278 MINING IN THE 



CHAP. X. 



his guilt by setting the mines to work, and thus, 

 by proving their productiveness, prove his cri- 

 minality. The crown undertook the work, and 

 Don Alonzo Carillo Rueda of the council of 

 finances was appointed superintendent, accom- 

 panied by a wandering friar, who having resided 

 some time in America was supposed to be capa- 

 ble of performing the duties of an engineer. 

 After a few years, with little progress in drain- 

 ing, sickness, want of money, and other impedi- 

 ments baffled all attempts to reach the metals. 

 The mine was once more abandoned, and Carillo 

 with his officers and retinue returned to Madrid, 

 to the loss of the crown and to the disappoint- 

 ment of the ministers. 



The war of the succession which soon fol- 

 lowed suspended all mining projects ; but in 

 1728 a new adventurer under took the work of 

 opening the mines of Guadalcanal. This was 

 an English woman of rank Lady Mary Herbert, 

 daughter of the Marquis of Powis. She had 

 resided in Paris, had been connected with the 

 celebrated Missisippi Law, and had thereby 

 improved a natural talent and disposition for 

 enterprises of an extensive nature. This lady 

 was received with attention in Spain, and a com- 

 pany which had been formed two years before 

 accepted a proposal she made to drain the mines 

 of Guadalcanal. The conditions were that she 

 was to be paid two hundred thousand dollars 



