PRODUCTION. 7 



data forldria up to January 1, 1880, are from an official publication.^ The 

 amount of quicksilver definitely known to have been produced in the six- 

 teenth centmy is 2,034,000 kilograms. "At the beginning of the seven- 

 teenth century the production rose, and, beginning witli 1612, the product 

 was for some years 1,680 metrical centals annually. During the later years 

 the average yearl}- product was 1,120 centals." 1 shall assume that this 

 latter and smaller output extended over seventy years. This assumption, 

 in combination with the figures just given, leads to the total product prior 

 to 1800 which appears in the table. The production of Idria from 1800 

 onwards is from exact official figures." The data for Huancavelica are 

 taken from Mr. M. E. de Rivero's memoir on the district.' 



The data from 1571 to 1790 are for tlie 8anta Barbara mine alone, 

 from which the state received 1,040,469 quintals 30 pounds 1,5 ounces dur- 

 ing this period. The known product subsequent to 1 790 includes other 

 mines as well as the Santa Barbara. 



Product of the i)rinclp(d distrwts, in. iSpanish //c(.s7,-.s( of 75 Spanish pounds or 34..'j07 lilo- 



(/ranis. 



Discovery of California deposits. — In tlio last ccutury Mexico was almost entirely 

 dependent upon Spain and Peru for the quicksilver needed for the amalga- 

 mation process. As this process was indigenous to Mexico and was also a 

 national industry peculiarly suited to her resources, it was felt to be specially 



' Das k. k. Quecksilberwerk zu Idri.i in Krain, 1831. 



- lu the memoir already referred to, Lipoid gives the product of the miue from 1800 to the eud of 

 1879 at 78,480 metrical centners, which is 227,432 flasks. The present director, Mr. .loh. Novak, has 

 been good enough to snpply me with the following figures, in flasks : 



'Memoria sobre el rlco mineral de azogae de Huancavelica, Lima, 1848. 



