154 Travels and Adventures 



cavities. The work of cutting down the side of 

 the rock is done by the natives, their most powerful 

 implement being a crowbar. A piece of rock about 

 a yard wide is taken, the whole length of the mine, 

 on the top ; this is cut down a few yards, and then 

 another level of the same is commenced a^ain at 

 the top, until the whole breast of the rock appears 

 like a monster stair-case, the broken rubbish being 

 thrown over to the bottom of the precipice. On an 

 opposite bank from where the emeralds are taken 

 out, a stream of water is kept by means of sluices in 

 a reservoir, and, as the sluices are opened every 

 quarter of an hour, the water is allowed to rush 

 down the rocks with great force, clearing away with 

 the torrent all the broken stone thrown down by the 

 miners since the last discharge. 



The Colombian gentlemen who live here in charge 

 of the workmen are among the most hospitable I 

 have ever met, and whatever traveller chances to stray 

 that way may be sure of a welcome from the emerald 

 miners, who live in this mountain fastness sometimes 

 for a whole year without making a journey to the 

 adjoining towns. They informed me that they had 

 explored the whole of the surrounding mountains for 

 emeralds, and had found many places which yielded 

 green stones, but none to produce the beautiful pure 

 and dark green gems which are so prized, except 



