till I got to the place where a waggon put up; and in this I travelled
safely back to Exeter.

"I determined not to show my model to Mr. Y----, or the boys, till
it should be as complete as I could make it. I got a good ingenious
carpenter, who had been in the habit of working for the toy-shops, to
help me; and laid out the best part of my worldly treasure upon this my
grand first project. I had new models made of the sieves for _lueing_,
the _box_ and _trough_, the _buddle, wreck, and tool_ [Footnote: The
names of vessels and machines used in the Cornish tin-mines.], beside
some dozen of wooden workmen, wheelbarrows, &c,; with which the
carpenter, by my directions, furnished my mine. I paid a smith and
tinman, moreover, for models of our _stamps_, and _blowing-house_, and
an iron grate for my box: besides, I had a _lion rampant_ [Footnote: A
lion rampant is stamped on the block tin which is brought thence.], and
other small matters, from the pewterer; also a pair of bellows, finished
by the glover; for all which articles, as they were out of the common
way, I was charged high.

"It was some time, even when all this was ready, before we could
contrive to make our puppets do their business properly: but patience
accomplishes every thing. At last we got our wooden miners to obey us,
and to perform their several tasks at the word of command; that is to
say, at the pulling of certain strings and wires, which we fastened to
their legs, arms, heads, and shoulders: which wires, being slender and
black, were at a little distance invisible to the spectators. When the
skeletons were perfect, we fell to work to dress and paint them; and
I never shall forget the delight with which I contemplated our whole
company of puppets: men, women, and children, fresh painted and dizened
out, all in their proper colours. The carpenter could scarcely prevent