CORNWALL (Lat. Cornu Gallia, ((horn of Gaul,)) that is, the remotest land inhabited by Celts), England, a maritime country, forming the southwestern extremity of the island. Its form is irregularly triangular. Its area is 1,357 square miles. The northwestern coast-line is broken by a number of shallow bays. The south coast is much more broken, and is marked both by bolder promontories and deeper bays. At Land's End, between these two coasts, ter minate the hills of the Devonian range. The rivers of Cornwall are numerous but short. Among them are the Fowey, the Camel, the Inny, the Attery, the Lynner, etc. The climate, owing to the elevation and exposure of the surface, is very variable. The soil, consisting of decomposed slate, admits of easy drainage, but requires much manure. In many of the more elevated districts much of the land is almost barren. Nearly 70 per cent of the total area is under cultivation, a large amount of grain being grown, and much land being devoted to market gardening for London consumption. Cattle, sheep and horses are reared. The mines of copper and tin, famous for many centuries, and known to the Phoenicians, still constitute the richest treasures of the county, though the value of both has greatly diminished. The chief mining district is in the southwest part of the county. Several mines exceed 350 fathoms in depth. In the once productive Botallack copper mine, situated a few miles north of Land's End, the workings are on the very verge of the cliff, and, descending beneath the sea, are carried far beyond low-water mark. The Dolcoath mine,
near Camborne, is the chief tin mine, and there are other important tin mines in the same local ity. The production of copper has greatly de creased in recent times. China-clay is an im portant mineral product. Owing to depression in the mining industry, there has been con siderable emigration to the silver mines of Nevada, and to other mining centres. There are few manufactures, but the fisheries, par titularly of pilchard and mackerel, are valuable. The dukedom of Cornwall is always held by the eldest son of the sovereig.n, to which valuable estates are attached. At the time of the Roman conquest C,ornwall was occupied chiefly by tribes of Cimbri and Damnonii, and became included in the province of Britannia Prima. After the Romans withdrew the natives regained their independence and retained it till the time of Athelstane, when they were subdued by the Saxons. Their Celtic origin is fully established by the abundance of rude monuments spread over the country, and consisting chiefly of un wrought stones placed erect, singly or in cirdes, with others laid across. It is divided for par liamentary purposes into six divisions, each returning one member. Pop. 328,098. Consult Boase, (Bibliotheca Cornubiensis) (1874-78).