PHYSICAL ASPECT. 



145 



era department, early in the present century, and 

 the latter having resided several years previous to 

 1833, at Havana, where he was director of the 

 Botanic Garden. From these sources we obtain the 

 following information in relation to its mineral 

 resources. 



Gold. — During the earlier years of settlement gold 

 washings and mines were worked by native Indians, 

 and Pedro Martir de Angleria, one of the most learn- 

 ed of the early historians of America, states that 

 Cuba was more rich in gold than St. Domingo. The 

 knowledge of the mines has been lost, though one is 

 said to exist near Trinidad ; but small quantities of 

 gold are still washed out from the sands of the rivers 

 Damuji and Oaonao, emptying into the bay of J agua, 

 the Sagua la Grande and Agabama, near the Escam- 

 bray hills, the Saramaguacan, running into the bay 

 of Nuevitas, and brooks in the vicinity of Holguin, 

 Bayamo and Nipe. It is said to have been found 

 formerly near San Juan de los Eemedios. 



Silver has been found in combination with copper 

 near Villa Clara, yielding seven and a half ounces to 

 the hundred pounds of ore. 



Quicksilver is said to have been extracted in 

 former times from the arid savannas of the Oopey 

 hacienda, near San Juan de los Eemedios, 



Copper abounds through a great part of the island, 



7 



