Mexico in 1827/Volume 2/Chapter 9
SECTION V.
On the morning of the 12th of July, I left Mexico, and proceeded by the great Northern road to Huĕhuĕtōcă, about eleven leagues from the Capital.
On the 13th, after following the same road three leagues in the direction of Tula, we struck off towards the East, over about five leagues of wretchedly barren and stony country, which extends to the plains of San Pedro, in the centre of which, on a very fertile spot, are situated the Hacienda and village of that name, where we arrived after five hours' travelling.
The plains of San Pedro led us to another Pedregal, or stony district, of still greater extent than the first, in the midst of which, five leagues from the Hacienda, stands a solitary venta, where we had been informed that we could pass the night, but where we found that no sort of accommodation was to be obtained. We were therefore compelled to proceed, at a very late hour, towards Ītzmĭquīlpăn, a town seven leagues farther on, there not being a single Pueblo, or Hacienda, between it and the Venta del Pĕdrĕgăl. The road continued to be stony and bad, with the exception of a few miles of sand covered with a thin brushwood. About two leagues from Itzmiquilpan there is an abrupt descent, of nearly two English miles, covered with masses of rock, amongst which it is hardly possible for horses to keep their footing. We did not reach the town till half-past eight o'clock, having left the Venta at half-past three in the afternoon.
Itzmiquilpan is remarkable for the beauty of its situation, and the richness of the vegetation for about a league in every direction around it. The town stands upon the banks of the river Tula, and is so completely sheltered by the neighbouring mountains, that it is almost a Tierra Caliente; in which every thing seems to partake of the luxuriancy peculiar to that climate. The inclosures are composed of Peruvian pepper-trees intermixed with roses, and covered with vines, which produce fruit in great abundance, as clusters of grapes are seen amidst the highest branches of the trees. By the side of the river, there are some magnificent cypresses, almost equal in size to those of Chapultepec: parasitic plants too are found in every direction, and even the plumage of the birds appears more variegated. Itzmiquilpan was once a place of considerable importance, as a manufacture of Pita[1] was carried on there, from which most of the great mining districts were supplied with ropes: since the Revolution the demand for this article has diminished, and the inhabitants have turned their attention almost entirely to agriculture, for which they possess great local advantages from the facility of irrigation and the mildness of the climate. The town contains at present about three thousand Vecinos,[2] or a population of between nine and ten thousand souls: should the mines in the neighbouring districts recover their former importance, Itzmiquilpan will participate in the advantages of the change, as it is the great line of communication between Zĭmăpān, El Cărdŏnāl, Lă Pĕchūgă, and the Capital.
We passed the whole of the 14th at Itzmiquilpan, in order to rest our horses, which were much fatigued with the exertions of the preceding day. On the 15th we proceeded to Zĭmăpān.
From the moment that we quitted the immediate vicinity of Ītzmĭquīlpăn, we began to ascend, and continued to do so almost uninterruptedly for nearly five leagues. The chain of mountains which it is necessary to cross, is rugged and barren. There is hardly a tree of moderate size to be seen. A sort of low prickly bush, interspersed with an immense variety of the Cactus, of all shapes and sizes, filled with Censontlis, and other singing birds, growing alternately on a sandy or strong soil,—such are the characteristics of the vegetation, where any vegetation is to be found. Nor is the descent on the Zimapan side less monotonous or fatiguing. It is very steep, and the path, which is covered with loose stones, is so narrow that it will seldom admit of two persons abreast. On the whole road we only crossed two small streams, at one of which we halted to breakfast.
The town of Zĭmăpān is situated about twelve leagues from Ītzmĭquīlpăn, and forty-two from the Capital: it is the head of a district, the mines of which were formerly very productive. During the Revolution they were suffered to go completely to ruin, having not only been abandoned by the real proprietors, but worked by Buscones, or common miners, who, unwilling to quit a place where they had long resided, have gained a subsistence, during the last sixteen years, by extracting ores from the upper levels and pillars of the principal mines, many of which they have entirely destroyed in the course of their operations.
With regard to the maximum of the Silver previously raised in the district, I was unable to obtain any information that could be depended upon, most of the registers having been lost during the Revolution, when the town was continually changing masters. I am, however, in possession of a sketch of the principal mines, by which it appears that several of them have produced considerable Bonanzas in earlier times. For instance, Pămplōnă yielded 140,000 dollars in three years; La Iglesia took its name from the church that was built out of its proceeds; and from Cerro Colorado the family of Bustamante derived its fortune. There are many others which it is unnecessary to enumerate.
The only mine regularly worked at the time of my visit was that of Santa Rita, belonging to the German Company. They were driving a level upon the vein, which they had just cut, and were only waiting for the completion of the Hacienda de los Tŏlĭmānĕs, situated in a ravine below the mine, in order to reduce seventy cargas of rich ore, which had already been extracted.
This Hacienda was formerly an old convent: it is built upon the banks of a river, in a deep Barranca, about two leagues from Zĭmăpān. The situation is beautiful, the command of water great; and there is attached to it a garden and patio, containing some of the finest orange, Ăguăcātĕ, and fig-trees, that I almost ever saw. The climate, from the peculiarity of the situation, is warm.
The repairs necessary at this Hacienda constitute almost the only expence incurred by the Germans at Zĭmăpān.
The mine of Santa Rita cost them nothing, and they were induced to select it from finding that it would begin almost immediately to pay its own expences.
Their director, Mr. Spangenberg, who superintends likewise the neighbouring districts of San José del Oro, and el Cărdŏnāl, is a clever active man, and seemed to entertain great hopes of success in the works placed under his inspection.
The Real del Monte Company has no silver mines at Zĭmăpān; they are forced, however, to keep up an establishment there, in order to superintend the works at the lead mine of Lomo del Toro, (the Bull's Side,) so called, probably from the shape of the mountain upon which it is situated. It is about four leagues from Zimapan, and very difficult of access. From the top of a high mountain, a zig-zag path, very narrow, and bordering on one side upon a precipice of from two to three thousand feet, conducts you to the mouth of the Mine. The descent is so steep, that a great part of it is cut into steps; it is, however, possible to go down on horseback, as far as the entrance to the Mine, but from thence to the river below, (about 1,700 feet,) no animal was ever known to descend.
