IIKTURN TO ENGLAND. 281 



The newly-discovered track taken by the homeward 

 bound over the Cordilleras soon brought Don Antonio 

 Pinto and others into the field in search of passable roads 

 to the Atlantic. Twelve days required by Gamboa to 

 effect his return to San Jose, a distance of perhaps sixty 

 miles, indicate the difficulty. 



Mr. Gerard passed some weeks with Trevi thick in 

 Cornwall arranging the best means of getting together 

 a, company to work on a large scale the Costa Rica mines. 



" DEAR SlR, " HAYLE FOUNDRY, January 24th, 1828. 



" Yesterday I saw Mr. M. Williams, who informed me 

 that lie should leave Cornwall for London on next Thursday 

 week, and requested that I would accompany him. If you 

 think it absolutely necessary that I should be in town at the 

 same time, I would attend to everything that would promote 

 the mining interest. When I met the Messrs. Williams on the 

 mining concerns some time since, they mentioned the same as 

 you now mention of sending some one out with me to inspect 

 the mines, and that they would pay me my expenses and also 

 satisfy me for my trouble with any sum that I would mention, 

 because such proceedings would be satisfactory to all who 

 might be connected in this concern. I objected to this pro- 

 posal on the ground that a great deal of time would be lost and 

 that the circumstances of your contracts in San Jose would not 

 admit o.f such a detention ; for that reason alone was my objec- 

 tion grounded, and if that objection could have been removed 

 I should have been very glad to have the mines inspected by 

 any able person chosen for that purpose, because it would not 

 only take off the responsibility from us, but also strengthen our 

 reports, as the mining prospects there will bear it out, and that 

 far beyond our report. Some time since I informed you that I 

 had drawn on the company for 100Z. to pay 70Z. passage-money, 

 and would have left 301. to defray my expenses returning to 

 London. The time for payment is up, but I have not as yet 

 licnnl anything about it, therefore I expect there must be an 

 omission by the bankers whose hands it was to have passed 



