the quantity of silver, on account of the king's fifth;
yet it is the king's fifth, _actually paid_, on which all the estimates
of the production of Sonora silver mines are based. Arazuma (which, in
the report of the Mineria that I have translated for this volume,
appears to be set down as Arizpa) was, a hundred years ago, the world's
wonder, and so continued until the breaking out of the great Apache war
a few years afterward. Men seemed to run mad at the sight of such
immense masses of virgin silver, and for a time it seemed as if silver
was about to lose its value. In the midst of the excitement, a royal
ordinance appeared, declaring Arazuma a "creation of silver" (_creador
de plata_), and appropriating it to the king's use. This put a stop to
private enterprise; and, after the Indian war set in, Arazuma became
almost a forgotten locality; and in a generation or two afterward, the
accounts of its mineral riches began to be discredited.

We have the following record in evidence of the masses of silver
extracted at Arazuma. Don Domingo Asmendi paid duties on a piece of
virgin silver which weighed 275 lbs. The king's attorney (_fiscal_)
brought suit for the duties on several other pieces, which together
weighed 4033 lbs. Also for the recovery, as a curiosity, and therefore
the property of the king, of a certain piece of silver of the weight of
2700 lbs. This is probably the largest piece of pure silver ever found
in the world, and yet it was discovered only a few miles distant from
the contemplated track of our Pacific Railroad.

I might continue enumerating the instances of mineral wealth brought to
light in these two states, Sonora and Chihuahua, if I supposed it would
be interesting to my readers; but as they have heard enough of silver,
I may add that rich deposits of gold were found at Molatto in 1806, and
a still greater discovery of gold was made a few years ago. In this
latter discovery, the poor diggers suffered so much from thirst that a
dollar was readily paid for a single bucket of water, and at length, by
reason of the drought, this rich _placer_ had to be abandoned.

FUTURE OF SONORA.

Such is Sonora, a region of country which combines the rare attractions
of the richest silver mines in the world, lying in the midst of the
finest agricultural districts, and where the climate is as attractive
as its mineral riches. But its richest mineral district is near its
northern frontier, and is almost inaccessib