CUMBERLAND. This county is rich in minerals ; comprising silver, copper, lead, iron, plumbago, limestone, and coal. The principal lead mines are situated at Alston, and are al most exclusively the property of Greenwich Hospital, to which institution they were appro priated by act of parliament on the attainder of the Earl of Derwentwater. Silver and cop per are found in some of the mines in the same veins with the lead ore. Silver and lead are got in abundance at Greenside and Eagle crag in Patterdale. Veins of lead-ore have been found and worked between Skiddaw and Saddleback, in Buttermere, Newlands, and Thcrnthwaite. There are copper mines at Alston, Caldbeck, and at Wythburn. There is one also below the level of Derwent-water, and another in the parish of Lowes-water. A very rich vein of gold is said to have been dis covered at Newlands by a German, in the time of Queen Elizabeth ; but the working was discontinued in consequence of a law-suit be tween that queen and the Earl of Northum berland, then the lord of the manor of Der went-fells. Iron-ore is raised in great abun dance near Egremont ; the thickness of the band of ore, which is hard solid metal, is said to be between twenty-four and twenty-five feet. The quantity of iron ore shipped from Ulver ston and Barrow is very great : 300 carts of ore are taken daily from Lintlale to Barrow for exportation. The ore of this county pro duces upwards of double the quantity of me tal that is got from iron ore in general ; and it is often mixed in the smelting furnaces with the South Wales ore to produce a particular quality of iron. Coal is worked to a large amount at Whitehaven, Workington, and in the vicinity of Maryport, from whence it is exported to Ireland and the west of Scotland. The eastern part of the county also abounds in coal, particularly Tindale fell, Talldn, and Blenkinsop, which produce the chief supply for Carlisle, Brampton, Penrith, and the inter mediate country. Some of this coal is now ex
ported at Port Carlisle to Ireland and Scotland. There are collieries at Gilcrux, Arkleby, Ough. terside, Bolton, and Hewer-hill. Limestone is very abundant in many parts of the county. In some places it is burnt in great quantities for exportation, particularly to the west of Scotland. At Catlands the limestone is over laid by the coal measures on all sides. Plum bago, or black lead, is found, in irregular masses, in a rock of gray felspar porphyry at Borrowdale near Keswick. A little cobalt has been got at Newlands ; and antimony near Bassenthwaite ; but this is not, we believe, now worked. Lapis calaminaris, small quan tities of manganese, galena, iron pyrites, and spar of various kinds and of different colours and forms are found in several places. Slate of a pale blue colour and of the finest quality is plentiful in Cumberland.
The agriculture of the county has improved considerably of late years, and great quanti ties of corn and produce of various kinds are now exported. The chief exports are from Port Carlisle, Whitehaven, Workington, and liaryport, and consist of cattle, sheep, poultry, ;rain, potatoes, butter, bacon, &c. The land being divided into small farms, the dairies are necessarily on a small scale, though their pro luce is excellent, and bears a high price in the market.
The cotton and woollen manufactures are carried on to a small extent in Cumberland, and there are manufactures connected with the mining products ; but it can scarcely be called a manufacturing county.