The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-12-01
Ancient Mines Revisited.

IOuu Tic OldT anu Herald.
By recent conversation with two Amer
leans who have been settled for some time
back in the little port of Pinas, to the south
of the Bay San Miguel, we are put in pos
session of certain information. With that
restless energy so characteristic of the ma
tional character, in extending their re-
searches back into the interior they came,
by very difficult road, upon the deserted
site of the celebrated mines of Cana. These
mines, discovered aud worked by the Span
iards have both a mining and historical
celebrity. The town and mines were at
tackled and taken in the year 1902 by band
of buccaneers. One of the adventures
gave the following account of their ex-
ploits to the London Gazette, of February 8,
1902, which said: That nine or ten English
privateers had attacked the place upon the
continent (South America) called Tolu.
about ten leagues from Carthagena, which
they took, plundered, and burned; and
that from thence they sailed to Caledonia,
rOwed up the river of Darien. and ingraIiat-
ing themselves with the Indians were by
them conducted to the gold mines OF Santa
Cruz de Cana, near the santa Maria, and af-
ter they had marched nine days they fell in
With an outguard of Spaniards. of whom
they took nine, but the others escaping gave
notice at the mines of their approach, SO
that the richest of the inhabitants fled with
their money and jewels : that, however, the
English took the fort and possessed them
selves OF the mines where about seventy
negroes remained, whom they set to work
during the twenty-one days they were
there, in which time they got about eighty
pounds weight in gold, besides several
piecen of plate, which they found buried
in the ground by the inhabitants, and that
at their return they burnt the town and
brought away the negroes. Alter this, as
we all know, Cana was abandoned and its
mines filled by order of the Spanish king.
but enough of evidence remains to point out
its exact locality. Experienced mineral
ogists would find great difficulty in trac-
ing out the rich veins from whose outcrop-
ping the Spaniards derive 50 much gold.
Our American friends say that at their re-
cent visit to the place the site of the houses
could be pointed out by the grinding stones
used for corn or ore. The remains of the
fort can yet be traced, but the most curious
discovery they made was that the four or five
brass cannon still lying there were found
from their Constructions bebreech- leaders;
they were manufactured in Barcelona, and
had the date of 1911. They bore evidences
of being intended for use on board of ship,
from which they had been sent for the de-
tense OF the place against Indians. The
locality. thogh wooded. is cool and healthy.
being 5000 feet above the sea. Random
specimens of the ore gave $50 TO the ton, and
the surface washings could, with improved
methods be made very profitable. In the
surrounding woods are the remains of an
Gent plantations of palta, cacao and plain
tain trees.
The buccaneers, according to ssDayis' ex-
petition TO the gold mines Of Darien." went
through the greatest hardship in order TO
arrive at them from the Atlantic. We are
indebted to our American friends for the
suggestion of an easier approach and
branch ofindustry for the Isthmus which
there is no reason for neglecting any longer.