The ore of Lomo del Toro is used as a flux in smelting, and twenty thousand cargas of it were annually consumed in the smelting establishment at Regla. The produce of the mine is divided into four distinct classes, Pepena, Quajado, Arenillos, and Metales Comunes. Pepena is lead ore, which glitters, containing from eight to ten ounces of silver per carga. Quajado is dull lead ore, but as rich as the Pepena. Arenillos, earth sifted, and containing some particles of lead and silver, about one ounce to the carga. Metales Comunes, earth, or refuse from the mine, without any metallic particles, but used in smelting. Even this sells at Zimapan for one dollar the mule load. The Pepena is worth fifteen and a half dollars per carga, or five reals per arroba. The costs of extraction, however, leave the Company at present but little profit. The mine has been worked from time immemorial, by Buscones, who search for ore wherever they please, and deliver it at the mouth of the shaft at a certain price. Owing to this total want of system, the mountain has been excavated to an enormous extent, and the lower workings are now so distant, and so difficult of access, that the price paid for each arroba brought up by the Buscones, is two reals and a half, or one half the market price of the ore; in addition to which the Company defray all the expences of mining tools, candles, and powder, and keep an English miner to superintend the works. It is now very difficult to apply a remedy to this evil, as the side of the mountain is so very precipitous, that to effect a communication with the lower workings, by driving a level some hundred feet below the present entrance to the mine, would be useless, unless the ores could be raised to the summit by a small steam-engine. of about twenty-horse power; and to this the dearth of fuel in the immediate vicinity of Zimapan would present a serious obstacle. It is a pity that a mine of such importance should have been destroyed by being worked in so desultory a manner; but as there was neither method nor restraint amongst the Buscones, you find, at a very little distance from the surface, proofs of their having consulted nothing but the interest of the moment; as the workings consist of huge excavations, unsupported, and in many places already in ruins; while the galleries by which they are connected, are so narrow that it is often nearly impossible to force a passage through them.
There is one other mine, similar to that of Lomo del Toro, at Zĭmăpān, but of an inferior quality. The Germans have a third, at El Cărdŏnāl, from which they are supplied with a flux for their smelting establishment at Chico.
The Mines belonging to the Anglo-Mexican Company at Zĭmăpān, having been subsequently given up, it is only necessary to state that, under the injudicious superintendence of a Cornish miner, the buildings erected by the Company were situated upon the edge of a mountain torrent, and were swept away by the impetuosity of its waters at the commencement of the first rainy season; an event, the probability of which the natives had in vain pointed out.
None of the mines were drained while they remained in the hands of the Company; and, when the effects of the panic of 1826 began to be felt in Mexico, Mr. Williamson determined to abandon them, and to confine himself to more important undertakings in the vicinity of Guanajuato.
On the morning of the 17th of July, we left Zimapan to visit the Iron Mines of the Encărnācĭōn, situated about twelve leagues to the North-east of the town, upon the summit of one of the highest peaks of the Eastern branch of the Sierra Madre, or Great Cordillera of the Andes.
Public attention has only recently been directed towards these Mines, which were unknown before the Revolution. General Wavell was, I believe, one of the first to feel their importance, and the Mines now in the possession of the New Mexican Company were all denounced by him. Since that time, both the German and English Companies have acquired possessions there, for which (as I have already stated) no other formality is required than to open a shaft, which is "denounced," and to keep four men employed upon it for eight days. This gives a legal title to a Pertinencia of two hundred varas in the vicinity of the shaft.
The Real Del Monte Company has now the shafts of Las Animas, San Cosme, San Antonio, and El Carmen, which, together, give them a right to eight hundred varas of ground.
The Germans are in possession of Santa Matilda, and nine other shafts, which will give them a command of more iron, than the largest establishment that it is possible for them to form can require.
The Anglo-Mexican Company had likewise denounced several shafts, but will probably give them up with the rest of the establishment at Zimapan.
The mountain upon which these Mines are situated, appears to be one mass of Iron ore, so rich as to contain 75, and even 85 per cent, of pure Iron, apparently of a very fine quality, and possessing great magnetic powers.
The rock is principally marble and kalkspath, being (as I am informed), similar, in almost every respect, to the famous Swedish Iron mines at Danemora. The Mexican ore is, however, so rich, that a flux will be required in order to smelt it, and some difficulty is apprehended upon that account. The German Company has sent to Silesia for fifty men acquainted with Iron works, and they intend to establish a foundery near the Encarnacion, upon a very large scale. It is impossible to select a spot more favourable, in most respects, for such an undertaking. There is an abundant supply of water, and the vegetation, with which the whole Cordillera is covered, is superior to any thing that I have yet seen in the New World. There is an amazing variety of forest trees. We observed ten different species of Oak, with Ocotes, and Oyamels, (Pines, excellent for fuel,) and magnifient Limes, covering an extent of country as far as the eye could reach. Provisions were scarce, but a Mining establishment, if successful, always creates a population around it; and, from the facility of irrigation, there is no doubt that the valleys between the mountains might be cultivated with success. The roads are very bad, and so steep, and liable to be affected by the rains, that it would hardly be possible to render the mines very accessible; but still there is no doubt that, in a country where the demand for iron is so great, and where the Mining Districts of Guanajuato and Real del Monte are so near, the speculation might answer.
The English Companies will not commence their works at the Encarnacion, until their other Mines begin to pay. The depth to which the Iron-ore, so rich at the surface, extends, has not yet been ascertained; and although I am not aware of there being any reason to question the abundance of the supply at Zĭmăpān, I have heard of another district near San Luis Pŏtŏsī, that presented similar appearances, although, on sinking a shaft, every vestige of iron was lost at a few yards below the surface.
From the Encarnacion, we proceeded, on the 18th of July, to the Gold mine of San José del Oro, which was formerly immensely productive, but which has been, for many years, abandoned, and in ruins.
It has been taken, with the neighbouring Mine of "Chalma," by the Germans, as a speculation, which, from its vicinity both to Zimapan and to the Iron mines, will require no additional superintendence; while, should they be fortunate enough to strike upon the vein, it is certain to repay them for the very trifling advances which they intend to make upon this experiment.
