1831.] Spanish High-ways and By-ways. 613 



find in their recesses a secure retreat. We reached Zalraea in time to 

 escape the effects of a thunder storm, and at the extremity of the village 

 discovered the Rio Tinto, near to which laid the mines the object of my 

 journey. This river takes its rise from a mountain about a mile distant, 

 and taking a course of about twenty leagues joins the sea. Guthrie says, 

 the waters of the Rio Tinto are so saturated with copperas, that it is 

 destructive to man or beast to drink of them. This remark I found cor- 

 rect, for the country people informed me the water was never used ; 

 and if a goat accidentally partook of it, vomiting instantly ensued, and 

 the animal would never drink of it a second time. The water is deeply 

 tinged with a yellowish colour, and so is the bed over which it flows. 

 We crossed the river, which being so near the source, is, in that place, 

 very shallow, and soon reached the village of Las Minas, inhabited solely 

 by the workmen of the Rio Tinto mines. In this place, being so completely 

 out of the route of all travellers, it may be easily supposed the accom- 

 modation to be procured was not of the first order. We found an 

 apology for a posada, where at least there was a vacant room to deposit 

 our horse furniture, and serve as a sleeping place ; and though the house 

 afforded nothing but common wine, the landlord, Don Patrico Salamanca, 

 was a. civil, intelligent fellow. I lost no time in calling on the director, 

 to whom I presented the letter from the minister at Madrid ; the recep- 

 tion . he ave me was anything but cordial ; he examined my passport 

 minutely to ascertain my identity, and seemed reluctant to afford me the 

 slightest information. Evidently hostile to my mission, he had recourse 

 to frivolous excuses to stay my inspection, saying the mines were closed, 

 and the keys were not to be found ; but seeing that I was determined in 

 my object, he at length desired a man to conduct me. Tapers were then 

 procured, and we proceeded to the mountain, accompanied by a dozen 

 or more workmen, with whom I had already had some conversation ; the 

 entrance to the mine is about midway up the hill, which having reached, 

 we lighted our torches, and passed under a lofty archway of brick, 

 about 300 yards in length, which led into one of the galleries of the 

 mine j here the brick archway terminated, and we continued along the 

 excavation, until we reached a spacious chamber, around which were 

 various passages leading to the different workings. The cieling of this 

 chamber was a most beautiful specimen of natural embellishment ; the 

 dripping water had formed christals of the most beautiful colours, par- 

 ticularly green and yellow, which, reflecting the light of our torches, 

 produced an effect more magnificent than any thing I have ever beheld. 

 A room inlaid with gems of the finest brilliancy and colours, could only 

 give an idea of the splendour of this chamber. The walls and the ground 

 on which we stood, as well as the galleries, were all encrusted with copperas. 

 Hence we proceeded along one of the passages, and arrived at another 

 chamber, in the centrfe of which was a pit ; a shaft was sunk from the 

 surface, for the convenience of drawing up the ore, and afforded light and 

 air ; I wished to descend the pit, but found it was choked with water, 

 and the machines of the mine were too imperfect to draw it off. They 

 had but an old pump of a very antique construction, which required 

 more labour to work, even when in repair, than they possessed. A steam 

 engine would have cleared the way in a few hours, but want of money 

 seemed to be the chief reason for neglecting such valuable works. From 

 this spot we proceeded along another gallery, but the frame-work by 



