"The proportion of silver varies from 200 grammes to 7 kilos (17 pounds), allowing one to calculate on an average of from 2 to 3 kilos. The beds extend to the tablelands on which the capital is situated, stretching as far as the Department of Jalapa, where the lead disappears sometimes completely, the silver being found alone. The veins stretch to the valley of the Motagua, disappearing for some time on the left bank of that river and reappearing again to the north of Solamá, following a straight line to Huehuetenango, although the quantity of silver in this region is less than in the beds in the southeast of the Republic. "Copper, one of the metals which is most abundant in the country, is generally found in oxicarbonate in beds of sediment. It appears in the neighborhood of the capital and various other points. These beds continue up to the Mexican frontier along the banks of the river Salega and round the town of Cuilco, but the nature of the metal changes little by little, passing from the carbonates to oxisulphates mixed with iron and soon the copper disappears altogether. In the eastern region abundant deposits of carbonates of copper are found principally in the Department of Chiquimula, mixed in many cases with other metals such as zinc, lead, and silver. "Lignite of excellent quality is found in beds near the Atlantic coast, a very great consideration in the development of mineral industries." Captain Rae of the United States, who spent several years in Guatemala and who wrote authoritatively concerning the mineral resources of the country, said that he had found near the northwestern frontier large quantities of low grade gold sulphuret ores and also rich lead ores carrying a small percentage of silver as well as some good copper carbonates. He said that the lead ores were of the best clean carbonates, easily smelted by fuel alone, and had been rudely exploited principally for the lead they contained. These silver lead mines of low grades of silver were in the vicinity of Chiantla, and the belt extended, he said, northwest, breaking out again in heavy deposits bearing silver from $12 to $40 a ton and lead 80%. Captain Rae gave the following further details: "Still further east in the Lacodor country are found immense deposits of the same character of ore, which seemed to lie as if thrown up in volcanic upheavals. In some places the lead is found in small nuggets entirely pure. Large deposits of black lead or plumbago exist both north and south of Huehuetenango of a good class and ready for commerce.