can be employed in Mexico, mining is said to be the most secure. There is not an instance since the Conquest, nor since the Revolution, of any attempt having been made by the government to interfere with the mode of working adopted by individuals, or to diminish the profits of the successful adventurer, by exacting, under any plea or pretence, from the more fortunate, any thing that was not under the Ordenanzas de Mineria, payable by the poorest miner.

These Ordenanzas were framed by the old Spaniards, and are still in force in Mexico. They secure the most perfectly guarded incorporated rights to companies working under them. It is thus the English have worked with security, with their investment of twelve or fifteen millions, and with their head-quarters in London. These Ordenanzas seem to provide for almost every conceivable necessity. No individual shareholder is liable for a greater amount than he obliges himself to expend in the working of a mine.

A shareholder refusing to pay his share of the expense, when called on to do so, exposes himself (after four months' notice from the other owners) to a forfeiture of his share; and this is all the demand that can be made against him. As with chartered companies in this country, no one loses a greater amount than he subscribes for.

No debt can be created against a mine but by duly authorized persons; those, indeed, and those only, who are immediately connected with the management.

The debt of a mine can only be equal to the money expended; and should the mine, by any misfortune, fail to pay back that money, the mine itself is the debtor, and the only debtor, unless special agreement between the parties make it otherwise.

No individual is ever called on to pay more than his voluntary instalments, and then only in proportion to the share he represents. Individual responsibility beyond this, there is none.

The following is an outline of the system adopted in working silver mines and purifying the ores:

The Administrador, or Director, has the immediate management of the affairs of the Company, subject to the general instructions of the Board of Directors; purchase of supplies, employment of dependientes and workmen; revision of the accounts of the Contador; supervision of all employees; transmission of reports to the Board at stated periods; weekly consultations with the Minero (miner), Azogüero, Esayador and Quebrador, regarding the state of the negotiation and the projected operations; the creation of good relations with the civil authorities and neighboring population.

The Contador has charge of the stores and materials belonging to the mine, and is treasurer and accountant. Issues and pay

He

ments are made by him only on requisition of or approvi by the administrador, which requisition will serve him as vouchers. receives and weighs the silver immediately upon its traction, crediting the Company with it on the proper books opt for the purpose.

The Minero is the surveyor of the mine (Agrimensor), whose duties are to make correct maps of it; submit to the administrador plans of the works he considers it advisable to undertake; direct the execution of those works when determined upon; distribute detachments of Barreteros men who drill and blast, as he may deem fit; and recommend the appointment of assistant mineros (de Destajo), when necessary.

The Azoguero should perform the duties assigned in large Companies to the Ensayador and Azogüero; he should assay metals received from the Quebrador, so as to rectify his estimate, direct the beneficiation of metals intended for the Patio, and if possible of those to be smelted; be prepared at any moment to give information as to the state of the Tortas in process of beneficiation; make requisition for Azogue (quicksilver), salt, magistral, needed for these operations, and turn over to the Contador the silver so soon as extracted.

The Quebrador records and classifies all ores received from the mine, furnishes an estimate of the probable yield, directs the breakage preparatory to the mills; subsequently delivering them to the Azoguero, taking his receipt. According to the classification of the ores is the pay of the Barreteros. He keeps the Raya, accounts of the Peons, common laborers, employed in his department.

The Bomberos are the men in charge of the pumps; or other machinery under ground. In small mines this duty is performed by the carpenter.

The Paleros are charged with the interior wood work of the mine, such as the lining of the Tiros or shaft, and Canones, supports, &c. One good Palero is always necessary, and may serve to instruct others, should they be needed.

Mineros de Destajo are selected from the most intelligent Barreteros to command the different destajos. They keep the accounts of the men under ground, receive from them the ores, which they label and transmit to the Quebrador above.

The Overseer's duty is to see to the efficiency of all workmen and animals employed in the Hacienda, to be vigilant in the prevention of robberies, keep the accounts of the employees under him. He is subject to the immediate orders of the Azogüero, of whom he is in fact an assistant.

Poteros. Their duty is to prevent all intrusion into the Hacienda or mine; to search all the operatives on going out, and to use all possible means of detecting theft.

The number of the Engineers, Carpenters, Smiths, Masons, Barreteros, Peons, Muleros, &c., &c., is according to the wants of the negotiation.

No industrial exhibition can surpass in system and activity a well organized and directed mine. By day and by night it is all the same. As the door of the mine is unlocked in the evening for the day laborers to come out, another set are ready to go down, when the door is again locked, only to be again opened for the same change to take place in the morning. Every one has his place and his duty assigned; and there is no possible escape from a faithful execution of his task. The Bomberos, Paleros, Mineros de Destajo, and Overseers, are all on duty. The tepetate or rubbish is carried by Peons to the despatch, from whence it is hoisted. The ores are sent up in sacks, each containing a label, which indicates the drift, pozo, or portion of the mine from which it comes. These are overhauled and assorted by the Quebrador, and if not sent up in good order, a minute is made of it, which appears by a reduction in the wages, on the Memoria or pay day, which takes place every Saturday. At a stated hour all the hands appear in a crowd; those below, or otherwise unable to attend, have some one to answer for them. The Memoria contains the name of every person, of every grade, employed in or about the mine, the character of his labor, where employed, the amount of his compensation, whether by the day, task or job, the number of days and the very days he worked. The same for the varied works going on in the Hacienda, embracing the employees of every description, for every manner of work performed or services rendered. The whole settlement for the week's work is done in public. If any dispute arise, it is summarily settled, and can never be opened again.

