capela, caple2 (kapl)

[Origin unknown.] In mining, a wall of a lode: so called by Cornish miners, and chiefly when the country closely adjacent to the lode itself has been more or le altered by those chemical agencies under the influence of which the latter was formed. This alteration usually shows itself in a silicification and hardening of the rock. The capels are sometimes themselves so impregnated with metalliferous particles as to be worth working; in such cases they are usually recognized as forming a part of the lode. If barren of ore, they are considered as belonging to the country. At the Mary Ann wheal (or mine) in Cornwall, and perhaps in other mines, the capel is called the cab; it is there described as consisting of chalcedonic quartz, and is considered as being a part of the lode, although barren of ore. The word is rarely heard outside of Cornwall. In the United States casing takes its place to some extent.