_Iron_, in rich lodes of red and brown ore, has been found in great abundance, in many parts of the county, but there are not any iron mines which have been much worked.—_Iron Pyrites_, or sulphuret of iron, occur in most of the veins of copper, as well as some magnetical iron ore at Penzance, and specular iron ore at Tin Croft Mine, in Illogan, Botallack Mine, near the Land’s End, and other places. A variety of other semi-metals are found in Cornwall; the most remarkable of these are _Bismuth_, _Zinc_, _Antimony_, _Cobalt_, _Arsenic_, _Wolfram_, _Menachanite_, and _Molybdena_, or _Sulphuret of Molybdenum_; but a description of the places where they are found, or of their several properties, has already been published in most of the works relating to this county. Notwithstanding the early part of the _History of Cornwall_ is enveloped in obscurity, there is little reason to doubt that (particularly from the writings of Leland) a _battle_ was fought between the renowned _King Arthur_ and his nephew Mordred, in the neighbourhood of Camelford, in which the former was slain; and that on the spot where the battle is said to have taken place, several warlike antiquities have been found. That during the incursions of the Saxons, several engagements took place between them and the Cornish Britons, particularly in the time of Athelstan, who in the year 926, is said to have completely defeated this county and subdued the Scilly Isles, when considerable havoc and depredations were committed. At subsequent periods, the Danish pirates frequently landed, and committed great mischief in many parts of the county, particularly in plundering the monasteries. During the captivity of Richard I., several commotions took place in Cornwall, and St. Michael’s Mount was seized upon, but afterwards given up, and Henry de lu Pomeroy died through fear of the King’s anger. In the year 1322, many of the Cornish people were smitten with an enthusiasm of conquering the Holy Land, and left the county; but some were executed, and others returned and repented of their folly. When Queen Margaret landed at Weymouth in the year 1471, the people of Cornwall and Devonshire, under the persuasions of Sir Hugh Courtenay, of Boconnoe, and Sir John Arundell, of Langhorne, marched to Exeter and accompanied her to Tewkesbury, when her troops were completely defeated, and the Queen, after being ransomed, died a few years after in France. At the latter end of the same year, John Vere, Earl of Oxford, took possession of St. Michael’s Mount, and retained possession of it till the February following, when (on his life being spared by the King) it was surrendered to Sir John Fortescue.