▁shows ▁that ▁he ▁lack ed ▁la pid ary ▁knowledge ▁and ▁no ▁other ▁source ▁mentions ▁him ▁as ▁portrait ▁painter . ▁According ▁to ▁At kin son , ▁the ▁painter ▁Nicholas ▁Hill i ard ▁inv ested ▁in ▁the ▁Scottish ▁gold ▁mine ▁with ▁another ▁painter ▁Arnold ▁Bron ck hor st . ▁The ▁historian ▁Elizabeth ▁Gold ring ▁dates ▁Hill i ard ' s ▁invol vement ▁to ▁the ▁years ▁ 1 5 7 3 ▁or ▁ 1 5 7 4 . ▁ ▁At kin son ' s ▁narr ative ▁seems ▁in ▁part ▁based ▁on ▁he ars ay ▁but ▁he ▁describes ▁using ▁a ▁" book ▁of ▁record " ▁of ▁Corn el ius ▁de ▁V os ' ▁min ing ▁operation ▁at ▁C raw ford ▁Mo or ▁and ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁George ▁Bow es . ▁At kin son ▁says ▁that ▁he ▁himself ▁had ▁worked ▁with ▁Daniel ▁He ch st etter , ▁the ▁min er ▁who ▁Corn el ius ▁de ▁V os ▁had ▁consult ed ▁at ▁K es wick . ▁He ▁wrote ▁that ▁Nicholas ▁Hill i ard , ▁then ▁still ▁alive , ▁would ▁confirm ▁that ▁he ▁lost ▁money ▁in ▁the ▁vent ure . ▁He ▁states ▁that ▁Corn el ius ▁de ▁V os ▁went ▁into ▁Scotland ▁with ▁a ▁recommendation ▁from ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁of ▁England , ▁was ▁given ▁permission ▁to ▁prospect ▁and ▁found ▁rich ▁ore , ▁which ▁describes ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁October ▁ 1 5 6 6 . ▁At kin son ▁gives ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁four ▁partners ▁in ▁the ▁enter prise ; ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁Mort on , ▁" Ro bert ▁Bell