LIMON AND DEPILTO. 
69 
Chap. Y.—B. S.J 
were of no value to us, we returned dead tired to 
Ocotal.* 
Our next and final excursion was to Depilto, a 
famous mining village about two and a half leagues 
from Ocotal, and about 1600 feet above it. Tbe 
road leads through romantic valleys, where the river 
Depilto winds its way, and where here and there 
abandoned reduction works may be seen. Depilto 
consists at present of about eighty houses, only two 
or three of which rise above the character of mud 
huts. The whole place is surrounded by high moun¬ 
tains covered with pine, oak, and liquidambar trees, 
amongst which a stemless fan palm and some bram¬ 
bles ( Rubus ) are found. There is plenty of water¬ 
power for the largest kind of machinery; but the place 
seemed to be blighted. One after the other of the 
# cc The Limon Mine is situated about fifty miles north-north-west of 
Ocotal, at the upper part of a long plain, and in broken ground, in 
which there is a small spring. The lode runs north-east and south-west, 
and where it can be seen it is from a foot to a foot and a half in width. 
Not a trace of silver is to be seen. A level has been driven on the lode 
south-west, but how far it extends we cannot tell, as it is filled with 
water and rubbish. A shaft has also been sunk south of the lode; 
it is about twenty yards deep, and at the time of our visit was full 
of water to about five yards to surface. We had no chance of taking 
any samples, except from the lode crossing the Quebrada. So little 
can be seen of the mine and the works done that it would not be ad¬ 
visable to purchase in Limon before the water has been drawn out 
and the shafts and old workings been cleaned up. This would take 
six Englishmen at least six months, including their going and coming, 
and might cost about £600. At the Rio Calientes, about a mile and a 
half from the mine, there are the ruins of some old dressing-floors ; 
they are of no value whatever, but the water-power there might be 
turned to useful account.”—J. Holman. 