The ore of San José is composed of feldspath and copper, intermixed with gold, which is found pure, in very minute particles, and is separated from the copper in a few hours by the use of quicksilver in the arrastres. The copper ore is then prepared by fire, when it becomes valuable as magistral; an ingredient, of which, in the amalgamation of silver, a great consumption is made. It is worth from eight to twelve dollars the carga.
From San José we returned the same evening to Zimapan, which we left on the following morning for Itzmiquilpan, where a road branches off to Chico and Real del Monte.
It was my intention not to have quitted Zimapan without visiting the Mines of El Dŏctōr, Măcŏnī, and San Crĭstōvăl, which have been taken up by the Catorce and Anglo-Mexican Companies; but I was prevented by the uncertainty of being able to recross the river Tula, which is seldom fordable during the rainy season. Had a fall of rain taken place in the mountains during my absence, I should have been prevented from reaching Zimapan again, and must have given up my visit to Real del Monte and Chico, in order to return to the Capital by San Juan del Rio and Tula, at which place alone there is a bridge. At any other time I should certainly have undertaken the journey, for the district of El Dŏctōr is one of great importance; and the road from Zĭmăpān although dangerous and full of precipices, is described as the boldest and most picturesque portion of the Sierra Madre, south of Durango.
From Mexico to the Doctor, there are two routes, the one by San Juan del Rio and Cădĕrēită, and the other a bridle-road, which is laid down in my map of routes, as given to me by one of the agents of the Catorce Company.
The mountainous district commences on crossing the river Tūlă, a little to the South of Tĕpĕtĭtlān, (fourteen leagues from Huĕhuĕtōcă,) from whence a succession of steep and barren ridges extends to the Indian village of Tĕcŏsōutlă, situated in a valley, well watered, and abounding in fruitful gardens. From Tĕcŏsōutlă the road crosses the river Pātĕ, in the vicinity of which there are mineral springs, emitting a dense sulphureous vapour; and from thence it runs to the foot of a bleak and lofty mountain called Sŏmbrĕrētĕ, upon which the Rancho of Olveira stands. The Rancho is nine leagues from Tĕcŏsōutlă, and four from El Dŏctōr, which it is however impossible to reach in a single day.
The first of the four last leagues traverses a barren and rocky plain; the second winds up a mountain of porphyry and marble, so steep as to be almost inaccessible; and the third lies through a valley, covered with Oak, Ash, the White Birch, and the Pine, with plots of rich soil at intervals. Of the fourth, the first half is the ascent of the mountain called El Piñal, the summit of which is elevated above the highest peaks of the surrounding Cordillera; immediately beneath it, on a natural platform, stands the village of El Dŏctōr, apparently not two hundred yards from the summit of the Piñal, but in fact nearly half a league distant, as the descent is effected by a zig-zag path, a great part of which is supported by terraces of masonry; whilst beyond the village, and many hundred yards beneath it, there are a number of lesser mountains, mostly conical, and covered with timber, the valleys between them being inhabited by Indians, and sown with maize.
The Mina Grande of El Dŏctōr extends almost beneath the village, and has two "Pertinencias" on the line of the vein, which runs nearly East and West, with an inclination of about sixty degrees: it varies from one to three varas in breath, and yielded, when worked regularly, three hundred cargas of ore weekly. The buildings connected with the mine have been destroyed during the Revolution, and the village itself has gone to decay. It still contains, however, a large church, with ten or twelve good-sized houses, and a few Indian huts.
The mouth of the mine is 4,875 feet above the level of the river Tula, which, at the foot of the mountain of the Doctor is itself 4,519 feet above that of the Gulf of Mexico: the village stands therefore at an elevation of 9,394 feet; and the Ĕspŏlōn, or summit of the mountain above it, attains the height of 11,019 feet. The socabon, or adit of the Mine, (commenced in 1780, and concluded in 1794, at an expence of 90,000 dollars,) lies 753 feet below the village. It is 966 varas in length, but, from some miscalculation in the measurements, it did not enter the Mine below the lowest levels, and is consequently of little use at present.
The creation of a populous village in such a spot as that upon which the Pueblo of the Dŏctōr stands, is a proof of the influence which the Mines, when successful, always exercise upon the population. The whole surrounding country is now settled, and should the vein, upon examination, be found sufficiently accessible to induce the Catorce Company to continue its operations there, a few months will ensure them an abundant supply of all the necessaries of life. The district contains a number of metalliferous lodes, by which the Indians, not employed in agriculture, have gained a subsistence during the last twenty years; and although none of them have been explored to any extent, they present sufficient indications of richness to render a more minute examination of them expedient. The Haciendas formerly belonging to the mine are situated at Măcŏnī, (four leagues to the South-west,) where there is water in abundance; and at three leagues North of the Dŏctōr, are the mines of San Crĭstōvăl, which abound in lead ores, and furnish large quantities of liga, or flux, for smelting. Two leagues and a half beyond these, again, in a deep ravine, is the quicksilver mine of San Ŏnōfrĕ, with a vein about nine feet wide, composed of Cinabar, and other mercurial oxydes. The ores differ from those of Almădēn and Huāncăvēlĭcă, inasmuch as they contain much native mercury, which is seldom found in sufficient quantities to be of much value. It exudes, however, in large drops from the ores which I possess, and the mine has been worked for some time by the present proprietor, with profit.
On the 20th of July we reached the town of Ăctōpăn, about ten leagues from Itzmiquilpan. The first part of the road is stony and barren, but after passing the village of Yōlŏ, (five leagues from Ītzmĭquīlpăn,) the valley of Ăctōpăn commences, and on each side of it there are some fine Haciendas, following in their position the line of the mountains, from which they are supplied with water. The country is inhabited by Ŏtŏmī Indians; and in the vicinity of Ăctōpăn is covered with rich crops of maize and barley.
From Ăctōpăn to Chīcŏ the road is wild and bad, but particularly the last six leagues, two of which lead, by an almost precipitous path, down the side of a very bold mountain, to a little eminence at the foot of it, upon which the town of Chico stands.
