trole). The consumption of powder is much less than at Guanaxuato and at Zacatecas. These mines possess also the great advantage of being almost entirely dry, so that they have no need of costly machinery to draw off the water.*. In 1773, Sebastian Caronado and Antonio Llanas, two very poor individuals, discovered veins in a situation now called Cerro de Catorce Viejo, on the western slope of the Pichaco de la Variga de Plata. They began to work these veins, which were poor and inconstant in their produce. In 1778, Don Barnadé Antonio de Zepeda, a miner of the Ojo del Agua de Matchuala, investigated, during three months, this groupe of arid and calcareous mountains. After attentively examin

ing the ravines, he was fortunate enough to find the crest or surface of the veta grande, on which he immediately dug the pit of Guadalupe. He drew from it an immense quantity of muriate of silver, and colorados mixed with native gold, and gained in a short time more than 100,000l sterling. From that period, the mines of Catorce were wrought with the greatest activity. That of Padre Flores alone produced, in the first year, upwards of 350,000l sterling; but the vein displayed great riches only from 160 to 320 feet of perpendicular depth. The famous mine of Purissima, belonging to Colonel Obregon, has scarcely ever ceased since 1788 to yield annually, a net profit of 40,000l sterling; and its produce in 1796, amounted to 1,200,000 piastres, while the working did not amount to more than 80,000. The vein of Purissima, which is not the same with that of Padre Flores, sometimes reaches the extraordinary extent of 130 feet; and it was worked in 1802 to the depth of nearly 1,600 feet. Since 1798, the value of the minerals of Catorce has singularly diminished: the native silver is now rarely to be seen; and the

* This, it will be seen presently, has proved to be incorrect.

metales colorados, which are an intimate mixture of muriate of silver, earthy carbonate of lead, and red ochre, begin to give place to pyritous and coppery minerals. The actual produce of these mines is nearly 260,000 lb troy of silver annually."*

Since the period of Humboldt's visit, however, these rich mines have become filled with water. "In order to render them once more productive," we are told, "the owners, the family of Obregon, have made an arrangement with an English commercial house, by which they agree to give up one half of their right and title, on condition of having them freed from water. For this purpose, a steam-engine of one hundred horse power has been brought from England; the greater part of which, after several months' labour, is still at the foot of the mountains. It is said, that coal has been discovered not far from this mine."+

SAN BLAS.

Mention has already been made, in the description of the Baxio, of the Bay of San Blas, in which the river Santiago has its outlet. That port, hitherto but little known, yet, next to Acapulco, the most important on the western coast, bids fair to become of

* Pol. Essay, vol. iii. pp. 209-12.

+ When Mr Bullock was in Mexico, the whole had safely arrived, and he heard in connexion with it the following anecdote. The engine for draining the mine being drawn one evening to the mouth of the shaft, the mine was plumbed, to ascertain the depth of water. The same process was repeated the next morning, when, from some unknown cause, the water had sunk several feet. The natives, who were attracted in vast numbers, exclaimed in astonishment, that now they were convinced the English were gods, and had power to control the metals, since merely drawing the engine to the mouth of the mine had caused the water to sink so many feet! The English house alluded to is that of Messrs Gordon and Murphy.

considerable consequence. The rich products of Guanaxuato and Guadalaxara can, by means of the Santiago, be most easily transported to the coast; and those provinces can be supplied with Asiatic merchandise at a cheaper rate by the same route.

