Title: Mexico to-day, a country with a great future; and a glance at the prehistoric remains and antiquities of the Montezumas Year: 1883 (1880s) Authors: Brocklehurst, Thomas Unett Subjects: Mexico -- Antiquities Mexico -- Description and travel Publisher: London, Murray Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Text Appearing Before Image: th the silver is passed off in the form of vapourby means of heated retorts. None of the quicksilver is lost orwasted; even the vapour is brought by cold water into itsoriginal state, and is again and again made to fulfil its part inthe heneficiating of silver. The pure silver is finally melted intobars ready for the mint or for manufacturing purposes. Thecost of its production from the mine to the bar is about 25per cent., varying according to the richness of the ore. The men and children employed in the processes where somuch quicksilver is used did not appear to sufier from its efiects,but the old, worn-out horses and mules, used in the treading-outprocess, soon lose their hoofs and become in other ways unfit forservice, except perhaps to yield their skins for leather. Indeed,they appeared already half-tanned. The hillsides are dotted over with little white-washedcolumns, indicating the extent and position of the mines belowthe surface. The mining laws are very fair; the government

Text Appearing After Image: H. ■< o moJ InO o < < o w X CHAP. XVI. MEXICAN TRAVELLING. 143 encourages the peaceful working of the mines, and, as a guaranteefor this, it retains to itself a share in every mine. (I have just seen in a local paper a notice that the Governorof the State of Guerrero has issued a new mining regulation forthat state, whereby one twenty-fifth of the profit from minesmust go to the state.) We heard many stories of the wealth of some companies andindividuals, but there is great uncertainty in the result of everyenterprise underground. The present rich mine of SantaGertrudis had been worked for many years at a loss; it changedhands, and the new proprietors happened immediately to strike avein of ore in it richer than any in the country. There was nothing to detain us in Pachuca after our in-spection of the mines, and on Tuesday morning we left for Eeglaby diligence. After climbing over the tops of the barren hills,we came to a district covered with magueys and th

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