The whole distance does not exceed twelve leagues.
The great German Mine of Ărēvălŏ stands upon another little hill, nearly opposite the town. It enjoyed no sort of celebrity until the beginning of this century, when it fell into the hands of the present proprietor, Don Antonio Revilla, who, after working it for some time in an obscure way, was fortunate enough, in 1803, to fall in with a Bonanza, or mass of rich ore, which enabled him to carry on his operations upon a larger scale. In 1811, from one part of the level, called "El Divino Pastor," he obtained, in seven weeks, a clear profit of 200,000 Dollars.
During the Revolution, Revilla suffered, as all other Mining proprietors did, and was forced to mortgage the large estates in the neighbourhood of Arroyo Sarco, which he had purchased during the time of his prosperity. Having no means of paying off this mortgage, or of recommencing his mining operations and repairing his Haciendas, he was glad to accept the proposals made to him by the German Company, which undertook to advance him 100,000 Dollars, and to take his stock at a valuation, on condition that he should-make over to them the entire management of the mine, and twelve Barras, or a Half-Proprietorship in it, for thirty years. The 100,000 Dollars advanced to Revilla in the first instance are to be deducted from his share of the profits, as is half the value of the stock on hand, which amounted to nearly as much more.
Upon these terms the Germans obtained possession of the mine, and there can be little doubt that it will prove a most lucrative speculation; for the vein is, in many places, from fourteen to seventeen varas in breadth. The mine contains little or no water, and what there is, is carried off by a Socabon, or Adit, which enters it at the depth of 113 varas. The lowest workings do not exceed 168 varas, and that only at one particular point.
I had the advantage of visiting every part of the mine with the proprietors, who passed nearly three hours with us underground, and I certainly never saw so enormous a mass of metal. Of course, the quality varies, but although there are richer and poorer ores, there are none so poor as not to be worked with profit.
The most valuable ore, called Pepena, has been found, when smelted, to yield five Marcs to the Arroba, or 162 ounces to the Quintal; but this is rarely met with. The ordinary ores, which I saw amalgamated, produced seven and a quarter ounces to the Carga of three quintals, (equal to seven dollars and two reals;) and the expences of the process amounted to four dollars and four reals, leaving a profit upon each Carga of very nearly three dollars. Baron Humboldt's theory as to the saving which may be effected by the introduction of the Freiberg process of amalgamation into Mexico, has not yet been verified. The Germans merely shorten the process by placing the amalgam in stoves for twenty-four hours, which is regarded as equivalent to a week's exposure in the Patio. When the Hacienda is completed, it is their intention to carry flues under the whole floor, by which means a small Torta may be amalgamated perfectly in four or five days, instead of employing as many weeks to effect it, as is the case at present.
It being absolutely impossible to avoid the use of Mexican mining terms, in an account of the mines of that country, it may be advisable to give here a concise explanation of their signification. The Torta contains fifteen Montones of ore, which has already undergone the process of dressing and stamping; and each Monton contains ten Cargas (or loads) of twelve Arrobas (25lbs.) or three quintals each.
To extract the silver contained in this mass, seven hundred pounds of quicksilver are required, of which from seventy-five to one hundred pounds are lost. To this are added eleven Cargas of Rock Salt, or four and a-half of Sea Salt, and from three to three and a-half Cargas of Magistral, (red copper ore roasted,) which is worth at Chico from eleven to sixteen dollars the Carga, being brought from Zacualpan, Angangeo, or San José del Oro, a distance of full thirty leagues.
All these ingredients are entirely lost in the process: the expense of which varies, in the different Mining districts, in proportion to the greater or less facility with which they are obtained.
The German Directors at Chico, Messrs. Du Berg and Kloppenberg, informed me that they found that no general rule or theory would apply to amalgamation in Mexico; and that they could give, as yet, no explanation of the peculiarities of the process. Long practice had given the old Mexican amalgamators a perfect knowledge of the quantity of the different ingredients required by their ores, and they added to the Tortas, Salt, Magistral, and sometimes Lime, with a precision which a scientific man would be glad to attain, although unable to assign any reason for what they did. The only improvements which the Germans have been able hitherto to introduce, consist in preparing the ores, by the Concentrating Machine,[3] either for smelting or amalgamation; and in collecting more carefully the quicksilver which may remain in the Tortas after the Amalgamation has taken place. The residue of the Torta is then washed, and carried afterwards, in troughs constructed for the purpose, round the whole Hacienda, until it is deposited in an open yard, where, after the earthy particles have been again separated by water, that which remains is called Polvillos, and on being smelted, is often found to produce from two to three Marcs of silver to the hundred weight. The little quicksilver which may remain is lost in this last operation. The Germans have another Mine, between Actopan and Chico, called Santa Rosa, which, although the works are in a very dilapidated state, is free from water, (a circumstance to which they have always paid great attention,) and is producing ore even richer than that of Arevalo.
In their Hacienda they can command a water power to almost any extent; their smelting furnaces are completed; the country about them abounds in wood, and provisions are not particularly dear.
To set against these advantages, there is the smallness of their capital, which prevents them from acquiring a proper influence over the natives, and obliges them to introduce their improvements with the utmost caution; and the difficulty of obtaining workmen, except on the unreasonable terms which Revilla was compelled to grant during the Revolution, when one Third of the Pepena, or rich smelting ore, raised by each barretero, (common miner,) was allotted to him to be sold upon his own account. But these are drawbacks which time and perseverance will enable the Company to surmount; and they have displayed throughout such a thorough knowledge of the business which they have undertaken, so much assiduity, and such extraordinary economy, that I entertain not the slightest doubt as to their success.
Some of the English Companies have Mines in the vicinity of Chico, from which, however, but little is to be expected. At Căpŭlă, the United Company is working the Mines of Las Papas, Santa Ana, and Santi Christi, the last of which, it is thought, may prove productive. In general, the Mines both of Capula and Chico (with the exception of Arevalo) are poor; and although, where one good mine has been discovered, others may be found, there are so many districts in which the chances of success are greater, that the investments made by the New Mexican, United Mexican, and Anglo-Mexican Companies, in the inferior Mines of Chico and Real del Monte, appear to me to belong to that class of injudicious experiments into which Foreign Adventurers were betrayed, in the beginning of 1825, by the absurd competition for contracts which the mining mania in England created.
