Page:Appleton's Guide to Mexico.djvu/105

Rh Humboldt, in his Political Essay on New Spain, vol. iii, page 138, states the order of the districts containing the richest deposits of silver as follows: 1. Guanajuato. 2. Catorce. 3. Zacatecas. 4. Real del Monte. 5. Bolaños. 6. Guarisamey. 7. Sombrerete. 8. Tasco. 9. Batopilas. 10. Zimapan. 11. Fresnillo. 12. Ramos. 13. Parral.

In 1803, the mean annual yield of the precious metals amounted to 2,500,000 marcs of silver, and 700 marcs of gold. It is said that the total product of the Mexican mines up to the year 1880 is equal to $3,700,000,000 of silver. We should remember, however, that some of these mines are now on American soil, e. g. , those of California, New Mexico, and Arizona. The yield of silver for 1882 can be roughly estimated at $20,000,000, while that of gold amounts to about $1,000,000. Millions of dollars' worth of silver have long been and are now being exported to Europe. Humboldt states, in his work on New Spain, that two thirds of the silver supply of the whole world was annually shipped from the port of Vera Cruz, between the years 1800 and 1812, and some silver was also sent abroad from Acapulco. At present about fourteen millions' worth of this metal are annually exported to Europe. (Compare with chapter on commerce.)

The supply of silver in Mexico is now derived chiefly from the mines of Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Sombrerete, Catorce, and Pachuca. Gold generally occurs in small quantities with the silver-ores. But most of it is lost in the process of reduction.

According to Humboldt, the joint yield of the Zacatecas and Guanajuato mines from 1548 to 1600 was $2,000,000, and from 1600 to 1690 it was $3,000,000. The ores at the