16 <5eo0rapbfcal flotes on 



report, and by his Italian mining friend, Rivafinoli, sent it to the 

 Conde, who was living in England. 



That country was only too anxious to reap for themselves some of 

 the spoils that Spain had gleaned from Mexican mines. Here was 

 their opportunity, many became interested, and the celebrated mining 

 expert of that day, Mr. John Taylor, the founder of the present Lon- 

 don firm now so heavily interested in South Africa, Taylor Bros., was 

 sent to make an examination, and in 1824 the English Real del Monte 

 Company was formed on the following terms : The company leased 

 the mines and haciendas for twenty-one years : ist. The capital in- 

 vested was to be returned from the products of the mines with interest ; 

 2d. The Conde was then to have one-half of the remaining proceeds 

 yearly ; 3d. Meanwhile he was to receive $16,000 per year as an ad- 

 vance against his portion or anticipated profits. In case of failure of 

 this third clause the lease would be cancelled and everything revert to 

 the Conde. As the outlay amounted to over $5,000,000 and no profit 

 ensued, it amounted to a rent of $16,000 per year. 



In 1824 Captain Vetch, of the Royal Engineers, was sent out as 

 manager. He brought three ships filled with one thousand tons of 

 machinery, pumps, etc., and after untold trials in transportation and 

 erection, finally got them to their destination. All this was done by 

 English engineers, machinists, miners, and workmen, nearly all Cor- 

 nishmen, under the direction of Colonel Colquhoun, a Peninsular 

 veteran, who finally died of yellow fever with over fifty of his men. 

 After unheard-of troubles they got everything by 1826 safely landed 

 in the Real del Monte. The magnitude of the task may be understood 

 when the almost roadless condition of the country is considered, and 

 the bringing up of the machinery from the coast was a splendid exam- 

 ple of British tenacity and pluck. 



Captain Vetch had now cleaned out the Moran adit and the Dolores 

 shaft, and the machinery was at once erected. The stock now rose 

 from $500 to $8000 per share. The Conde had, in the meanwhile, 

 borrowed money from the company and made the twenty-one-year 

 lease perpetual, the annual rent of $16,000 remaining in force. 



By 1829 Captain Vetch had grappled with the water question, and 

 with an annual cost of $30,000 had accomplished what the first Count 

 had paid $250,000 for,and extracted metal 324 feet below the Moran adit. 



Captain Tindall, R.N., succeeded Captain Vetch, and a new shaft 

 (1830) was commenced on the Santa Teresa and called the Terreros 

 shaft. It was 1140 feet to the vein and was started at four points, and 

 was connected in 1834 by drifts run from several levels, and then 

 raised and sunk on. The work came out as true as if it had been 

 done from the surface, thanks to the correctness of the plans of the 

 English mine surveyors. 