On the morning of the 23rd July, we left Chico, and proceeded to Real del Monte. The distance is not above three leagues and a-half, but the road is one continued ascent, and, in many parts, so very rugged, that it requires as many hours to perform the journey.
There is, perhaps, no British Company to which so little justice has been done by the Mexicans as that of Real del Monte; a circumstance which is to be attributed entirely to a misconception of the system pursued there. Many people imagined that Captain Vetch, the Director, having it in his power to make the Mines pay at once, had not done so, in order to allow time for the completion of surface works; which, though highly advantageous at a more advanced stage of the negotiation, were not essential in the first instance. Indeed, I had myself heard this statement so often repeated, that I could not but conceive that there must be some foundation for what so many agreed in affirming. Upon this point my visit to Real del Monte completely undeceived me, by enabling me to convince myself that the delay which had occurred, was owing entirely to the immense scale upon which the undertaking was carried on; and to the impossibility of effecting the drainage of any of the principal mines, before the arrival of the steam-engines, the departure of which from England had been unfortunately retarded.
A reference to the account of the operations of the Company contained in the Second Section of the preceding Book, will sufficiently prove the use which had been made of the interval.
By pursuing steadily one well combined plan. Captain Vetch had brought all the principal works upon Count Regla's grant, including the old Adit, which may be regarded as the key to the whole, into a fit state for the application of the powers of steam; a task which it required the labour of two whole years to complete. On the Santa Brigida vein, the shafts of San Jose and El Sacramento, and on the Biscaina vein, those of San Juan, San Francisca, Guadalupe, Santa Teresa, San Cayetano, Dolores, and El Zapatero, had been repaired and retimbered down to the Adit level, (about 218 varas,) in addition to which two new shafts had been sunk, (St. George and St. Patrick,) about fifty varas each, in order to render accessible the workings of some old shafts, upon a very rich portion of the vein, (between La Palma and San Ramon,) which it was found impossible to open anew.
One shaft on the Acosta vein, had been likewise re-timbered down to the Adit level. The shaft of San Estevan had been completely cleared, and was beginning to produce very rich ores.
The mine of Mŏrān had been likewise cleared down to the water, (about eighty feet,) and a horizontal steam-engine erected there, which was to begin working on the 12th of August. It is of fifty-horse power, when worked only to a pressure of 45lbs. on the square inch, but it is calculated to bear a pressure of 200lbs.
With regard to its being fully adequate to clear the mine of water, no doubts are entertained. The deepest workings of the Moran mine do not exceed one hundred and sixty varas; and a few weeks would, consequently, suffice to drain it entirely, were it not for the necessity of re-timbering the whole shaft, as the workmen proceed. There is one curious circumstance with regard to this mine; it has always borne a very high character, and yet, like San José del Oro, no accurate information can now be obtained with regard to the state or extent of its works. About thirty years ago an attempt was made to drain it by some German engineers brought over for the purpose, who constructed a high-pressure engine planned by Don Andres del Rio. In order to obtain a sufficient command of water, a Presa, or dam, was built, at a great expence, upon the summit of a neighbouring mountain; but the plan failed, because the force of the water having been calculated during the rainy season, it was found insufficient, during the dry, to keep the engine at work for more than six hours out of the twenty-four.
Moran may be regarded as one of the most interesting points at Real del Monte. The old Adit, from which the wealth of the first Conde de Regla was derived, commences within one hundred yards of the shaft. The new Adit, the level for which is taken at the Hacienda of Sanchez, (about eight hundred yards distance,) is to be driven exactly in the same direction, and the new road to Regla passes close to the mouth of the mine.
This road is one of the enterprizes for which the Company has been blamed, and yet, without it, not a single steam-engine could have reached Real del Monte. In the time of the old Count Regla, when six hundred mules were employed daily in conveying ore from the mines to the Hacienda of Regla, which is nearly six leagues from the Real, there was no other mode of communication than a very dangerous path across the mountains. This has now been transformed into a road for wheel-carriages, which is beautifully laid down, and upon which timber, of a size never transported before in Mexico, is brought to the mines in the waggons that were originally sent out for the conveyance of the steam-engines from the coast. Another road, equally good, and equally necessary, leads to the farms of Gŭajălōtĕ and Zĭmbŏ, from the last of which the largest timber is principally supplied.
When, in addition to the works already enumerated, it is recollected that seven steam-engines have been transported from Veracruz to Real del Monte, the aggregate weight of which amounted to fifteen hundred tons;—that one of these (that of Moran) was already on the point of beginning to work, and that two others (those of Guădălūpĕ and Dŏlōrĕs) were in a state of great forwardness, it is impossible not to confess that the greatest praise is due to those, by whose exertions so much had been effected in the short space of two years.
Disappointed speculators may complain of the want of speedier returns; but their murmurs must be ascribed, as I have already stated, to their ignorance, in the first instance, of the nature of the enterprise in which they engaged. They know neither the hardships which have been endured, nor the difficulties which have been overcome, in their service; many of which, it is my firm conviction that it would have been impossible to surmount, but for the science and energy displayed by Captain Vetch, and Captain Colquhoun, to whom, most fortunately for the Company, the direction of this ardous enterprize was entrusted. The German Directors, two of whom accompanied me from Chico to Real del Monte, were astonished at the size of the boilers, and other pieces of machinery, which had been brought up from the coast, and confessed that they should neither have regarded the attempt as practicable, nor would have undertaken it themselves on any terms.
I was happy to find that these gentlemen, to whose opinion as miners, from what they have done themselves, I should be inclined to attach great weight, were highly gratified with all that they saw at Real del Monte, and expressed, in the warmest manner, their approbation of the system pursued there.
They were particularly struck with the plans for the new Adit, which is, indeed, a stupendous undertaking. It is to commence 800 yards below the mouth of the old Adit at Moran, and must consequently be driven 3,607 yards before it enters the Biscaina vein at the Dolores shaft. In this space it will cut a number of small veins between Sanchez, Moran, and the Santa Brigida lode, the course of which it will then follow, at 140 varas below the level of the old Adit.
