SILVER MINES. 55 



gambling, which is inherent to most men, 

 and especially to Spaniards arid Indians ; but 

 the stake on one side is not large, being only 

 labom* and privation, and on the other the 

 prize may be considerable, though the player 

 mostly returns with his small leather bag in 

 a state of collapse. 



The silver mines that I have found have 

 fine, broad, but rather irregular veins, and 

 the ore is combined with a great quantity of 

 sulphur and a large proportion of lead. Both 

 the ore and the stone are very hard, but the 

 former is remarkably clean ; and though, for 

 want of a silver assaying apparatus, I could 

 not get a good assay, yet by the means in 

 our power they would produce about fifteen 

 marcs of silver the ton. About twenty tons 

 of clean ore was extracted, broken up to a 

 proper size, and piled up ; they are most 

 likely lying there still, covered over with 

 some fine specimens of Central American 

 vegetation, and the pile itself a fine specimen 

 of Central American legislation. 



The mineral riches that are deposited in 

 the bosom of these mountains are no doubt 

 very great ; but the working of the mines is 

 so difficult, from the ignorance of the work- 

 men, who have to be taught everything, their 



