"The 'Good Success Mine' (_Bueno Successo_) was discovered by an Indian, who swam across the river after a great flood. On arriving at the other side, he found the crest of an immense _lode_ laid bare by the force of the water. The greater part of this was pure massive silver, sparkling in the rays of the sun. The whole town of Batopilos went to gaze at the extraordinary sight as soon as the river was fordable. This Indian extracted great wealth from his mine, but, on coming to the depth of three Spanish yards (_varas_), the abundance of water obliged him to abandon it, and no attempts have since been made to resume the working. When the silver is not found in solid masses, which requires to be cut with the chisel, it is generally finely sprinkled through the _lode_, and often serves to nail together the particles of stone through which it is disseminated."[81]--"The ores of the _Pastiano_ mine, near the _Carmen_, were so rich that the _lode_ was worked by bars, with a point at one end and a chisel at the other, for cutting out the silver. The owner of the Pastiano used to bring the ores from the mine with flags flying, and the mules adorned with cloths of all colors. The same man received a reproof from the Bishop of Durango when he visited Batopilos for placing bars of silver from the door of his house to the great hall (_sala_) for the bishop to walk upon."[82] The next mine of interest in our progress northward is the _Morelos_, "which was discovered in 1826 by two brothers named Aranco. These two Indian _peons_ were so poor that, the night before their great discovery, the keeper of the store had refused to credit one of them for a little corn for his _tortillas_. They extracted from their claim $270,000; yet, in December, 1826, they were still living in a wretched hovel, close to the source of their wealth, bare-headed and bare-legged, with upward of $200,000 in silver locked up in their hut. But never was the utter worthlessness of the metal, as such, so clearly demonstrated as in the case of the Arancos, whose only pleasure consisted in contemplating their hoards, and occasionally throwing away a portion of the richest ore to be scrambled for by their former companions, the workmen."