sunk the pits of San Ramon and San Pedro; and they discovered that the vein resumed its old power, and that an immense field was opened to new undertakings. When I visited the mines in the month of May 1803, the pit of San Ramon was only then 30 metres in depth*; and it will be nearly 240 metres to the bottom of the level of Moran, which is itself still distant 45 metres from the point which corresponds to the intersection of the new pit, and the roof of the level. In its present state, the mine of the Count de Regla, annually yields more than from 50 to 60,000 marcs of silver§. The vein of Biscaina contains in the points of the principal mines, lacteous quartz, which frequently passes into splintery hornstone, amethyst, carbonate of lime, a little of sulfate of barytes, sulfuretted silver mixed with native silver, and sometimes prismatic black silver (sprödylaserz), dull red silver, galena and pyrites of iron and copper. These same silver minerals are found near the surface of the ground in a state of decomposition, and mixed with oxide of iron, like the pacos of Peru. Near the pit of San Pedro, the pyrites are 98 feet. Trans. +787 feet. Trans. 147 feet. Trans. From 32,815 to 39,378 lb. Troy. Trans. sometimes richer in silver than the mine of sulfuretted silver. The mines of Moran formerly of great celebrity, have been abandoned for 40 years, on account of the abundance of water which they could not draw off. In this district of mines, which is in the vicinity of that of Real del Monte, near the mouth of the great level of Biscaina, there was placed in 1801 a machine à colonne d'eau, of which the cylinder is 26 centimetres in height, and 16 in diameter*. This machine the first of the kind ever constructed in America, is much superior to those of the mines of Hungary. It was executed agreeably to the calculations and plans of M. del Rio, professor of mineralogy in Mexico, who has visited the most celebrated mines of Europe, and who possesses at once the most solid and various acquisitions. The merit of the execution is due to M. Lachaussée a Brabant artist of great talents, who has also fitted up for the school of mines of Mexico, a very remarkable collection of models, for the use of students of mechanics and hydrodunamickst. It is to be regretted that this fine machine, in which the regulator of the suckerst is put in * 10.23 by 6.29 inches. Trans. + See Vol. i. p. 216. Delius, des mines de Schemnitz, edition of M. Schreiber, $591. motion by a particular mechanism, was placed in a situation where there is great difficult yn procuring a sufficiency of water to keep it going. When I was at Moran, the pumps could only work three hours a day. The construction of the machine, and the aqueducts cost 80,000 piastres*; they did not at first calculate on more than half of the expence, and they ima gined the mass of water to be very considerable; but the year in which the water was measured being exceedingly rainy, it was believed to be much more abundant than it actually was. It is to be hoped that the new canal which was going on in 1803, and which will be 5000 metres in length, will remedy this want of water, and that the vein of Moran (hor. 94 inclined 84° to the north east), will be found as rich at great depths, as the shareholders of the mine suppose. M. del Rio, on my arrival in New Spain had no other view but that of proving to the Mexican miners the effect of machines of this nature, and the possibility of constructing them in the country. This object has been in part attained; and it will be much more evidently attained when such a machine shall be placed in the mine of Rayas, at Guanaxuato, in that of the Count de Regla, at Real del Monte, or in those of Bolaños where M. Sonneschmidt*, counted nearly 4000 horses and mules employed in moving the baritels. The mines of the district of Tasco, situated on the western slope of the Cordillera, have lost their antient splendour, since the end of the last century; for in their present state, the veins of Tehuilotepec, Sochipala, Cerro del Limon, San Estevan, and Gautla, do not altogether yield more than 60,000 marcs of silver annuallyt. During the year 1752 and the ten following years, the mines of Tasco were wrought with the greatest activity and success. This activity was owing to the enterprising mind of Joseph Laborde, a Frenchman, who came into Mexico very poor, and who in 1743, acquired immense wealth in the mine of la Cañada of the Real de Tlapujahua. We have already spoken in another place of the reverses of fortune several times experienced by this extraordinary man. After building a church at Tasco, which cost him 400,000 piastres,§ he was reduced to the lowest poverty, by the rapid decline of those very mines, from which * Sonneschmid. p. 241. $87,507 Sterling. Trans. he had annually drawn from 2 to 300,000* marcs of silver. The archbishop having given him permission to sell a golden sun enriched with diamonds, with which he had adorned the tabernacle of the church of Tasco, he withdrew to Zacatecas with the produce of this sale, which amounted to 100,000 piastrest. The district of mines of Zacatecas was then in such a state of abandonment, that it scarcely furnished fifty thousand marcs of silver annually to the mint at Mexico. Laborde undertook to clear out the famous mine of Quebradilla, in which undertaking he lost all his property, without attaining his object. With the small capital which remained to him, he began to work on the veta grande, and sunk the pit of La Esperanza, when a second time he acquired immense wealth. The silver produce of the mine of Zacatecas rose then to 500,000 marcs§ per annum; and though the abundance of metals did not long continue the same, he left at his death, a fortune of nearly three millions of livres Tournois. He compelled his daughter to enter into a convent, that he might leave his whole fortune to an only son, who afterwards voluntarily embraced the * From 131,263 to 196,894lb. troy. Trans. VOL. III. 32,815lb. troy. Trans. 328,153lb. troy. 125,010 sterling. Trans. |