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Rh of that District, on the whole fifteen years. Before the Revolution, Catorce was second only to Guănăjūātŏ in the amount of the Silver raised, the value of which was estimated by Humboldt, (in 1803) at Three millions and a half of dollars annually.

The produce of the Biscaina Vein, at Real del Monte, in seven good years before the Revolution, (from 1794 to 1801,) was Six millions of dollars, or 857,042 dollars per annum. From 1809 to 1823, it only yielded 200,000 dollars in all, or 14,285 dollars per annum.

If it were possible to obtain returns from the other Mining Districts, the disproportion between the produce before, and after, the year 1810, would be found to be equally striking.

In all, the principal Mines were abandoned, the Machinery was allowed to go to ruins, and the Silver raised was merely the gleanings of more prosperous times; the workings, (where any were attempted) being confined, almost entirely, to the upper levels.

Tasco, (which was an important military station to the South of the Capital) forms a solitary exception to this rule; for the town being constantly garrisoned by Royalist Troops, and only once taken by the Insurgents, the Tribunal de Mineria undertook to work the Mines there, which formerly belonged to the famous Laborde; and did so with such success, that the produce is supposed to have averaged 400,000 dollars annually.