SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 159 



show me some of the latter from an estate of 

 his own in the neighbourhood, which was held 

 in much estimation here; and which he ac- 

 cordingly did. We were next introduced into 

 a small room, and found the floor piled with 

 large bars of silver, the whole having been 

 produced by his mine in a few weeks. The 

 second day after my arrival I was formally 

 installed in the seigniory of the mine and 

 adjacent lands, in the presence of some of the 

 principal inhabitants, with the padre of the 

 town at their head, who attended for the 

 purpose of witnessing the ceremony, which 

 consisted of the proper officer taking me by 

 the hand at the mouth of the mine, and 

 declaring me, in the name of the government, 

 to be its right and lawful owner; then congra- 

 tulating me on the possession of such a valu- 

 able property, he requested me to take three 

 stones and cast them in different directions, 

 and afterwards to pluck up some weeds and 



