Deep Down (1868)
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The Salamanca Corpus: Deep Down (1868) Author: Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825-1894) Text type: Prose Date of composition: 1868 Editions: 1868, 1869, 1870, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1884, 18886, 1887, 1890, 1893, 1897, 1900, 1911, 1912, 1968, 1969, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010. Source text: Ballantyne, Robert Michael. 1869. Deep Down. A Tale of the Cornish Mines.London: James Nisbet & Co. e-text Access and transcription: December 2011 Number of words: 95,183 Dialect represented: Cornwall Produced by Fuencisla García-Bermejo Giner and Barbara Vicente Copyright © 2012– DING, The Salamanca Corpus, Universidad de Salamanca DEEP DOWN A TALE OF THE CORNISH MINES BY R. M. BALLANTYNE, AUTHOR OF “THE LIFEBOAT: A TALE OF OUR COAST HEROES;” “GASCOYNE, THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER;” “THE CORAL ISLAND,” ETC. With Illustrations LONDON: JAMES NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET. 1869. The Salamanca Corpus: Deep Down (1868) [NP] EDINBURGH: T. CONSTABLE, PRINTER TO THE QUEEN, AND TO THE UNIVERSITY. [iii] PREFACE. IT is a matter of importance to an author that the object of his work should be understood. Let it be understood, then, that this book has been written, not with the view of giving a complete description of the mines, the fishing, or the social condition of Cornwall, but, for the purpose of exhibiting, as graphically as may be, some of the most interesting and picturesque scenes, incidents, and facts, connected with mining life in the west of that county. To Cornishmen who may do me the honour to peruse these pages, I have to prefer the request that they will bear in remembrance that they read a book which is not a record of facts, but a story founded on facts, in the composition of which 1 have, to a considerable extent, transposed time, place, and circumstance, as the exigencies of the case required always, however, endeavouring to convey [iv] a truthful impression both when treating of fact and playing with fancy. Particularly would I beg of them to believe that I have endeavoured to avoid giving unintentional offence, and that, in the names used and the characters introduced, no one now alive is directly pointed at, although some of my Mends of St. Just will probably recognize incidents that occurred to themselves, saddled on the shoulders of some of the actors in the tale. I take this opportunity of returning my grateful acknowledgements to the Messrs. James of Botallack for their kindness in affording me every opportunity of acquiring information in regard to their celebrated mine, and to the various "captains” who have guided me so often and so obligingly through the dark labyrinth of the regions "underground." I have also to thank those kind and hospitable Mends in Cornwall who have aided me in my efforts; especially Mr. N. B. Downing of Penzance, to whom I am deeply indebted for his friendly assistance and useful introductions. R. M. BALLANTYNE. Edinburgh, November 1868 [v] CONTENTS. PAGE CHAP. I. - BEGINS THE STORY WITH A PECULIAR MEETING,. 1 II. – SHOWS WHAT ASTONISHING RESULTS MAY FOLLOW FROM TAKING THE WRONG ROAD,. 14 III. – INTRODUCES A FEW MORE CHARACTERS AND HOMELY INCIDENTS,. 32 The Salamanca Corpus: Deep Down (1868) IV. – AT WORK UNDER THE SEA, . 45 V. – DESCRIBES A WRECK AND SOME OF ITS CONSEQUENCES, 56 VI. – TREATS OF THE MINER’S COTTAGE, WORK, AND COSTUME, 70 VII. – TELLS OF THE GREAT MINE AND OF A ROYAL DIVE UNDER THE SEA. 75 VIII. – DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, . 88 IX. – TREATS OF DIFFICULTIES TO BE OVERCOME,. 120 X. – SHOWS HOW MAGGOT MADE A DESPERATE VENTURE, AND WHAT FLOWED FROM IT, . 130 XI. – SHOWS THAT MUSIC HATH CHARMS, AND ALSO THAT IT SOMETIMES HAS DISADVANTAGES,. 140 XII. – IN WHICH OLIVER GETS “A FAIL,” AND SEES SOME OF THE SHADOWS OF THE MINER’S LIFE, . 155 XIII. – TREATS OF SPIRITS AND OF SUNDRY SPIRITED MATTERS AND INCIDENTS, . 168 XIV. – CONTINUES TO TREAT OF SPIRITS, AND SHOWS THE VALUE OF HOSPITALITY, . 179 XV. – INTRODUCES A STRANGER, DESCRIBES A PIC-NIC, AND REVEALS SOME SECRETS OF MINING, . 187 XVI. – DESCRIBES “HOLING TO A HOUSE OF WATER” AND ITS TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES, . 200 XVII. – TOUCHES ON THE CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS; SHOWS OLIVER IN A NEW LIGHT AND HIS UNCLE IN A SAD ONE, 215 XVIII. - TELLS OF KING ARTHUR AND OTHER MORE OR LESS FABULOUS MATTERS, . 224 XIX. – SMALL TALK AND SOME ACCOUNT OF CORNISH FAIRIES, 236 XX. – THE MINE IN THE SEA, . 246 XXI. – TREATS OF TIN-SMELTING AND OTHER MATTERS, . 254 XXII. – SHOWS HOW OLIVER AND HIS FRIEND WENT TO NEW- LYN AND SAY THE MACKEREL MARKET, AND FOUND SOME DIFFICULTIES AND MYSTERIES AWAITING THEM THERE, 267 [vi] XXIII. – IN WHICH IS RECORDED A VISIT TO AN INFANT-SCHOOL, The Salamanca Corpus: Deep Down (1868) A WARNING TO A THANKLESS OLD GENTLEMAN; ALSO A STORM, AND A SUDDEN AS WELL AS SURPRISING END OF A MINE, BESIDES DARK DESIGNS, . 