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THE CUBA REVIEW 



View of the "El Cobre Mines," near Santiago. 



THE MINING INDUSTRY IN THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA 



EDUARDO 1. MONTOULIEU, 



Mining Engineer 

 Member American Institute of Mining Engineers 



Although for many years the production of iron and copper ores in Cuba has attained 

 considerable importance, nevertheless, the mining industry of Cuba, to the mind of outsiders, 

 including men of the mining class, is still considered unimportant. 



This idea is, however, unfounded, as the fact is that from the earhest days of the discovery 

 the Spaniards took the greatest interest in the possible mineral wealth of Cuba. There still 

 remain many traditions concerning the working, or at least the existence, of gold mines, speci- 

 ally at Canasi, Escambray, Camagiiey and Holguin, in the Provinces of Havana, Santa Clara, 

 Camagliey and Oriente, respectively. The fact remains that at these places, explorers have 

 located extensive old workings of the highest historical and technical interest, the oldest 

 neighbors being unable to tell anytliing regarding the date of their execution, and claiming 

 to have heard their elders refer to them as in the same condition as we find them today. 



The hazy history of these mines takes us back to the days when pirates and buccaneers 

 laid in waiting near Canasi to attack, pillage and sink the galleons of Castile laden with gold and 

 specie at the start of their sail eastern-bound. 



Copper appears to be the next mineral mined in Cuba. The "El Cobre" mines near 

 Santiago were worked by the Spaniards from the earliest days, and there is no doubt concern- 

 ing the fact that their discovery was due to the old workings left by the native Indians. 



We all admit and recognize the relative proficiency of the Indians in the metallurgy of 

 copper, as the utensils and relics of articles made of that metal are numerous; but it is not so 

 easily accepted that the process of refining copper was known or practised by them. In the 

 analyses of over two thousand samples of copper relics found in dwelhngs and tombs from all 

 over the continent, not a trace of "gold or silver has been found. When we remember that prac- 

 tically all the copper from Continental America bears gold and silver, often in paying amounts, 

 we wonder if the Indians refined their copper by a process which we have failed to determine. 



