THE MINES OF OLD MEXICO. 59 
put in sacks and carried by mules to an "hacienda de beneficio." Here it is 
ground to a fine powder by being crushed between huge revolving stones, turned 
by horse-power. These grinding stones are called "arrastres." VI hen the ore 
is sufficiently fine it is mixed with mercury and salt by means of mules tramping 
through it an average period often days. The mass is then washed, the refuse 
passing off" with the water, the amalgam sinking to the bottom. This washing is 
done in Pachuca by men who steady themselves with ropes hanging from the 
roof of a shed and walk backwards and forwards in the "torta." As the water is 
allowed to pass off it runs through a narrow channel, the bottom of which is laid 
in ridges. In this channel little boys shuffle their feet about, detaining in the 
ridges any portions of metal that may pass off". The boys earn twenty-fiveJ^ 
cents a day for this work. For the most part these workers looked chilled and 
unhealthy, splashing around in the muddy water. In Guanajuato the washing is 
done by means of hugh stones revolved in the water. When the water passes 
entirely off from the works the natives often obtain from it large quantities of 
silver. Many of them are at this work all day in the waste water as it leaves the 
"beneficio." The process of separating the silver from the mercury is simple 
and well known. In Pachuca there are seven reduction works, most of them on 
this system. There is but one "pan" mill so far established. Foreigners are at 
present trying to introduce improved methods and machinery. This, when ac- 
complished, will be of great service, as ores not yielding more than $30 a ton 
are not considered worth working by the present process. Great quantities of 
these depreciated ores lie outside the mines waiting for some less expensive 
method. Miners not owning their own works can have their metal reduced at 
the "beneficios" at $20 or $22 a ton, with a charge added for the loss of mercury, 
which is about ten per cent of the quantity used. 
The immense wealth of these regions was proved by one Pedro Jose Bornero 
de Terreros, a Spaniard, in 1739. He having acquired a fortune in Queretaro, 
started for his native Spain, but on his way he stopped to look into the mines of 
this region. He became so much interested that he soon put into them his 
entire fortune. In this he was assisted by Bustamente, a friend who joined his 
enterprise. When their capital was exhausted, nothing daunted, Bustamente 
returned to Queretaro to raise funds and Terreros went for a like purpose to the 
City of Mexico. Bustamente failed, but Terreros returned to his mines to be 
reimbursed, when finally he brought out of them $11,000,000 and the title of 
Conde de Ste. Maria de Regia — Regia being the name of one of his mines. 
Santa Gertrudis, one of the mines now in "bonanza," has within the last 
four years given a gross yield of $4,000,000. It is as yet only worked 160 yards 
deep. More than $2,000,000 has been paid over to shareholders in dividends or 
used for improvements in the mine. It has an engine of fifty horse power, for 
which was paid $75,000. The hoisting apparatus is often moved in these mines 
by horse power. The machine is called a "malacate." In the region of Santa 
Gertrudis, San Pedro, Rosaria, Guatomotzin, etc., ores vary from $20 to $300 
per ton even running as high as $500. The ores found in the region of Santa 
