The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-05-23
The Emerald Mines Of Muzo,

Within four days journey from Bogota
French company has been ENJOYING A
monopoly for the last ten years of an the
emerulds found in the neighboring mines
and indeed of all the emeralds found IN
Columbia The lease expires shortly, and
the government think they can get better
terms in tho open market for fresh con.
tract, than by granting renewal to the
present leaseholdes The annual pavmept
now is l4,70O dollars, for which the nov
ernncnt bound themselves to prohibit the
working OF any other mines, existing in
the territory Of the Union.
The mines were known and worked long
before the discovery Of America and the
conquest Of New Granada by the Span.
iards, When an expedition arrived in that
part Of the country, about 1858, TO reduce
the tribe Los MUGS to the Spanish rule,
these Indians were found to possess large
quantity of emeralds. 1t is, however. not
easy TO see how they worked the mines as
they had no tools of iron. Il is supnosea
that they found the stones in the beds Of
the mountain torrents; for ii sometimes
occurs that the Winter rains produce great
land slides which lay bare large veins Of
emeralds, in which they are washed out BY
the waters. But report speaks unfavor-
ably Of the quality of these gems they
resemble those which are still found in the
Indian burial places, or in tho lakes into
which the Indians used TO throw their re-
lies during their struggle with the Span
iards. Let, however, this be as il may the
mines of Muzo were worked soon after the
arrival of the Spaniards on a large scale,
both in the open air and by means of sub.
terTanean galleries; but about the middle
Of the eighteenth century, the mines were
abandoned no one knows why. And 1t was
not until the war Of independence and the
expulsion of the Spaniards that working
operations were again resumed. The mines
were naturally taken possession Of by the
Republic, and let out to individuals and
companies.
The principal mine now in work is pierre
ed in every direction by galleries made BY
the Spaniards. Since 1926 il has been
worked in the open air. An immense
number Of gems have been found, many Of
them Of great value. After this mine shall
have been exhausted, which win not be for
many years, not thousandth part of the
ground containing emeralds win have been
touched.
About two days journey from Muzo
there is mother mine called Lasquez which
was just touched by the Spaniards, and is
evidently very rich. All this ground, in
Guiding Lasquez, bears traces of the pres.
ence Of the SpaniArds; and as the geologi
cal formation is the same in the whole
neighborhood, it is clear that the day is far
distant before these mountains win be OK
hausted
The mountains Of Muzo belong &c tie
lower formation Of chalk. The emcralds
are found in two distant layers; the first o,
upper one composed Of calcareous btu.
men, but hard and compact. These two
layers are generally separated forom each
other by distinct of from seventeen to
twenty-five yards. In the open myers are
found the veins which yield the "nes,sp
Of emeralds--that is to say, number Of
these gems masscd together. But after
one of these nests the vein disappears, be-
ing erossed by others Of different kind,
which run in different direction to those
containing the emeralds. These latter
veins are called "ceniceros' from their
ashy color they are generally horizontal,
while the emerald veins are perpendicular.
They all run from N. Il. to S. W. The
veins Of the lower layer arc more regular,
and are followed for fifty or sixty yards,
and even more. "Ncsts" Of emeralds are
seldom found in them, but they are more
easy Of extraction. When veins of fuor
spar, we'll crystallised, are met with, the
emerald is not far off the presence Of rock
crystal is also good sign, as likewise that
Of a pretty pyramidally Snapped stone, Of
the color of honey.-Iron.