474 On the Iron-pyrites Mines of Andalucia. [ Oct., 
geographical order. <A plan is given in Plate II.,* from which it 
will be seen that there are four large masses of ore, all of which are 
clearly pointed out by surface indications, and have been proved by 
shafts and borings, though mining has been carried out only in 
one. The “ gossan” reaches here at some spots the great thickness 
of 130 feet, and is believed to average 110 feet. ‘The ore was at 
one time extracted by underground workings; but now, in spite of 
the difficulties attending the removal of the vast “head” of unpro- 
ductive matter, it is entirely raised in “ opencast,” and the mine is 
really a large quarry. ‘The property has lately passed into the 
hands of a Scotch firm, and is beg energetically opened out. 
The mine of the Coronada, about three leagues west of the 
Tharsis, has been worked in bygone times, and one of the old adits 
has lately been cleared out by modern adventurers: it shows well 
the nature of the work of the “old man,” running up and down 
hill, and winding in a tortuous way, seemingly for the purpose of 
avoiding the harder portions of the rock, which could not be cut 
through without blasting, and round or over which the crafty miner 
worked his way, choosing soft ground even at the risk of extra 
driving. ‘The remains of an old wooden wheel used for unwatering 
the mine were also found; it seemed to have worked on the prin- 
ciple of a dredging-machine, being fitted with buckets, which dipped 
into and raised the water, till, after passing the highest point, they 
became inverted, and discharged their contents into a gutter. A 
like contrivance is now, or was lately, in use at the Tharsis. 
We may now turn to the Buitron Mine, near the town of 
Valverde, of which a sketch-plan is given in Fig. 3. 
Fig. 3. 
Scale of Metres 
Ip B “ i) ee oo 500 
Sketch-plan of the Buitron Mine, 
The sett contains two deposits, the eastern one alone being at 
present opened out. The ore is reached by an adit as at Santa 
Domingo, but owing to a very deep valley it has been possible to 
* Reduced from a plan kindly lent me by Mr. Thornthwaite, 
