The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-09-29
MINERAL WEALTH OF HONDURAS.
Gold Fields Along the Guayaps River,

Gold Fields Along the Guayaps River,
In Central America.
There are tons Of gold in the noun.
tains Of Honduras" remarked Col Il.
s. Dayys who has recently returned 10
tho United States after half a lifetime In
tho tropics. %united States capital
knows that but there Is some doubt a
70 whether II will pay to get tho gold
out just now.
Jay Huhlell, Of Michigan, Is presi-
dent Of company which owns most Of
the mineral lands along the Alya and
Alanco rivers In the department Of
blanche, not farfrom the coast Bonanza
Macksy, Ben Butler and such old mining
SharpS as Senators Jones and Tabor, all
have experts now In Honduras explor.
Ing and reporting upon the mineral re-
sources Of the country. SO far as
have heard, the reports agree that the
republic Is q vast gold mine; but at the
same time there are 80 few roads leading
into the interior, and 50 many precIplt-
Gus falls In thecotlrBes Of the many riyers,
which would otherwise be nayieable,
that, as | said, there Is a question as TO
whether supplies can be hauled to and
from the coast at rates that would make
the mining profitable just now.
ut was fifteen years ago, in the ati.
tumn Of 1871, that ran my first gold.
washer in tile valley Of Guayape. | was
riding through the district on tho look.
out for mahogany, which, next to gold,
Is Honduras most promising source Of
wealth, the republics own estimate Of
the value Of its mahogany forests being
$3OO,OOO,OO0, For about mile We had
been cutting our way with nlachetes, or
knives, through dense sarsaparilla thick
cts, the vines Of which plant had an I'm.
holy habit Of swinging themselves from
one high tree toanother, making passage
impossible until they were cut away.
But upon approaching tho river the
jungle suddenly gave way to open forests
Of pine with un occasional lignumvitw or
q dwarfted Calabash tree. The land fell
away in gentle slopes to the river, and
there we saw group Of four native
women with their calico dresses tied
about their waists wading mid.leg deep
in the water.
Each carried pan made OF raw.hIde,
shaped much like q tambourine, and the
whole party were washing sand taken
from bar in the river for the gold
which it contained, They worked IN a
slow and perfunctory manner, taking in
clean water at one side of tho pan, and
after swirl or two sending it out in a
muddy stream at the other side. After
about fifteen minutes OF that sort Of
thing ono Of the women seemed to think
that her pan was thoroughly washed,
aad accordingly she splashed ashore
with 1t Irode down to the waters edge
and took look into the pan, and among
q handful Of little black and white peb.
bles l saw number of flakes and pin.
heads Of gold Of rich red color The
woman carefully picked the gold from
among the pebbles and placed 1t ina
quill, which slio carried in the bosom Of
her dress, She willingly allowed mo to
examine thequill. which contained about
half an ounce of gold-all Of which had
been taken from tho river sand in less
than half n days washing.
"The other women had not done quite
80 well, size said; but ut this particular
spot it was not unusual to wash IN ounce
Of gold day, and occasionally she
would find chispa, or nugget, weight.
Ing two or three ounces.
~They rarcly wash out moro than a
few ounces ut a time, and then only
when they are in pressing need OF money
for some special purpose; but as soon US
one group leaves the washing grounds
another takes their place, so that ride
when you will along the Guayape you
will come across gold.washes at the
spots which have been famous placen
for century back, They never do more
than merely scratch the surface ground,
the idea Of diverting the streams course
or digging to any depths in tho banks
never entering their heads. Just after
freslet, when the stream has washed
away the surface earth high up its banks
and cleared out ravines. speCks Of gold
may be seen with the naked eye glitter.
ing in the sun."-Cincinnati Enquirer.