These weekly Memorias are recorded in a book kept for the purpose, and the originals, certified by the Contador and Director, transmitted to the headquarters of the Company, wherever it may be.

The miner also makes out his weekly report to the Director. This contains a condensed but perfectly intelligible synopsis of all the works under ground during the week. The amount of Cuele, number of yards cut in each drift, rubbish removed, the amount of metal knocked down, of cargas sent up, the quality of each, the amount sent to the Hacienda, with the number and character of all the workmen under his direction, with their names and the exact point or place in every drift where the work has been performed.

Next follows the report of the Azogüero, or chief of the Hacienda. This shows the amount of ore that has been passed over to him, its value per carga, the quantity on hand, the VOL. I.-35

quantity reduced during the week, how it came out, above or below the assays, how much bullion, if any, handed over to the Contador, the process by which it was extracted, whether by fundicion (smelting), by the cazo (copper-kettle), or by the patio (amalgamation); the amount of quicksilver used in each parcel or process, the quantity on hand, and what percentage lost by each washing, &c., &c. There is, also, a monthly statement made out from all these memorias, recorded and forwarded to head-quarters.

Then comes the quarterly return. It gives an account of every implement or tool on hand, from the smallest drill up to the engine; all the stores of supply of every description, and the amount or quantity expended in each; the work performed in each labor, not only for the quarter, but from the commencement ; the ores taken out, quality and quantity; the aggregate of each week's memoria or expenditures; the number and class and wages of all persons employed; the amount and description of all work done in the hacienda, &c., &c. This is also recorded, and the original, duly certified, is sent with the weekly memorias to head-quarters; and from them may be seen the result of every single day's work during the quarter, and with a certainty that admits of no mistake.

The treatment of the ores presents some very interesting particulars, which are thus described by Mr. Ward in his sketch of the mines of Mexico:

The hacienda, of which a representation is given below, contain fortytwo crushing mills, called arrastres, and thirty-six stampers. The ore, on being extracted from the mine, is placed in the hands of the pepenadores, men and women, who break all the larger pieces with hammers, and, after rejecting those in which no metallic particles are contained, divide the rest into three classes (inferior, middling, and rich). These are submitted to the action of the morteros (stamps), one of which, of eight stampers, is capable of reducing to powder ten cargas of ore (each of 350 lbs.) in twenty-four hours. This powder not being thought sufficiently fine for the quicksilver to act upon with proper effect, it is transferred from the morteros to the arrastres (crushing mills, see wood-cut), in which water is used. Each of these reduces to a fine impalpable metalliferous mud, six quintals (600 lbs.) of powder in twenty-four hours. At Guanajuato, where water-power cannot be obtained, the arrastres are worked by mules, which are kept constantly in motion at a slow pace, and are changed every six hours. The grinding stones, as well as the sides and bottom of the mill itself, are composed of granite; four blocks of which revolve in each crushing-mill, attached to cross-bars of wood. This part of the operation is thought of great importance, for it is upon the perfection of the grinding that the saving of the quicksilver is supposed in a great measure to depend, in the subsequent amalgamation. The grinding is performed usually in a covered shed or gallery, which, in a large hacienda, from the number of arrastres at work at the same time, is necessarily of considerable extent.

The patio, or amalgamation floor, is a large flat space, open to the sky, 312 feet in length, by 236 in breadth, and securely surrounded by strong walls. It is paved with

large unhewn blocks of porphyry, and is capable of containing 24 tortas, or flat circular collections of lama, of about 50 feet diameter, and 7 inches deep, when the patio is not filled (but of somewhat smaller dimensions when nearly

so), ranged in 4 rows, and numbered from the left-hand corner. At one end a small space is generally set apart for the assays, which are made each on one

monton.

The following description of Mexican amalgamation is given by Captain Lyon:

A torta of Zacatecas contains 60 montons of 20 quintals each, and is thus formed: In the first instance, a square space, of the requisite size for a torta, is marked out, and inclosed by a number of rough planks, which are propped in their places on the patio floor by large stones, and dried horse-dung and dust are piled round their edges to prevent the escape of the lama. A heap of saltierra (salt mixed with earthy impurities) is then piled in the centre, in the proportion of two fanegas (each 1-6 English bushels) and a half to the monton, 150 for the torta. After this, the lama, or ore ground into a fine paste, is poured in. When the last or 60th monton is delivered, the saltierra is shovelled down and well mixed with the lama, by treading it with horses, and turning

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