Essai Politique, was rejected as unworthy of attention; while those which were favourably spoken of, were eagerly sought for.
In this respect, the work in question has exercised an influence highly prejudicial to British interests, not from any fault of the author's, but from the conclusions imprudently drawn from the facts which he has recorded.
Humboldt never asserted, or meant to assert, that a Mine, because it was highly productive in 1802, must be equally so in 1824. A general impression of the Mining capabilities of Mexico was all that he wished to convey; and how could he illustrate their importance better, than by presenting statements of what had been done, as the best criterion of what might still be effected, in a country, the Mineral treasures of which he regarded as almost unexplored?
Unfortunately, the consequence of these statements was, to direct the attention of the world exclusively to spots, which, from the enormous quantity of Mineral wealth that they have already yielded, may fairly be supposed to have seen their best days.
I do not mean to say that the great Mines, taken up by our Companies, are exhausted; on the contrary, I believe that they will still amply repay the Adventurers for the stake invested in them; but I have, certainly, little doubt that, in many in-
