14 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



Scene along the road from Pinar del Rio to Vinales, in the Manganese district. 



their extent appears to be of considerable importance, they have not been systematically 

 explored or actively mined. 



At Sabalo, south of the railroad, there are some very extensive deposits of perfectly white 

 siliceous sand 98% pure, which have been very actively mined for the manufacture of bottles 

 for the Havana breweries and general bottle making, and a new company has just been 

 organized to install a complete glass factory to produce all kinds of glassware. 



Just a few kilometres to the northwest, at a point known as Narajo, there are some highly 

 interesting lead prospects which are being carefully explored by a Philadelphia concern which 

 has already shipped, via Havana, its first 30 tons of first-class galena. 



From just about this point to a point 50 kilometre^ to the north, and from here in a north- 

 easterly direction for about 7 5 kilometres there is a belt of various sedimentary rocks intruded 

 at places by highly serpentinized rocks, often flanked by limestone formations, rich in all manner 

 of copper indications. Many hundreds of claims have been made on this land and there is 

 hardly a square kilometre without some prospect holes, an addit, an active or deserted camp, 

 or, in a word, some evidence of mining activities. 



Of the many prospects of the zone, one has become one of the most important copper mines 

 of the continent. "Minas de Matahambre," 14 kilometres south of the harbor of Santa Lucia, 

 was discovered in 1913, prospected and explored in 1914, the ore located, blocked and prepared 

 for intensive mining in 1915, until in 1916, 33 ships left Santa Lucia carrying a total cargo of 

 65,000 tons of excellent grade ore. "Minas de Matahambre" is a real mine today, producing 

 over twenty million tons of copper and seventy thousand ounces of silver per year. 



To mention just a few of the more promising prospects of this copper belt. Mono, Vivero, 



Catalina, and Nieves are near the great Matahambre and their exploration goes on with varyino' 



success. Francisco and Cdndida that shipped some six thousand tons of high gra^lr^„__,.,^ 

 , , ^ ^^v* ' t . — iiwiii Dii- - - _ , . »T. . ■,-■•-'" concern- 



iTg thTfact 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 rehcs 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. 



