they were induced to select it from finding that it would begin almost immediately to pay its own expences.
Their director, Mr. Spangenberg, who superintends likewise the neighbouring districts of San José del Oro, and el Cărdŏnāl, is a clever active man, and seemed to entertain great hopes of success in the works placed under his inspection.
The Real del Monte Company has no silver mines at Zĭmăpān; they are forced, however, to keep up an establishment there, in order to superintend the works at the lead mine of Lomo del Toro, (the Bull's Side,) so called, probably from the shape of the mountain upon which it is situated. It is about four leagues from Zimapan, and very difficult of access. From the top of a high mountain, a zig-zag path, very narrow, and bordering on one side upon a precipice of from two to three thousand feet, conducts you to the mouth of the Mine. The descent is so steep, that a great part of it is cut into steps; it is, however, possible to go down on horseback, as far as the entrance to the Mine, but from thence to the river below, (about 1,700 feet,) no animal was ever known to descend.
The ore of Lomo del Toro is used as a flux in smelting, and twenty thousand cargas of it were annually consumed in the smelting establishment at Regla. The produce of the mine is divided into four distinct classes, Pepena, Quajado, Arenillos,
