mountain, and whether in that Mine
there be any Bedds of Silver or Copper Ore besides the two Veins.
That the Casks (or old Hogsheads and Barrells) which were
filled with about 40 Tunns of Ore dugg out of the said Mines
by Order of the Lady Ereskine in the time of the late Rebellion
and buried on the North west Side of her house just by the Gate
thereof be enquired after, and a Report made thereof and of
what that Ore holds by the Assay.
That the Burn or Channel made in the south side of the
Mountain by floods running down about three or four Furlongs
westward from the Said Mine within r.
the Mountain, be well viewed to see what Sparrs and other signs
of Minerals or Metalls be found there, to Assay them and Report
the Produce.
About some two miles westward from this Silver Mine
there is a Copper Mine said to be very rich in Copper and Silver
so as in a pound weight of Ore to hold about half a pound of
Copper and twelve penny weight of Silver, and to belong to one
who went into the Rebellion
can be procured, let it be Assayed to See how much Copper &
how much Silver it holds. And if there be any other Mines
within three or four miles of the Silver Mine, let them
examin what Silver the Ore may contain.
Let them view all r.
and observe what signs of Minerals may appear any where
above ground and report what they find. And let them give the
best account they can of any other Mines of Copper or Lead
which they can hear of in that Mountain.
I humbly propose also that Mr. Haldane. r.
desired by a Letter from your Lordships to see that the two
Gentlemen sent down do put these things in Execution, and
to give them Directions from time to time to do what he may
think further proper for giving his Majesty and his Royal
Highness and your Lordships Satisfaction in this Matter.
And that the two Gentlemen sent down be ordered to observe
the directions of Mr. Haldane in making these and such like
Enquiries and Observations. And that the Earl of Lauderdale
General of the Mint at Edenburgh, be also desired by a Letter
from your Lordships to give the two Gentlemen sent down his
Protection and Encouragement, and to send either Mr Drummond
Warden of that Mint or some other intelligent and Credible
Person to the Mine, who may there see the Silver Ore dug out
of the Rock and Assayed and packed up to be sent to London,
and may give his Lordship and the Government an t.
thereof.r Hamilton do assist Mr Brandshagen.
If this Mine shall prove a true Silver Mine, the
Kings Council learned in the Law may be consulted about
the Right which either the King may have to it as a ll.
Mine, or the Commissioners for the forfeited Estates; and about
the Right which either of them may have to the 40 Tunn
of Silver Ore already dug up; and about the authority
requisite to secure them in order to work the Mine and
Smelt the Ore, and also about the Kings Right in the
Copper Mine two miles westward as a ll.
Silver, tho not belonging to r.
Fact and the Law is known, the Silver Mine and the Ore
may be seized as the Law shall direct, and the Kings
Right in the other Mine may be also asserted.
All which is most humbly submitted to your Lordships great Wisdome
Mint Office 25. Aug. 1716.