incurred in order to reach them. Don José Vărēdă, an old Rēscătădōr, informed me that he had himself reduced ores from it of eight marcs to the arroba.
The Catorce Company has twelve Barras, or a full half share in the adit of La Purisima, without "Alimentos," and the whole outlay is to be repaid out of the first fruits. The stores, tools, &c. required for the work are to be furnished by the Company at the invoice price, with a profit allowed by the Mexican proprietors of twenty-five per cent.
The mines of Sereno and Dolōres Trompeta likewise belong to the Company, and may be regarded as one mine, since the workings communicate underground. They are situated close to the mouth of the adit, upon the vein of Dolores. The vein is narrow, but the ores are rich, and a considerable quantity has been extracted since the mine came into the possession of the Company; there is therefore little doubt as to the repayment of the 36,000 dollars, which, (including 12,000 dollars advanced to the proprietors,) have been laid out upon this "negotiation." It is however not comparable in importance with the great adit, connected, as that undertaking is, with contracts for several of the principal mines upon the Veta Madre, as Guadalupito and Estrella, both of which the Company holds, in addition to those of Zacarias and Dolores Medellin, of which I have already spoken. Respecting these, the most enthusiastic expectations are entertained by the natives, who all conceive that the day