The Conway, commanded by Captain Basil Hall, was the first English man-of-war that had ever anchored in the port of San Blas. Although the distance from Acapulco is not more than 500 miles, it took sixteen days to make the passage." * The town is perched, like an eagle's nest, on the top of a rock 150 feet high, absolutely precipitous on three sides, and very steep on the fourth; rising out of a low, swampy plain, which, in the rainy season, is laid completely under water, and is overflowed to a considerable extent by the sea at spring-tides. The fine season lasts from December to May inclusive. During that interval," says Capt Hall, "the sky is always clear; no rain falls; land and sea-breezes prevail; and, as there is then no sickness, the town is crowded with inhabitants. From June to November, a very different order of things takes place. The heat is greatly increased; the sky becomes overcast; the sea and land-breezes no longer blow; but, in their stead, hard storms sweep along the coast, and excessive rains deluge the country; with occasional violent squalls of wind, accompanied by thunder and lightning. During

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* This was reckoned a good passage for the month of March. In the latter days of December, it has been made in ten days. Capt Hall mentions a case in which a merchant brig was a fortnight in reaching Cape Corrientes from the time of passing Acapulco at the distance of 150 miles, and nearly three weeks afterwards in getting to San Blas, a distance of only 70 miles. The coast between Cape Corrientes, and San Blas is full of deep and dangerous rocky bights, is little known, and ought not to be approached. Cape Corrientes is in lat 20° 24′ 32′′ N.; long 105° 42′ 26′′ W. San Blas is in lat 21° 32′ 24′′; long 105° 18′ 27′′ W.

this period, San Blas is rendered uninhabitable, in consequence of the sickness, and of the violence of the rain; which not only drenches the whole town, but, by flooding the surrounding country, renders the rock on which the town is built, literally an island. The whole rainy season, indeed, is sickly, but more especially so towards the end, when the rains become less violent and less frequent; while the intense heat acts with mischievous effect on the saturated soil, and raises an atmosphere of malaria, such as the most seasoned native cannot breathe with impunity.

"This being invariably the state of the climate, nearly all the inhabitants abandon the town as soon as the rainy season approaches. As we had often heard this migration described, we waited with some curiosity, for the arrival of the appointed time; and, accordingly, towards the end of May, had the satis faction of seeing the great flight commence. I shall never forget the singular nature of the scene which was presented to us. All the world began to move nearly at the same time; the rich and the poor streamed off indiscriminately together. The high road to Tepic was covered with horses, loaded mules, and foot passengers, winding along the plain on their way to the interior. On passing through the streets, we saw people every where fastening up their windows, locking their doors, and marching off with the keys, leaving the greater part of their property behind them, unguarded by any thing but the pestilence of the climate. The better classes rode way on horseback, leaving their baggage to follow on mules; but the finances of the greater part of the inhabitants did not admit of this; and we saw many interesting family groupes, where the very aged and the very young people were huddled on mules, already loaded with goods and with furniture, while the men and the women, and the stouter children, walked by their sides;—

a scene from which a painter might have collected innumerable subjects of interest.

"A city without people is at any time a strange and anomalous circumstance; but it seemed peculiarly so to us, by our friends leaving us day by day; till, at length, we found ourselves comparatively alone in the deserted town. The governor and his family, and one or two other officers of government, with a few shopkeepers, remained till our departure; but, with these exceptions, the inhabitants had nearly all gone before we sailed. There are, it is true, always a few people, who, for high pay, agree to watch valuable property, and some families so miserably destitute, that they absolutely have not the means of removing. The population of the town, in the fine season, is about 3,000, but the number which remains to brave the climate, seldom exceeds 150.”

The commencement of the rains, as witnessed by this Traveller, is described with graphic force and spirit in the following paragraphs.

"This day (June 1,1822) broke with an unwonted gloom overshadowing everything: a dense, black haze rested like a high wall round the horizon; while the upper sky, so long without a single speck, was stained all over with patches of shapeless clouds flying in different directions. As the sun rose, he was attended by vapours and clouds, which concealed him from our sight. The sea-wind, which used to begin gently, and then gradually increase to a pleasant breeze, came on suddenly and with great violence; so that the waves curled and broke into a white sheet of foam as far as the eye could reach. The sea looked bleak and stormy under the portentous influence of an immense mass of dark clouds, rising slowly in the western quarter, till they reached nearly to the zenith, where they continued suspended like a mantle during the whole day. The ships which heretofore had lain motionless on the surface of the bay, were now rolling