As the quality of the ores was not found to be at all deteriorated in the deepest workings of the old Count Regla, who was only prevented from carrying them farther by the difficulty of keeping down the water, there is every reason to hope that, from the time that the new Adit reaches the Santa Brigida vein, it will not only cover its own expences, but will become a most lucrative speculation. Indeed, were it not for this expectation, no Company could undertake a work, upon such a scale, in such unfavourable ground, as part of the Adit must be driven through the porphyry rock, where the expence of each vara will amount to twenty-five dollars.
It is in consideration of this circumstance that the prosecution of this enterprise has been suspended, until the mines themselves furnish the means of carrying it on, without increasing the outlay of the Adventurers, which already amounts to the whole of the capital originally subscribed. Many are of opinion, however, that had the resources of the Company been devoted to this undertaking, in the first instance, the result, at the end of the term of twenty-five years, to which their contracts entitle them to look forward, would have been more advantageous than the partial drainage which the steam-engines will more immediately effect.
This is a question which it is now unnecessary to discuss, as the opposite system has been preferred, and is likely to succeed, in which case the Adit of Sānchĕz, or Ŏmĭtlān, may be resorted to when the goodness of the mines is demonstrated to some extent below the deepest levels which the Mexican proprietors were enabled to reach. These now extend from forty to seventy varas below the old Adit, so that the new one would render accessible from seventy, to one hundred varas, of virgin ground, the value of which, in an extremely rich vein, may be easily appreciated.
The country about Real del Monte abounds in forests. Several of these are included in the Grant to the Company, which likewise comprehends the farms of Guajalote, Zimbo, and Ĭztūlă. At the last of these it is intended to introduce the English system of husbandry, (with English grass seeds, unknown at present in Mexico,) and oats, lucern, turnips, and clover: a project which cannot fail to be highly interesting to the Agriculturists of New Spain.
These farms are situated between Real del Monte and the Hacienda of Regla, which is likewise ceded to the Company. I visited on the 25th of July this stupendous monument of the magnificence of the old Mexican miners, which may be regarded also as the best proof of the value of their mines. It is situated in a deep ravine, or Barranca, about six leagues to the South-east of Real del Monte; it not having been found possible to obtain a sufficient command of water at a less distance.
The Hacienda is composed of a vast pile of buildings constructed apparently without plan, or regularity, but comprising every thing that a mining establishment can require:—immense vaulted storerooms, for the reception of the ores; twenty-four Arrastres, worked by horizontal water-wheels; a number of furnaces for smelting, and two covered Patios, each of about 200 feet in length, in which the process of amalgamation was carried on. The whole is in a tolerable state of repair, with the exception of the stampers, for braying the ore, which are now in ruins. These are to be replaced by a large water-wheel now constructing by the Company, which is thirty-six feet in diameter, and is to put in motion forty-eight stamps.
The whole Hacienda is supposed to have cost nearly a million of dollars, and this I am not inclined to regard as an exaggerated estimate. In 1795 five thousand cargas of ore were received there weekly. Yet even this enormous establishment was thought insufficient for the mines, and another Hacienda, called San Antonio, was constructed at a little distance from Regla, which is likewise a splendid mass of buildings, although not comparable to Regla in size or importance. San Antonio will be entirely given up by the Company, as, even if the Mines were to produce again what they did in 1764, a more methodical system of working them would render it impossible for them to make use of it, and Regla, together. Instead of transporting the ores, as was formerly the case, en masse, from the Mine to the Hacienda, they will now undergo a previous preparation at Real del Monte, for which purpose a large stamping establishment is erecting there, in a central position, between the Santa Brigida and Biscaina veins.
By the use of the concentrating machine, the poorer ores, when dressed, will be worked up from two and three Marcs, to thirty and forty Marcs per carga; and will only be sent to Regla when in a fit state to be either smelted, or amalgamated with the greatest advantage.
In addition to this stamping establishment, the Company has at Real del Monte, in the buildings attached to the Dolores shaft, a patent turning-lathe, and an apparatus for sawing, both of which are worked by a small steam-engine of twenty-horse power. They have a foundery likewise, with smiths, carpenters, coopers, fire-brick-makers, rope-makers, and men versed in every trade that can be required in order to render the establishment complete within itself; and although some difficulty has been since experienced in keeping up a proper degree of discipline amongst so numerous a train of dependants, nothing could exceed the activity, and good order, which prevailed in all the different branches at the time of my visit.
The Anglo-Mexican Company was in possession of some very inferior mines at Real del Monte, the contracts for which were taken up in England by the Directors in 1825. As they have all been since abandoned, it is unnecessary for me to say any thing respecting them, except that there was only one, (the mine of the Reunion,) of which the native miners entertained a favourable opinion. The rest were regarded as speculations, in which the Company had become involved from not making a proper distinction between the mines upon the two great veins belonging to the Regla family at Real del Monte, and those situated upon inferior veins in the same district. The mine of La Reunion is indebted for its name, and its existence, to a very curious circumstance. In the two last shafts sunk by the old Count Regla at the extremity of his Pertinencias upon the Biscaina vein, (San Juan, and San José,) the real direction of the lode was lost; and nothing but some small veins, or threads of ore, were cut, which did not repay the cost of working.
It became afterwards a favourite theory amongst the Mexicans to suppose that the great lode had split into various ramifications at this point, and reunited again at the place where the shaft of La Reunion has been sunk. It has, however, been since suspected that the real direction of the Biscaina vein lies a little to the North of San Juan and San José, almost immediately below the great Pachuca road; and should this prove to be the case, the Real del Monte Company will possess a large tract of unexplored ground upon the very richest part of the vein, to which the new shaft of St. Andrew will afford an easy access.
In considering the prospects of the Real del Monte Company, a short history of the mines now in its possession may serve to elucidate the calculations with regard to their future produce, which I have given in the third Section of the preceding Book. This history has been often repeated in England since it was first made known to us by Baron Humboldt, but it has become so much the fashion of late to disbelieve every statement with regard to mines, as emanating from the Stock Exchange, that it may perhaps acquire by confirmation the merit of novelty.
