'll''*’ f SItVER MINES. 205 
owing to the richness of the ore, but to its 
0 * the facility of working* m in#ic 
V3e 
. ®>ic» owing to the richness o: 
it, that the mines 
'act of muon superior to those of Europe. 
® ’iiem ■ ^ number of persons employed in 
contrary to the commonly re- 
rioi^ subject. 
% 
The mines of Guanaxuato, 
’'tlsi''yO to*^*^ Potosi ever w'ere, afforded 
b or nearly forty millions of dollars in gold 
nearly five millions of dollars annuallj'-, 
ana'^*’. than one fourth of tlie whole quantity 
silver " " • 
til, 
from New Spain ; notwithstanding 
I ‘^'orc productive as tliey were, did nol 
''t. j- five thousand workmen of every' de- 
betr Ishour of tlie mines is perfectly 
^1(. '■?hlino' other kind of industry, a 
W^u ° five dollars and a half weekly', 
a'inf the common labourer do not exceed a 
L '■‘f, 1 ^^ ’• The lenateros, or persons who carry the 
W t 'bat wl ’ where it is dug out of the 
h 'C bve p' *'?!'® ’s collected in heaps, receive a sum 
Htflslavej "Sbsb shillings for a day’s work of six hours. 
t.^1) '^'"‘niinals, nor forced labourers, are employed 
,H.’l:^\'^learin^^ clumsy, imperfect, and expensive 
tJi*' It from water, several of the richest 
,€■ 'be 
Ck's "'ant 
,. ^tid 
have been overflowed and abandoned ; 
hf method in the arrangement of- th.-" 
V “e , srifi memuu m me arrangemeni: or m." 
''•bsence of lateral communications, add 
CSh’betn^ snd greatly increase the expense d 
tis in the working of the 
nor the transport of materials 
'iV'^tiQ, "t^w works are undertaken, a due con- 
't«y , itotK . works are undertaken, a due cor 
/"fe ^stowed on the preliminary arrangements ; 
,ij% conducted on too large and expensive 
C'ka ***911 
"’“■'‘'.‘Wfourths of 
the silver obtained from 
'Oss 
3f fre® the ore by the means of quick' 
^'’hich, in the process of amalgamation, is 
I *K; ' * 
^ 1 k gi 1 b^ ^ 7"> *" ...V. aiijOAi^iiii jai-i.ji‘, 
“ut .sjjj, ‘"*'by consumed annually in New Spai 
aboii^^**’ 'boU'Sand quintals ; and, in the whoi 
'^''’cniy-five ihousand quintals are an- 
be cost ol' which, in the colonies, has 
am 
whole 
N 
