Anecdotes
of this kind are innumerable, which, of course, amount to no more than
showing that in his own time his wealth was proverbial, and demonstrate
that in popular estimation he stood at the head of that large class of
miners whom the wise king ennobled as a reward for successful mining
adventures, and that he was accounted the richest miner in the
vice-kingdom. The state and magnificence which he oftentimes displayed
surpassed that of the Vice-king. This, in no way embarrassed an estate,
the largest ever accumulated by one individual in a single enterprise.

Count Peter is estimated to have expended two and a half millions of
dollars upon the buildings constituting the refining establishment of
Regla, which goes under the general designation of the _patio_. Why his
walls were built so thick, or why so many massive arches should have
been constructed, is an enigma to the present generation, as they could
by no means have been intended for a fortress down in a _barranca_.

But let us go in and examine the different methods of "benefiting"
silver here applied. The ores from the Rosario shaft of the Hakal mine
of Pachuca are here stamped and ground, and then thrown into a furnace,
after having been mixed with lime, which in fire increases the heat;
while upon the open _torta_ we shall see that lime is used to cool the
mass. Litharge (oxide of lead) is added, and the mass is burned until
the litharge is decomposed, the lead uniting with the silver and the
oxygen entering into the slag, into which the baser metals, or scoria
in the ore, have been formed. This is cast out at the bottom of the
furnace. The mass of molten lead and silver is drawn off, and placed in
a large oven with a rotary bottom, into which tongues of flame are
continually driven until the lead in the compound has become once more
oxydized, forming litharge, and the silver is left in a pure state.
This is the most simple method of purifying, or "benefiting" silver.

BENEFITING THE ORE.

A little beyond the furnace is a series of tubs, built of blocks from
broken columns of basalt. In the centre of each revolves a shaft with
four arms, to each of which is fastened a block of basalt, that is
dragged on the stone bottom of the tub, where broken ore mixed with
water is ground to the finest paste. Here the chemical process of
"benefiting" commences. A bed is prepared upon the paved floor
(_patio_) in the yard, in the same manner as a mortar bed is prep