THE GOLD MINES OF COSTA RICA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 279, 5 June 1873, Page 6

THE GOLD MINES OF COSTA RICA.

{Fram the '" Mining Journal. '*) Though the discovery of a new goldfield is a thing of every day occurrence, yet the opening of such a goldtield as that of Costa Rica to the enterprise of European capitalists is a novelty so far ; as the probable results are concerned. ' With tho exception of the State of California in ifca palmiest days fop the miner and investor, no part of tho ! North and South American coutinent is so fraught with proiniae as the territory comprised within tho limits of the Costa "Rica Ropublic. Nearly the whole of that territory is richly mineralised ; and some portions of it consist of mosses of the richest and most easily wrought auriferous quart/.. Unlike somo parts of that quarter of the globe, such as Nicaragua and Brazil, where the climate or scarcity of labor materially interfere with the development of the mineral wealth, Costa Rica enjoys all the advantages of a healthy climate, and is blessed with an abundant supply of cheap and efficient labor. For many years past the good quartz mines of Costa Rica have been wrought by the natives, and have yielded enormous returns, despite the absence of scientific skill and improved modern appliances. European travellers have expressed their surprise at the results obtained by the employment of the rudest methods for extracting the precious metal from the quartz, and great regret has frequently been manifested that European energy and capital should not havehitherto been employed in a sphere where the gain would bo great and immediate. Thirty years ago Mr. J. L. Stephens, an American traveller, who went through Central America with a view to report to his Government upon its character and resources, put on record the result of his observations in a work published after his return home. Referring to the mountains of Costa Rica, he says "The whole range, the very ground which our horses spurred with their hoofs contained that treasure for which man forsakes kindred and country." . . . According to the opinion of the few geologists who have visited that country, immense wealth lies buried in the mountain of Aguacate ; and so far from being hidden, the proprietors say" its lodes are so well marked that all who search may find. The south, abont in ranges of greenstone porphyry, with strata of basaltic porphyry, and average about 3 feet in width." M. Peralta, a member of the Geographical Society of France, writing about the resources of Costa Rica in 1871, says — " The mineral deposits form one of the greatest pourees of the wealth of Central A merica, and the State of Costa Rica need fear no rivalry in this respect, either with California or New Holland. . . Gold, silver, copper, iron, nickel, zinc, lead, coal, marble, &c, are to be found in abundance in tho bowels of the earth, or in the titanic gorges of the Cordilleras ; but up to this time gold, silver, and copper are the only ones which havo been worked A mongst the gold mines those of the Ciruelitas, belonging to Mr. Charles Giralt (fchese mines have been acquired by tho Costa Rica Gold Mining Company) and those which are worked by the Monte Aguaeate Company, have given the moat satisfactory results. From the above rapid and impartial statement it will be acknowledged that Costa Rica — to uso tho language of the learned and conscientious M. Kaltbrunner — is destined to a brilliant future, and will become one of the great El Dorados of the moclorn world. An English company having been formed to acquire and work tho most important and valuable of the Costa Riean gold mines, investors in this country will have it in their power to share in the brilliant results anticipated from the scientific development of those extraordinary deposits of auriferous quartz. A careful inspection of the mines by Mr. Brown Richardson, on behalf of this company more than confirms everything said in their favor by other independent and impartial authorities. As regards the. situation of the principal mines — La Trinidad, San Carlos, La Providencia. and San Jose — nothing could be better for working purposes. The district within which they are comprised is 1700 feet above the sea level. They are ten miles distant in a straight line from the free port of Pantas Arenis, on the Pacific, between which and tho principal ports of England and America thei'e is weekly communication by steamer. In a short time a railway will bring them into communication with the port of Lunon on the Atlantic side. The group of mines known by the general term of the Trinidad Mines has boen worked by_.a native company for several years, and, despite appliances so imperfect as to entail the loss of nearly one-half of the gold contained in the quartz, the profits have \ been very large. The system has been to extract only the richest quartz, ! for no other would pay the cost of the rude manipulation. When it is considered that the average yield of the quartz in these lodes is 3 ozs per ton, and that such mines as the Port Philip in Australia and the St. John del Rey in Brazil have been able to return dividends of upwards of 20 per cent, from quartz yielding 5 dwts per ton, the profits obtainable from the Costa Rica mines will appear almost fabulous. An important consideration in working gold mines, to which the discoveries

of new miuing regions do not always pay sufficient heed, is the character of the climate of the district in which the mines are situated, combined with the facilities for obtaining an adequate supply of labor. It is in there respects that Costa Rica is as highly favored as she is in the extent and value of her unwrought mineral treasures. The climate in the vicinity of the mines is cool and healthy all the year round. | Labor is abundant, and not too costly, the payj of ordinary workmen, including provisions, being £6 monthly. Moreover, the miners generally work by contract, so that an exact estimate of the work to be performed can easily bo mado; the usual prico per yard, in ordinary ground is 245. Taking all the circumstances into account — such as the proved richnoss of the Costa Rica miuos the facilities for working them in a manner which will largely increase their productiveness — there is a strong probability of the company which has boon formed to work them proving a gratifying success to all concerned. English investors have had warning against trusting implicitly to tho .sLilomcuts made with regard to mines in tho United States, and it is nosy no small recommendation of any new mining districts that it is entirely removed from the influences which prejudicially affect American mines. As an almost maiden field for European mining enterprise Costa Piica would appear to bo destined to repeat the words of a distinguished French traveller, " to become one of the great El Dorados of the modern world."