1885.] 14 J [Cope. 



the Providencia mine. This varies in thickness from eighteen to thirty- 

 inches. In one direction it is limited by a trap dyke at a distance of about 

 100 yards, whose exposed face is less than 100 feet in height. 



South of Zacualtipan are situated the Guadalupe, Capa Rosa, Sausz and 

 San Miguel mines. At the Guadalupe are two timbered drifts, whose 

 length I did not explore, as they contained much water, and were more or 

 less dangerous. The cuts at their mouths in the hillsides reveal their struc- 

 ture and general value. The rock consists of clay and clay shales more or 

 less carbonaceous, not hard, but tough. The lignite proper is from six to 

 ten inches in thickness. This cut is near the base of the trap precipice. 

 The second cut is 150 feet off, and is that much further from the trap. It 

 displayed much the same structure and quantity of lignite. 



The Capa Rosa exposure is on another side of the same hill, and is a 

 quarter of a mile from the precipice, thus giving promise of greater dimen- 

 sions of the deposit in one direction. It is at nearly the same horizon as the 

 Gaudalupe, and may be the same bed. It is developed by an open cut 

 which shows as follows : Below fifteen feet of soil there are twelve feet of 

 clays and slates. These alternate between more and less carbonaceous 

 layers, and in the bottom there are in sight ten inches of lignite, and how 

 much more I could not ascertain without excavations. Further down the 

 same hill, about 100 feet vertical, is the Sausz mine. The beds are here 

 exposed by an open cut and a drift; the latter in a ruinous condition. In 

 the bottom of the openings is a foot of good looking lignite, and above it 

 is a bed of clay three feet in depth ; above that, six inches of carbonaceous 

 clay slate. 



A mile farther along the same valley is the San Miguel mine. Its bed 

 is exhibited in one open cut, and in an exposure along the bank of the 

 San Miguel creek at the water level. There are here eight inches of lig- 

 nite like' that of the Capa Rosa and the Sausz. 



It is now easy to perceive that the aggregate quantity of coal in l he 

 country is large, but that it is spread over considerable space. It is also 

 evident that the mining is easy, as the beds all crop out conveniently on 

 the sides of valleys, and the drainage is also easy. There being no secure 

 roof of hanging wall to the beds, all workings will have to be well tim- 

 bered. This will not be expensive, as timber of excellent quality of oak, 

 pine, etc., covers the hills everywhere, in close proximity to the coal 

 openings. The localities which exhibit the greatest thickness of the beds 

 are the Galiana and Concha properties. Those which promise tbe greatest 

 horizontal extent of the bed in the direction of the dyke are the Galiana, 

 the Capa Rosa, the Sausz and the San Miguel. The property which com- 

 bines the two advantages is then the Galiana. 



This region is accessible by rail as far as Pachuca, sixty miles distant. 

 From Pachuca to Zacualtipan a railroad could be built by Tulancingo and 

 Apulco, where is now a wagon road. Of this I am informed by various 

 persons, among them by Professor Castillo of the School of Mines of Mex- 

 ico. A direct line of road from Pachuca to Zacualtipan is impracticable or 



