REAL DEL MONTE. 



73 



on both sides of the great chain in which the mines are 

 situated. This you will easily conceive, when I enu- 

 merate among the points visible within the vast horizon, 

 the plains and lakes of the great valley of Mexico, about 

 twenty leagues distant ; the volcanoes of Mexico and 

 Puebla on one hand, and the vale of Regla, and even 

 the great cone of Orizava itself, on the other. 



I feel that my description of the mines must of neces- 

 sity be very brief and insufficient, and that for many de- 

 tails you must be referred to the writings of more sober 

 and laborious writers. 



A portion of the first day was devoted to a survey of 

 the superficial operations and works; and on the morn- 

 ing of the second, M'Euen and myself spent six hours 

 under ground, while Pourtales, eschewing fatigue, luxu- 

 riated in his grass hammock, smoked five dozen cigaritas, 

 and sipped pulque. 



A brief account you have, however, the right to de- 

 mand. 



The great vein of silver ore called the Biscaina, lying 

 in the porphyric rock of this chain, was one of the earli- 

 est and most productive of those opened by the Span- 

 iards. It was worked by them with great advantage 

 nearly two hundred years, but circumstances at the be- 

 ginning of the last century gave rise to its temporary 

 abandonment. It was, however, reopened, and other 

 shafts commenced towards the close of the same centu- 

 ry by the Count of Regla, who, in the excavation of an 

 adit, or subterraneous canal, to carry off the waters from 

 the mines, is said to have realized eleven millions of dol- 

 lars ; such being the richness of ore with which he acci- 

 dentally came in contact. Subsequently difficulties have 

 constrained his descendant to cede his right, as before 

 mentioned ; and the Real del Monte Company, after the 

 complete repair of the old works, and the construction of 

 new — the cost and labour of which have been enormous 

 — has at length so far attained its object, that at present 

 the actual proceeds of the mines exceed the expenditure, 

 which here and at Regla is estimated at thirty thousand 



G 



