CHAP. XXV.

OF VARIOUS MINES.

287

whilst, in pursuance of our general plan, the viewwe now take must be of twenty years, from 1810to 1829, both years inclusive. Mr. Ward’s re-turns come down no lower than the end of theyear 1825, and there are consequently the fouryears from that time to the end of 1829 in whichwe must rely on information from other and un-certain sources, though analogy will be a sufficientguide to prevent any error of consequence. Di-rections have been sent to our diplomatic residentsin the several mining countries, in consequence ofa motion made by the Marquis of Lansdowne inthe House of Lords in 1830, to transmit accurateaccounts of the gold and silver they have recentlyyielded, but the returns to those orders have notyet arrived. The inspection of them would havebeen beneficial to this inquiry, but though theirdetails must be dispensed with, they cannot be ofmuch effect on our calculation of the whole periodof twenty years which we are now reviewing.

Accounts are continually received of the ad-vances made in mining operations. The writersare, for the most part, men engaged in variousemployments for the benefit of the companies ofEuropeans who have embarked capitals in theMexican mines. Such persons are necessarily san-guine in their expectations, and are not likely toform calculations of the future produce of themines below what may be realised : they are more