I fear that the late Mr. Dunlop somewhat exaggerated the value of these mines; for while I was in the country, and in the particular district referred to by the author, no one seemed to have any recollection of any such values having ever been obtained.

The same doubtful authority is responsible for the statement that "nine leagues from Santa Ana are some rich mines of iron which produce a purer and more malleable metal than any imported from Europe. The ore is found near the surface, and is very abundant, while there are extensive forests in the immediate vicinity which serve for making charcoal." Another authority on Salvador, long since gathered to his fathers—viz., John Baily, R.M.—who published a book upon Central America in 1850, assures us that some of this iron which was sent to England for the purpose of examination proved to be "a very valuable variety suitable for the manufacture of fine steel, approaching very nearly in this respect to the celebrated Wootz of India."

The mineral veins of Salvador present themselves principally in the rocks of the mountain chain, or Cordillera, which extends into Honduras and Nicaragua, and forms the richest mining districts of those countries. Generally speaking, the veins run parallel with the direction of the ranges—that is, from east to west—but they are often found to be very much broken and interrupted by the action of upheaval. In the eastern parts of the Republic, deposits of gold, silver, copper, and lead are found, while in the western are the rich iron-ore deposits. Coal is found in the valley of the River Lempa. Although it is rather difficult to obtain full and accurate returns of all the mines in operation in Salvador to-day, roughly speaking they may be put at between 180 and 200. The table on p. 185, which has been compiled by the head of the Salvadorean Bureau of Statistics, and which shows the number of mines of each Department and the minerals which they possess, will be of some interest.

The labour question is, however, one which must be carefully gone into; but here again the local (State) Government could, and no doubt would, help the enterprise considerably, for so closely are the authorities in touch with the people that they can at most times influence a good and continuous flow of peon labour when their assistance is invoked. General shortage of labour has been responsible for a great number of the mining returns not being satisfactory of late, especially in connection with the Butters' Salvador Mines, of which fuller details are given.

TABLE COMPILED BY SEÑOR DON RAFAEL REYES, CHIEF OF THE SALVADOREAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, SHOWING NUMBER OF MINES IN EACH DEPARTMENT, AND THE MINERALS THEY PRODUCE.

A Building Stone.
B Gypsum.
C Silver and Lead.
D Tin and Lead.
E Rock Crystal.
F Marble.
G Tin.
H Lead.
I Iron.
J Limestone.
K Quicksilver and Antimony.
L Gold.
M Silver.
N Silver and Gold.
O Copper.
P Coal.
Q Silver and Copper.
R Total.

Departments. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R
San Salvador11---------------2
Santa Ana---1----8---10-4-528
Ahuachapán------------------
La Libertád------------------
Sonsonate5----------------13
Cuscutlán---------8--------
Chalatenango-12-111212116531-28
Cabañas---------5---9-3-17
San Vicente------------------
La Paz------------------
Usulután------------------
Morazán-------1---1484---90
San Miguel------------------
La Unión-------------2---2
Total622111139151220100745180

The Salvadorean peon, like his Peruvian brother, is a very tractable kind of labourer, and can be successfully handled by kind treatment. He is, moreover, naturally free from that taint of dishonesty which so strongly distinguishes the Mexican and the Colombian peon, and which renders it impossible to leave anything of a portable nature in their way. The native labourer of Salvador is usually able to earn an easy livelihood by means of husbandry, and he takes to mining from choice rather than from necessity. This fact renders it all the more important that fair treatment should be extended to him, and upon most of the foreign-owned mines this is certainly the case. The late manager of the Butters' Salvador Mines, Mr. Garthwaite, whose death occurred last year, was entirely sympatico to the men employed upon the mines, and his kindness to them and to their families was generally acknowledged and deeply appreciated.

That the industry of mining has considerably improved in Salvador during the past decade is sufficiently evidenced by the subjoined figures, which trace the industry in its progress from January, 1901, to the first half of the year 1910:

Total Amount of Trade
Period covered. (U.S Gold $)
Year1901 $183,760.00.
"1902 114,585.20.
"1903 814,733.88.
"1904 652,854.33.
"1905 768,677.60.
"1906 1,296,666.00.
"1907 1,223,565.00.
"1908 1,318,224.00.
"1909 1,116,717.00.
"1910 (half-year) 560,570.00.