The Biscaina vein had been worked, almost uninterruptedly, from the middle of the sixteenth to the beginning of the eighteenth century, when the two principal mines, (El Xăcāl and La Biscaina,) which, in 1726, had produced 542,700 marcs of silver, (4,341,600 dollars,) were abandoned by their proprietors in consequence of the difficulty of keeping down the water with the very imperfect machinery employed in those early days. The mines were then only one hundred and twenty varas in depth, and the known richness of the ores in the lower levels induced an enterprising individual, Don José Alexandro Bustamante, to denounce them anew, and to attempt the drainage by the Adit of Moran, a part only of which he lived to complete. On his death-bed he bequeathed his hopes, and his works, to Don Pedro Tereros, a small capitalist, who had supplied him with funds to continue his operations, and who, sharing in all Bustamante's anticipations of success, immediately removed to Real del Monte, and devoted his whole remaining fortune to the prosecution of the enterprise. From the smallness of the capital invested, the work advanced but slowly, and was not completed until the year 1762; but in the twelve succeeding years Tereros drew from his mines a clear profit of 6,000,000 of dollars, or about 1,200,000l. sterling. He obtained the title of Count by the munificence of his donations to the Court of Madrid; and never was title more dearly bought; for he presented Charles III. with two ships of the line, (one of 112 guns,) constructed at the Havana, of the most costly materials, entirely at his own expence; and accommodated him besides with a loan of one million of dollars, no part of which has yet been repaid. He likewise built the two great Haciendas of San Antonio and Regla, which cannot, together, have cost less than 1,200,000 dollars, (240,000l.); and he purchased landed property to such an extent, that even in the present depressed state of the agricultural interests of Mexico, the revenue of the present Count exceeds one hundred thousand dollars; and ought, in more favourable times, to amount to nearly two. (40,000l.)
From the year 1774, the produce of the Regla mines began to decrease, not because there was any change either in the quantity or the quality of the ores, but because the workings having been carried, upon some points, ninety varas below the level of the Moran Adit, the expences of the drainage, which was effected by twenty-eight Malacates, each requiring forty horses in the twenty-four hours, became so considerable as to leave little or no profit to the proprietor. In 1783 the weekly cost of extraction alone exceeded nine thousand dollars, and the works were suspended in consequence. In 1794 they were re-opened, and the Mine continued in activity till 1801; when, although the produce in the seven years had amounted to six millions of dollars, the undertaking was given up, as not affording sufficient profit to compensate the risk.
Since then no attempt has been made to reach the deeper levels, the works, which have been partially carried on, having been confined to portions of the vein, which had been previously neglected. Even these were abandoned during the Revolution, when the amount of silver raised, (as has been shown,) did not exceed 200,000 dollars.
The Company now stands, with regard to Count Regla, exactly in the position in which Bustamante and Don Pedro Tereros, (the ancestor of Count Regla,) stood with regard to the original proprietors of the Biscaina vein. The value of the mines is known, and the abundance of the ores in the lower levels ascertained, but these levels have become inaccessible in consequence of a defective system of drainage; and the application of the powers of steam is now to effect what was attained, in the first instance, by the gallery of Moran. It is immaterial whether the necessity for a change of system occurs at one hundred and twenty, or at two hundred and seventy yards below the surface, provided the powers of the machinery are equal to the increasing difficulty of the task. In 1727, the enterprise was upon a comparatively small scale, and was accomplished by the persevering efforts of an individual. In 1827, when all the vast works, to which the success of those efforts had given rise, came to be comprehended in the negotiation, it required the capital of a Company to undertake the Herculean task of putting them again into repair. This has been effected at an expence of two millions of dollars.
The money, in as far as my own means of observation have extended, has been laid out in a manner, which does credit both to England, and to the gentlemen who were charged with the direction of the Company's affairs. The only question is, therefore, whether the importance of the enterprise bears a fair proportion to that of the means employed, or, in other words, whether the former produce of the mines was such as to justify the expectations entertained by the Company of a profitable investment; knowing, as they do know, that, upon reaching a given point, they will find an abundance of ores, equal in richness to those which gave to the former proprietors of the Biscaina vein their enormous wealth.
Upon this subject the facts stated in the Fourth Book, and in the present Section, will enable my readers to form their own opinions. Mine are not changed by the delay which has occurred in the realization of Captain Vetch's expectations; and although it is undoubtedly in the power of the proprietors here, by frequent changes in the management, very materially to affect their own prospects of success, I am still inclined to believe that, if the system hitherto pursued be adhered to, the present year, (1828,) will place the result of the enterprise beyond all doubt.
On the 27th of July I returned from Real del Monte to the Capital, where I arrived after an absence of sixteen days. My party had been unusually numerous, Mr. Ball, Dr. Wilson, and Mr. Carrington, having all accompanied me upon this tour, which was not accomplished without a number of little vicissitudes. There was not a single person in Mexico able to give us a correct idea either of the distance, or of the route to Zĭmăpān, and it was in consequence of this want of information that we found ourselves involved, the second day, in the fatiguing journey to Ītzmĭquīlpăn, which the heat and drought together rendered almost insupportable. From the Hacienda de San Pedro to the river below the town, (a distance of twelve leagues,) we did not cross a single stream of water. One of Mr. Ball's horses, (which left Mexico too fat for travelling) sickened and died in consequence; and one of mine, towards the latter part of the day, was affected by the sun in a very extraordinary manner. He became perfectly mad, and rushed with the utmost fury not only upon the persons who approached him, but upon his companions, amongst whom we tried to drive him loose before us. As a last resource we were forced to lasso him with two lassos, and thus to drag him along between two other horses. Even in this state the utmost caution was requisite; for, in the steeper parts of the road, where the ropes were necessarily relaxed, he endeavoured to throw himself over the precipices, and in more than one instance very nearly succeeded. On reaching Itzmiquilpan, he was bled almost to exhaustion, and finally recovered, although weak and unserviceable for many weeks.
