Foreign Nitrates. 
515 
Tampico, July 24, 1854. 
My Lord, — In obedience to your Lordship's original instructions, dated 
December 24th, 1853, relating to the existence of nitrates in Mexico, I have 
the honour to forward to your Lordship, by the present steamer, one bag, 
containing four specimens : for the descriptions of, and localities where this 
mineral is found, I beg leave to refer your Lordship to an annexed statement. 
From the inquiries I have made, there seems to be ever}' ])robability of the 
existence of this mineral in abundance in various parts of the country. 
If it should become an object of export, I beg leave humbly to point out to 
your Lordship the disadvantages of this port for its sliipment, for, as your 
Lordship is aware, Tam]iico is a bar harbour, with seldom more, but fre- 
quently less, than 9 feet water. 
If vessels of large tonnage could enter this port, and find, when here, 
cargoes for Europe, they would probably take a ballasting of nitrate at a 
mere nominal freight ; but as the usual size of vessels which come here (and 
they are few in number) is not more than 100 tons register, it would never 
answer to depend upon these for supplies: nor do I presume that nitrate 
could afibrd to pay a freight equal to what the ships visiting this port can 
obtain for dye-woods from Lagnna de Terminos. In fact, my Lord, the 
inconvenience of bar harbours exists at all the ports in the GuLf of Mexico, 
with the exception of Vera Cruz. 
I have, &c. 
(Signed) Cleland Cdmberlege, H. M. Consul. 
The Earl of Clarendon. 
Statement of the Descriptions of Mineral Salt sent from Tampico, 
July 24, 1854. 
No. 1. " Salitre Nitrate " manufactured from the earths and deposits which 
exist in the vicinity of San Anton de Guascami, an Hacienda contiguous to 
the Angostura to the west. 
No. 2. Saline deposits found on the banks of the lakes of Vagre, belonging 
to the Hacienda of Angostura. 
No. 3. Another specimen of mineral salt found in the same locality. 
No. 4. Mineral earth from which the " salitre nitrate " is manufactured : 
the deposits exist from the Angostura to San Isidro, extending over several 
miles. 
Note. The Hacienda of Santa Eosa de la Angostura is between Eio Verdd 
and Valle' del Maiz, and near to San Isidro, in ithe State of San Luiz Potosi, 
abortt 100 miles from Tampico. 
(Signed) Cleland Cumberlege, H. M. Consul. 
23, Holies Street, September 25, 1854. 
My dear Sir,— I have examined the several samples of crystalline salts, 
&c., received from you last week. 
The sample No. 1 I find to be nitrate of potash, containing about 5 per 
cent, of impurity. 
The samples No. 2 and 3 are composed almost entirely of the sulphates of 
magnesia and soda. 
Sample No. 4 is an aluminous earth, containing 21 per cent, of soluble 
salts, consisting of the sulphates of magnesia and soda, with nitrate of potash. 
