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The result of this table is, that the net profit of the share-holders, has been latterly at an average of 640,000 piastres per annum.* In 1802 circumstances were extremely unfavourable. The greater part of the minerals were very poor, and their extraction attended with great expence; and besides this, the produce was sold at very low prices, because the want of mercury impeded the amalgamation, and all the mines were incumbered with minerals. The year 1803 promised greater advantages to the proprietors, and they reckoned on a nett profit of more than half a million of piastrest. I saw them sell weekly at Valenciana, silver minerals to the amount of more than 27,000 piastres: The expences amounted to 17,000. At Rayas, the profit of the proprietor was greater, though the produce was less; for this mine furnished more than 15,000 piastres of minerals weekly, while the expence of working only amounted to 4000 piastres. This was the effect of the richness of the minerals, their concentration in the vein, the inconsiderable depth of the mine, and consequently a less expensive draught.

* Above 3,360,000 livres tournois (140,011 sterling. Trans.) The profit distributed annually among the shareholders of the district of Freiberg, only amounts to 250,000 livres (10,417 Sterling. Trans.)

† 109,383 Sterling. Trans.

To form an idea of the enormous advances required in working the mine of Valenciana, it is sufficient here to mention, that in its present state, there must be laid out annually, In wages of miners, triers, masons,

Livres. 3,400,000

1,100,000.

Total expence 4,500,000*

and other workmen employed in the mine.

In powder, tallow, wood, leather, steel, and other materials necessary in mining.

The consumption of powder alone has amounted to 400,000 livres annually†; and that of the steel destined to the making of pointroles and fleurets to 150,000 livres, The number of workmen who labour in the interior of the mine of Valenciana amounts to 1800. Adding 1300 individuals (men, women, and children) who labour at the baritels a chevaux, in the carriage of minerals to the places where they are tried, we shall find three thousand one hundred individuals are employed in the different operations of the mine. The direction of the mine is entrusted to an administrator with a salary of 60,000§ francs. This administrator, who is

*£187,515 Sterling. Trans.
+ £16,668 Sterling. Trans.
€6250 Sterling. Trans.
$2500 Sterling. Trans.

under the controul of no one, has under his

orders an overseer (obersteiger, minero) the under overseers (untersteiger, sottomineros) and and nine master miners (mandones). These head people daily visit the subterraneous operations, carried by men* who have a sort of a saddle fastened on their backs, and who go by the name of little horses (cavallitos).

We shall conclude this account of the mine of Valenciana, with a comparative table of the state of this Mexican work, and of that of the celebrated mine of Himmelsfürst†, in the district of Freiberg. I flatter myself

that this table will fix the attention of those who consider the study of the management of mines as an important object in political eco

nomy.

* For the extraordinary manner of travelling on men's backs, see my Vues des Cordilleres. Pl. v.

Whatever relates to this mine (in the following table) which I have frequently had occasion to visit in in 1791, is taken from the work of M. Daubuisson, t. iii. p. 6- 45.

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They reckoned in 1803 in the whole district of mines of Guanaxuato, five thousand miners and workmen employed in trying the minerals, in smelting, and amalgamating; Eighteen hundred and ninety-six arastras, or machines for reducing the minerals into powder, and fourteen thousand six hundred and eighteen mules destined to move the baritels, and to tread in the place of amalgamation, the flour of the minerals mixed with mercury. The arastras of the town of Guanaxuato bray, when there is an abundance of mercury, eleven thousand three hundred and seventy quintals of minerals per day. If we recollect that the produce in silver is annually from 5 to 600,000 marcs, we shall find, by this datum, that the mean contents of the minerals are extremely small.

The celebrated mines of Zacatecas, which Robertson*, from what motive I know not, calls Sacotecas are, as we have already observed older than the mines of Guanaxuato. They began to be worked immediately after the veins of Tasco, Zultepeque, Tlapujahua and Pachuca. They are situated on the central table land of the Cordilleras, which lowers rapidly towards New Biscay, and towards the basin of the Rio del Norte. The

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