270 SPOUTING ADVENTURES 



Mulege, to obtain possession of a boat, which 

 had been stolen from the coal-agent at Pichi- 

 linque, and conveyed thither. The anchorage is 

 to the northward of the bay, and is very diffi- 

 cult to be distinguished, a cluster of palm- 

 trees off the mouth of a river being the only 

 guide. The town of Mulege is situated about 

 a mile and a half up this river, and cannot be 

 seen from the anchorage ; it is a miserable place, 

 composed of about 120 adobe huts; but there 

 are a few edifices of a better class in course of 

 construction. On a hill close by is the old mis- 

 sion of Mulege; the building has now fallen to 

 decay. The town was formerly supported by 

 the pearl fisheries, which have declined; but 

 the discovery of extensive copper-mines has 

 infused new energy into the place. These 

 mines are said to yield a fair profit to the 

 owners, the ore varies in richness from ten to 

 fifty per cent., and consists of black oxide and 

 sulphates, it lies in horizontal strata, very 

 much broken. About 500 operatives are em- 

 ployed on the works. 



