The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-10-09 00:00:00

VETA GRANDE MINES.

The situation of these mines, the richest in Mexico, is
four miles north of Zacatecas. The elevation of the sur-
face above the level of the sea, is supposed to be about
6,000 feet; and of the bottOm of the mine above the
level of the sea, probably near 5,000 feet. The nature
of the rock is transition clay-slate, alternating with dolo-
mite, and coasionally with grey wacke ; this clay-slate
is sometimes decomposed ; it rests on syenitic rocks, and
is in some cases covered with porphyry. There is one
principal vein (the Veta Grande) which is generally se-
parated into three branches, and sometimes into four ;
when ramified, the width extends to 60 or 70 feet ; when
united, it varies from 8 or 10 to 20 or 30 feet ; the
branches are generally about 10 or 12 feet wide, and the
Upper one is most productive; the direction of,the Veta
Grande is from 30 to 40 deg. south of east and north of
West, and its underlie from two to three feet per fathom
south. Other veins of less size occur in the neighbour-
hood of the beta Grande, which cross it at an acute angle;
one of these appears to heave the vein for about 700 feet,
being the most remarkable derangement of the kind on
record. The ores are chiefly red silver, native silver,
and argentiferous pyrites, producing 31 oz. per quintal.
The veinstone is chiefly quartz, occasionally amethyst,
carbonate ollime, and sulphate of barytes, while the ores
are generally accompanied by blende, sulphuret of anti-
mony, and iron pyrites. The principal shafts are the
Tiro General, 182 fathoms deep, and Gallega shaft, 138
fathoms deep. There is no alit to this. mine. The
wuantity of water drawn is about 80 gallons per minute,
hich is raised on an average about 150 fathoms, usually
by ten malacates, probably, equivalent in actual horse
power to 32 horses constantly working, or a total number
of .abont 100-horses, at an annual expense of drainage,
£20,000. The "quantity of ore annually produced is
21,380 tons of silver, producing 153,0001b5. troy of silver,
making the total value of £423,400 per annum. The
total costs of the mine £252,170 per annum, giving a
clear profit to the proprietors of £171,240, from the a-
mount of £130,000 invested, making an interest on the
capital vested of nearly £7OO per cent., after paving back
the original capital. The proportion of costs to returns
is about 591 per cent., and the number of men employed
about 900, of whom nearly 600 are underground. The
wages of the miners per day is about Bs. or 9s. The ores
are chiefly reduced by the company, at the Hacienda of
Sauceda, by smelting and amalgamation.— -Mining
Journal.

EATABLE Bia us' NF.sTs.—There is a peculiar kind of bird-
nest abounding in the Philippine islands, which is in high re-
quest among the Chinese goarmands. Trelawney, in his Ad-
ventures of a Younger Son, tells us that the price of a moderate
cargo is occasionally immense, and relates an amusing story
of an ignorant English caPtain, who threw Overboard enough of
them to have made, the foriune of his family. Dr. Meyers thus
eaßlains the precise composition of this luxury:—The weed
which coMposes this branch of 'commerce is the Sphcerococcus
eariilagfneus va. setaceous aq. which is found in great abundance
in this partnf India. It is eaten by the bird .Idirundo •Scalenta,
which builds the nest in question, and is used in the prepara-
tion 'of its precious nest. The swallow eats the fresh weeds,
and permits them to soften for some time in its stomach, after
which it throws up the mass, now converted into a jelly, and
sticks it together to form the nest. The nests, which are sub-
sequently smeared over with dirt and feathers, are brought in
their raw state to China, where they ore cleaned in imuleuse
warehouses built for the purpose and then, exposed for sale.
These so celebrated Indian nests are, therefore, hardly any-
thing more than the softened kS'pheerococcus caailuyinaus
we. have brought with us from the Chinese seas, and their effect
is.no other than that of fine jelly. In the preparation, of these
nests such a number of fine stimulants are generally added, that
they of right occur the first .rank arming relishes at, the tables
of the Chinese. The Japanese bad' lung ago discovered that
these costly bird-nests are nothinig more than softened sea-weed,
and now prepare the substance itself in an artist like manner.
Some of our sets epicures may be glad to learn that the Splicer-
omcinis e7ispny, which 1)r. Meyen thinks would serve just as
well thy the composition of this luxury, is to be found in large
quantities on the. western and northen coasts of Great Britain.
—Quarterly Review.