SILVER MINES. 175 



be found in southern climates, seems fully 

 confuted here ; for at a point called Sangre de 

 Cristo, considerably north of Taos, (above the 

 37th degree of latitude), and which from its 

 location among the snowy mountains of that 

 region, is ice-bound over half the year, a very 

 rich placer has been discovered; yet owing 

 to the pecuUarly exposed situation in which 

 it lies, it has been very httle worked. 



For the last century no silver mines have 

 been in successful operation in New Mexico. 

 A few years ago there was discovered near 

 the village of Manzano, in the mountains of 

 Tome, a vein of silver which bid fair to prove 

 profitable ; but when the ore came to be test- 

 ed, the rock was found to be so hard that the 

 pursuit has been entirely abandoned. 



In addition to gold and silver, there are also 

 to be found, in many isolated spots, ores of 

 copper, zinc, and lead ; although the latter is 

 so mixed up with copper and otlier hard 

 metals, as to be almost unfit for ordinary pur- 

 poses. The copper obtained in tlw province 

 has frequently been found to contain a slight 

 mixture of the precious metals, well worth 

 extractinor. Iron is also abundant 



Besides the mines of metals which have 

 been discovered, or yet remain concealed in the 

 mountains of New Mexico, those of Salt (or 

 sak lakes, as they would perhaps be called), the 

 Salinas, are of no inconsiderable importance, 

 ^^ear a hundred miles southward from the 

 capital, on the high table land between the 

 Rio del Norte and Pecos, there are some ex- 



