MINING SYSTEM. 



51 



men became clamorous for their wages. In short, 

 the working of the mine was brought to a stand, 

 and utter ruin stared him in the face. When 

 things had reached this stage, one of the habilita- 

 dors, who had been all the while watching his 

 proceedings, stepped forward and offered to habi- 

 litate the mine, as it is called. The bargain he 

 proposed, and which the wretched miner had no 

 alternative but to accept, was, that the habilita- 

 dor should pay the workmen their wages, feed and 

 clothe them, and provide tools, and all other ar- 

 ticles necessary for working the ore ; he under- 

 took besides to build smelting-furnaces, and pur- 

 chase fuel, and occasionally to supply the miner 

 with money for his subsistence. In repayment 

 for the sums advanced on these different accounts, 

 he required that the whole of the copper from the 

 mine should be delivered to him at a fixed price, 

 namely, eight dollars per quintal ; until the entire 

 debt, incurred by the outlays, should be discharg- 

 ed. The miner endeavoured to stipulate for his 

 copper being received at a higher rate than eight 

 dollars, foreseeing that at such a low price his 

 debt would never be liquidated. He was also well 



