Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 1 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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However Common This Plant Is Become In The
South Of Europe, The Native Of A Northern Climate Is Never Weary Of
Admiring The Rapid Development Of A Liliaceous Plant, Which
Contains At Once A Sweet Juice And Astringent And Caustic Liquids,
Employed To Cauterize Wounds.
We found several veins of quartz in the valley of Tipe visible
above the soil.
They contained pyrites, carbonated iron-ore, traces
of sulphuretted silver (glasserz), and grey copper-ore (fahlerz).
The works which had been undertaken, either for extracting the ore,
or exploring the nature of its bed, appeared to be very
superficial. The earth falling in had filled up those excavations,
and we could not judge of the richness of the lode. Notwithstanding
the expense incurred under the intendancy of Don Jose Avalo, the
great question whether the province of Venezuela contains mines
rich enough to be worked, is yet problematical. Though in countries
where hands are wanting, the culture of the soil demands
unquestionably the first care of the government, yet the example of
New Spain sufficiently proves that mining is not always
unfavourable to the progress of agriculture. The best-cultivated
Mexican lands, those which remind the traveller of the most
beautiful districts of France and the south of Germany, extend from
Silao towards the Villa of Leon: they are in the neighbourhood of
the mines of Guanaxuato, which alone furnish a sixth part of all
the silver of the New World.
CHAPTER 1.14.
EARTHQUAKES AT CARACAS.
CONNECTION OF THOSE PHENOMENA WITH THE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
OF THE WEST INDIA ISLANDS.
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