When this district becomes a territory of the United States--as seems almost certain, this silver will, no doubt, be worked.
We may make three periods in the history of Mexican silver-mining.
Before the Conquest, the Aztecs worked the silver-ore at Tasco and other places; and were very familiar with silver, though they did not value it much.

Under the Spaniards, the working of silver became the prominent industry of the country; and, until the Mexican Independence, the production steadily increased.

The Spaniards invented amalgamation by the _patio_-process, a most, important improvement.

Then came above twenty years of confusion, when little was done.

But when the Republic had fairly got under way, and the country was in some measure open to foreigners, Europe, especially England, in hot haste to take advantage of the opportunity, sent over engineers and machinery, and great sums of money, much of which was quite wasted, to the hopeless ruin of a great part of the adventurers.
The improvements and the machinery remained, however; and the mines passed into other hands.