86

BOOK IV.

out when a torrent or some other force of Nature has laid open a venadilatata in a valley, so that it appears either on the slope of a mountainor hill or on a plain. Elsewhere the Bergmeister doubles the width of thehead-meer and it is made fourteen fathoms wide, while the width of each ofthe other meers remains single, that is seven fathoms, but the length is notdefined by boundaries. In some places the head-meer consists of threedouble measures, but has a width of fourteen fathoms and a length oftwenty-one.

XXI

I—Hh-»*—*>—4

X

XXI

Shape of a Head-Meer.

In the same way, every other meer is composed of two measures,doubled in the same fashion, so that it is fourteen fathoms in width andof the same length.

XI III

X

XI III

Shape of every other Meer.

ditions, amounting to forfeiture for failure to operate the mine for a period of nine weeks.Space does not permit of the elaboration of the details of this subject, which we hope topursue elsewhere in its many historical bearings. Among these we may mention that if theAmerican “Apex law” is of English descent, it must be laid to the door of Derbyshire, andnot of Cornwall, as is generally done. Our own belief, however, is that the American“ apex ” conception came straight from Germany.

It is not our purpose to follow these inquiries into mining law beyond the 15th century,but we may point out that with the growth of the sentiment of individualism the miners andlandlords obtained steadily wider and wider rights at the cost of the State, until well withinthe 19th century. The growth of stronger communal sentiment since the middle of the lastcentury has already found its manifestation in the legislation with regard to mines, for thelaws of South Africa, Australia, and England, and the agitation in the United States are alltoward greater restrictions on the mineral ownership in favour of the State.