SILVER MINES, 



55 



gambling, which is inherent to most men, 

 and especially to Spaniards and Indians ; but 

 the stake on one side is not large, being only 

 labour and privation, and on the other the 

 prize may be considerable, though the player 

 mostly returns with his small leather bag in 

 a state of collapse. 



The silver mines that I have found have 

 fine, broad, but rather irregular veins, and 

 the ore is combined with a great quantity of 

 sulphur and a large proportion of lead. Both 

 the ore and the stone are very hard, but the 

 former is remarkably clean ; and though, for 

 want of a silver assaying apparatus, I could 

 not get a good assay, yet by the means in 

 our power they would produce about fifteen 

 marcs of silver the ton. About twenty tons 

 of clean ore was extracted, broken up to a 

 proper size, and piled up ; they are most 

 likely lying there still, covered over with 

 some fine specimens of Central American 

 vegetation, and the pile itself a fine specimen 

 of Central American legislation. 



The mineral riches that are deposited in 

 the bosom of these mountains are no doubt 

 very great ; but the working of the mines is 

 so difficult, from the ignorance of the work- 

 men, who have to be taught everything, their 



