Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 2.djvu/471

Rh the overseers who is stationed at the mouth of the shaft. A breathless silence is observed until the signal is given from below by pulling the cord of communication, when the two men by whom the horses are previously held, release their heads, and they dash off at full speed until they are stopped, either by the noise of the first explosion, or by seeing from the quantity of cord wound round the cylinder of the malacate, that the Pegador is already raised to a height of sixty or seventy varas, and is consequently beyond the reach of danger.

It often happens that the matches do not ignite, in which case the Pegador is lowered down again, and the whole operation repeated, until all the mines have exploded. But in spite of every precaution, accidents will frequently occur, and there are more Pegadores maimed, or destroyed, than any other kind of mining servants. They acquire, however, great presence of mind in the course of their arduous business, for the Marquis of Rayas told me that a few weeks before my visit, the man whom I saw descend, after lighting all the matches, found himself abandoned at the bottom of the mine from the over anxiety of those above, who, mistaking a mere vibration of the cord for the signal, ordered the horses to start, and drew up the malacate rope far beyond his reach, before either he or they became aware of the mistake. Instead of losing courage, or wasting time in fruitless efforts to make himself heard above,