CHAP. xxir. AMERICAN MINES. 149 



tion sprung up, who were freed from the trammels 

 of childhood in which their maternal ancestors 

 had been bound, but were by no means placed 

 on an equality with that of their male progenitors 

 and others of the unmixed white race. 



As new classes arose, the labours of the mines 

 were increased, but there was a want of capital 

 long felt which prevented a rapid progress. It 

 was necessary in mining to pay for labour before 

 its produce could yield any returns. The pur- 

 chase of implements, especially of iron pointed 

 with steel, which were to be brought from Europe, 

 required a large outlay ; and it was necessary, as 

 far as the practice of amalgamation extended, to 

 provide quicksilver, which, coming also from a 

 great distance, was an expensive commodity. 



Mexico was then in circumstances highly fa- 

 vourable to the growth of capital. She enjoyed 

 internal tranquillity ; there were no popular tu- 

 mults of the Indian inhabitants ; the Creoles were 

 neither sufficiently numerous nor influential to 

 form a party; and fresh supplies of Europeans 

 were continually pouring in, who, whatever their 

 rank or qualifications might be, when united 

 formed a kind of aristocracy, which, with occa- 

 sional and slight interruptions, was in general 

 obedient to the supreme authority of Spain. In 

 the wars in which Spain was engaged, especially 

 with England, almost every other part of Spanish 

 America had been invaded either by extensive 



