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352 a more advanced stage of the negotiation, were not essential in the first instance. Indeed, I had myself heard this statement so often repeated, that I could not but conceive that there must be some foundation for what so many agreed in affirming. Upon this point my visit to Real del Monte completely undeceived me, by enabling me to convince myself that the delay which had occurred, was owing entirely to the immense scale upon which the undertaking was carried on; and to the impossibility of effecting the drainage of any of the principal mines, before the arrival of the steam-engines, the departure of which from England had been unfortunately retarded.

A reference to the account of the operations of the Company contained in the Second Section of the preceding Book, will sufficiently prove the use which had been made of the interval.

By pursuing steadily one well combined plan. Captain Vetch had brought all the principal works upon Count Regla's grant, including the old Adit, which may be regarded as the key to the whole, into a fit state for the application of the powers of steam; a task which it required the labour of two whole years to complete. On the Santa Brigida vein, the shafts of San Jose and El Sacramento, and on the Biscaina vein, those of San Juan, San Francisca, Guadalupe, Santa Teresa, San Cayetano, Dolores, and El Zapatero, had been repaired and retimbered down to the Adit level, (about 218 varas,)