Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 2.djvu/97

Rh Mines, (as Valenciana, and Rayas,) are held for a shorter term of years than would have been desirable; and in others, many onerous conditions have been introduced, which nothing but the extreme eagerness of the first Adventurers to take up the greatest possible number of Mines, could have given rise to. Fortunately, these disadvantages are pretty equally distributed; so that, in most Companies, the good and the bad Contracts serve to counterbalance each other: I do not, however, know any one, whose engagements are unexceptionable, or by any means as good as they might now be made.

Such are the disadvantages under which the British Companies, now established in Mexico, labour, and such the causes that have, hitherto, impeded their progress. Both have proceeded, in a great measure, from the want of a proper knowledge of the country, in the first instance, which has, undoubtedly, entailed upon them an expenditure, which, by a more judicious system on commencing their operations, might have been much diminished.

Against these drawbacks we must set, First, The known goodness of a great proportion of the Mines now in the possession of the Companies; and the equally well known fact, that, when these Mines stopped working, there was no falling off or diminution in their produce; so that as soon as the