Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 2.djvu/660

640 he sold to the Bolaños Company alone fifteen thousand fanegas of maize. He is likewise working the mines of Asientos de Ibarra, of which he appears to entertain a very high opinion. The vein is of immense width (nearly twenty varas), and the ores extremely abundant, though poor. This renders it necessary to build reduction-works upon a very large scale, and as the Marquis wishes the mines to defray a part, at least, of the expences, the progress of the establishment is slow.

The town of Aguas Calientes is prettily built and situated; some of the houses are very handsome, particularly that of the Guădălūpĕ family, which occupies half one side of the great Plaza. In the vicinity of the town are the warm mineral springs from which it takes its name. The water is beautifully clear, and the temperature delightful. Mineral springs abound in the whole district. Some few are used for irrigation; but the generality are found inapplicable to this, or any other farming purpose, from the quantity of alum contained in the water, which, after a time, leaves a thin white coating upon the soil, and renders it totally barren. It requires some years in these cases to bring the land round again.

Aguas Calientes produces nearly one-fourth of the maize, and one-third of the frijol and Chile grown in the State of Zacatecas; the average annual crop of the first being 140,952 fanegas; of the second, 7,293 fanegas; and of the third (which is sold by