It was nearly nine in the evening when we entered Itzmiquilpan, in consequence of the delay which this accident occasioned; and we must have gone supperless to bed, as all the shops were closed, had we not been provided with a case of preserved meat, which furnished us with an excellent meal. There is no country in which the advantage of provisions in this shape is so frequently experienced as in Mexico. They keep for any length of time without being affected by the heat; and, as the cases are made of solid block-tin, they support the motion of the mule without injuring. When opened, a three-pound case, with an allowance of bread, a few potatoes, if they are to be procured, and charcoal enough to make the canteen kettle boil for a quarter of an hour, furnishes a supper for six or eight people; and the certainty of this is duly appreciated after a ride of fifty miles beneath a vertical sun.
It happened to be the fête of the Patron Saint of the town on the night of our arrival, and nothing could be more curious than the appearance of the principal street, which was lighted up, in honour of the occasion, with a number of large paper lanterns, covered with the figures of Saints and Angels, most brilliantly coloured, and suspended by ropes at equal distances from each other. They were all waving gently in the wind, and the streets were crowded with people, either seated quietly before their own doors, or flocking in from the neighbouring villages; the whole population of which was attracted by the unusual sight. The temperature of Itzmiquilpan is much milder than that of Mexico, the town being situated 1,205 feet below the level of the Capital. Zĭmăpān, which is 1,680 feet lower than Mexico, from its extremely sheltered position, approaches more to the atmosphere of Tierra Caliente. The intervening ridge of mountains is nearly 9,000 feet in height.
From Zĭmăpān to San José del Oro, there is an ascent of 3,477 feet; and from thence to the little Hacienda of the Encarnacion, where we passed the night after visiting the Iron mines, you rise about 1,000 feet more. In the neighbourhood of Zimapan the mountains have been entirely stripped of their timber, with that wasteful and improvident spirit, which characterised the proceedings of the old Mexican miners wherever the Mining laws were not most strictly enforced. Not a tree is now to be found within seven leagues of the town, although, from its situation in the centre of the great chain of the Sierra Madre, there can be no doubt that the site which it now occupies was formerly part of the vast forest, which commences about four leagues below San José del Oro.
When once you reach this point, nothing can be more magnificent than the scenery; woods follow woods in endless succession, and wherever there is a break in the mountains, the eye wanders over a wilderness of timber of the most luxuriant growth. With the exception of a few huts in the neighbourhood of San José, and the German amalgamation works at the Encarnacion, there is not a vestige of the hand of man throughout the whole district. The village which formerly existed near San José has disappeared, and the clearings, which afforded a subsistence to the miners, are overgrown with brushwood. Great, indeed, will be the transition, in the course a few years, if the Iron mines are brought into activity, and an European establishment formed, with all the din of restless activity, where nature now reigns in solitude and silence.
From the extreme badness of the roads between Zimapan and the Encarnacion, we did not attempt to take up beds or provisions. Mr. Spangenberg undertook to procure us a sheep upon the spot, with abundance of tortillas, and we trusted to cloaks and a buffalo's skin for a bed. The house was extremely small, and the family of the proprietor large, for it consisted of a wife and four daughters, besides two or three sons. The last were disposed of in the stables, in order to make room for us; but I believe that not less than fourteen persons took up their quarters in the sala, stretched in a double tier upon the floor, with their feet meeting in the centre. Nothing: but the extreme coldness of the air at such a height preserved us from suffocation, for the columns of mist which were driven occasionally past the house, rendered it impossible to leave either door or windows open. It was curious to observe the rapidity with which these clouds came sweeping down from the higher ridges, enveloping us suddenly in a cold, chilling vapour, accompanied by a strong current of air, and to feel the contrast between the temperature of the region subject to their influence, and the glowing sky of Zĭmăpān, which opened upon us after about three hours of an almost precipitous descent.
Between Zĭmăpān and Ăctōpăn there is little worthy of remark, with the exception of a dangerous pass which terminates the ascent from the village of Yolo to the Valley of Actopan, the level of which is 320 feet below that of the Capital. At the very summit of the hill which leads to this valley, there is a sheet of smooth and solid rock, which it is impossible to avoid, from the precipitous nature of the road, and which, with shod horses, is almost impassable. We dismounted, and took every precaution in order to assist ours in crossing it; but notwithstanding this, three of them were very seriously injured in the attempt. On reaching the Table-land beyond this ridge, the singular mountain called Los Organos de Actopan, is immediately in sight, and continues so for several leagues. It rises 2,426 feet above the level of the plain, and resembles the spires of a cathedral, or the twisted growth of a large species of cactus (whence the name is taken) in its appearance. This cactus runs up in columns to a great height, and is much used by the Indians for enclosures. On the road from Real del Monte to Mexico, there is one village, every house in which is so completely fenced in by it, that nothing else is visible. You pass through avenues of cactus, which constitute the streets, and as none of these habitations communicate with the road by a door in front, there is nothing except the barking of the dogs, and the occasional squalling of a child within, to indicate the abode of man.
The neighbourhood of Chīcŏ is not less remarkable than that of Ăctōpăn for the singular configuration of the surrounding rocks. I regret much not having obtained a drawing of this wild spot, or of a natural column, which rises suddenly out of the ground in the middle of the forest between Chico and Real del Monte, and towers up at once to the height of near 200 feet. The Barranca of Regla, too, with the beautiful waterfall a little above the Hacienda, and the row of basaltic columns which support the ledge of rock from which the stream descends, is a magnificent subject for the pencil, and one to which no drawing that I have yet seen does justice. But I was not accompanied upon any of my first journeys by Mrs. Ward, and was consequently unable to ascertain whether her efforts would have been attended with more success.
After our return from the Interior, it was my intention to have visited Real del Monte again; but it was so late in the season before we quitted Mexico, and the vomito was already so prevalent upon the Coast, that we did not think it prudent to allow the beauties of the scenery to tempt us into a delay, the risk of which every day tended to increase.
- ↑ Pita is the thread made from the fibre of the Maguey.
- ↑ Vecino means householder.
- ↑ The concentrating machine (Stossheerd) is an inclined plane or frame work, upon which a quantity of pulverised ore is deposited, and subjected to the action of a small stream of water, which, by the peculiar motion of the machine, is allowed to carry off the earthy particles, and thus to concentrate the silver contained in a given quantity of ore, from one to ten or twenty Marcs in the Arroba.