GOLD AND SILVER OF AMERICA. 339 



of silver, prismatic ])lack silver-ore, and red silver-ore. CHAP. XXVL 

 Pure or native silver is of comparatively rare occurrence, qi]^^ 



Copper, tin, iron, lead, and mercury, are also procured metal*, 

 in New Spain, but in very small quantities, although it 

 would appear that they might be found to a great 

 extent. The meicury occurs in various deposites, in 

 beds, in secondary formations, and in veins traversing 

 porphyries ; but the amount obtained has never been 

 sufficient for the process of amalgamation. 



The total value of gold and silver extracted from the Value of tho 

 mines of America, between 1499 and 1803, is estimated ^"ygr^" 

 by Humboldt at 5,706,700,000 piasters, or (valuing the 

 piaster at 4s. 4|d,) £1,248,340,625 sterling. 



The annual produce of the mines of the New World, 

 at the beginning of the present century, is estimated as 

 follows : — 



Gold Silver Value in 



Marl<s. Marks. Dollars. 



New Spain, 7,000 2,^38.220 23,0110,000 



Peru, 3,400 611,0y0 6,240,000 



Chili, 12.212 29,700 2,OKO,000 



Buenos Ayres, 2,200 481,830 4,850,000 



New Grenada, 20,505 . . . 2,990,000 



Brazil, 29,900 . . . 4,360,000 



75,217 3,46e,84fl 43,500,000 



Valuing the dollar at 4s. 3d., the total annual produce 

 would be £9,243,250.* 



' Accordinjj;' to Mr Ward (Mexico in 1827, vol. ii. p. 38), the 

 annual average produce of tlie Mexican mines, before the revolution 

 in 1810, amounted to 24,000,000 dollars, or £5,1 1 0,000, and the 

 average exports to 22,000,000, or £4,675,000; but since the revo- 

 lution the produce has been reduced to 11,000,000 dollars, or 

 £2,337,500, while the exports in specie have averaged 13,587,05iJ 

 dollars, or £'2,887,253 each year. This reduction, ii is unnecessary 

 to say, has been caused by the unsettled state of the country, the • 



emigration of the Old Spaniards, and the withdrawing of the funds 

 which kept the mines in operation. In 1812, according to the- same 

 authority, the coinage had fallen to four and a half millions of dot 

 lars. It rose successively to six, nine, eleven, and twelve millions, 

 which was the amount in 1819 in the capital alone. In 1820 the 

 revolution in Spain caused a considerable ttuctualion, and the coin- 

 age fell to 10,406,154 dollars. In 1B21, when the separation from 



