Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 2.djvu/643

Rh upon the Eastern extremity of the Veta Grande, the second lode of importance. North of Zacatecas, nearly a league and a half beyond that of San Bernabé.

San Acasio belonged originally to La Borde, (whose operations chance always seemed to favour,) and yielded a bonanza famous in the annals of Mexican mining for its extraordinary duration. It lasted twenty-two years, (from 1765 to 1782,) and completely re-established La Borde's shattered fortunes, repaired by his success in the mine of Quebradilla, and restored to all their pristine splendour by this long series of successful enterprise. The mine is known to have been abandoned by his descendants when producing good ores in its "planes," or lowest levels; and in many of the upper workings the quantity of "Atierres" (heaps of poorer ores, not then thought to be worth raising,) is known to be so great, that an association was formed in 1823, by a number of native miners, to work the mine in the upper levels, merely in order to extract these atierres, the value of which is now better understood. The project was given up in consequence of the contract concluded by the owner with the United Company, whose operations embrace the whole mine.

San Acasio has four Pertinencias, at three of which Malacates were erected for the drainage, and the extraction of ore. In December 1826, the mine was producing weekly about six hundred cargas of ore, (principally "atierres") averaging seven marcs