281 XXIV. – EXHIBITS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR AND THE SECRETARY OF WHEAL DOOEM IN CONFIDENTIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND AND INTRODUCES THE SUBJECT OF “LOCALS” . 300 XXV. – SHOWS THE MINER IN HIS SUNDAY GARB, AND ASTONISHES CLEAREMOUT, BESIDES RELATING SOME INCIDENTS OF AN ACCIDENT, . 311 XXVI. – TELLS OF A DISCOVERY AND A DISASTER, . 323 XXVII. – INDICATES THAT “WE LITTLE KNOW WHAT GREAT THINGS FROM LITTLE THINGS MAY RISE,” . 331 XXVIII. - DESCRIBES SETTING-DAY AT THE MINE, ETC., . 348 XXIX. – DETAILS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A DEED OF HEROISM, 369 XXX. – REVEALS SOME ASTONISHING FACTS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES, . 377 XXXI.- DESCRIBES A MARRED PLOT, AND TELLS OF RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE, . 390 XXXII. – TOUCHES ON LOVE AND PILCHARD-FISHING, . 400 XXXIII. – THE LAST, . 410 [1] DEEP DOWN: A TALE OF THE CORNISH MINES. CHAPTER I. Begins the story with a peculiar meeting NECESSITY is the mother of Invention. This is undoubtedly true, but it is equally true that Invention is not the only member of Necessity's large family. Change of scene and circumstance are also among her children. It was necessity that gave birth to the resolve to travel to the end of the earth—of English earth at all events—in search of fortune, which swelled the bosom of yonder tall well-favored youth, who, seated uncomfortably on the top of that clumsy public conveyance, drives up Market-Jew Street in the ancient town of Penzance. Yes, necessity—stern necessity, as she is sometimes called—drove The Salamanca Corpus: Deep Down (1868) that youth into Cornwall, and thus was the originating cause of that wonderful series of events which ultimately [2] led to his attaining—but hold! Let us begin at the beginning. It was a beautiful morning in June, in that period of the world's history which is ambiguously styled “Once-upon-a-time," when the “Kittereen"—the clumsy vehicle above referred to—rumbled up to the Star Inn and stopped there. The tall well- favoured youth leaped at once to the ground, and entered the inn with the air of a man who owned at least the half of the county, although his much- worn grey shooting costume and single unpretentious portmanteau did not indicate either unusual wealth or exalted station. In an off-hand hearty way, he announced to landlord, waiters, chambermaids, and hangers-on, to all, indeed, who might choose to listen, that the weather was glorious, that coaches of all kinds, especially Kittereens, were detestable machines of torture, and that he meant to perform the remainder of his journey on foot. He inquired the way to the town of St. Just, ordered his luggage to be forwarded by coach or cart, and, with nothing but a stout oaken cudgel to encumber him, set out on his walk of about seven miles, with the determination of compensating himself for previous hours of forced inaction and constraint by ignoring roads and crossing the country like an Irish fox-hunter. [3] Acting on the presumptuous belief that he could find his way to any part of the world with the smallest amount of direction, he naturally missed the right road at the outset, and instead of taking the road to St. Just, pursued that which leads to the Land's End. The youth, as we have observed, was well-favoured. Tall, broad-shouldered, deep- chested, and athletic, with an active step, erect gait, and clear laughing eye, he was one whom a recruiting-sergeant in the Guards would have looked upon with a covetous sigh. Smooth fair cheeks and chin told that boyhood was scarce out of sight behind, and an undeniable something on the upper lip declared that manhood was not far in advance. Like most people in what may be termed an uncertain stage of existence, our hero exhibited a variety of apparent contradictions. His great size and muscular strength and deep bass voice were those of a man, while the smooth skin, the soft curling hair, and the rollicking gladsome look were all indicative of the boy. His countenance, too, might have perplexed a fortune-teller. Sometimes it was grave almost to sternness, at other times it sparkled with delight, exhibiting now an expression that would have befitted a sage on whose decisions hung the fate of kingdoms, and anon displaying a dash of mischief worthy of the wildest boy in a village school. [4] Some of the youth's varied, not to say extravagant, actions and expressions, were perhaps due to the exhilarating brilliancy of the morning, or to the appearance of those splendid castles which his mind was actively engaged in building in the air. The country through which he travelled was at first varied with trees and bushes clothed in rich foliage, but soon its aspect changed, and ere long he pursued a path which led over a wide extent of wild moorland covered with purple heath and gorse in golden-yellow bloom.