The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 20 of 55: 1621-1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 20 of 55: 1621-1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
The fourth hill or mine is that of Antamog, which is perhaps more than
two leguas from the said old fort and mine of Arisey, and five and
one-half from our fort of Santiago, which faces south from a large
hill whose peak extends east and west, the said elevation having
been undermined by one of its springs, and traversed by very narrow
small threads of white and yellow metal; while all the elevation is
traversed by and filled with passages, which are found intermixed,
opened sidewise from the vertical and inward, and dipping downward
scarcely at all, as the threads of the metal are not deep. In order
that these may not cave in, they are propped up with stakes and boards;
for otherwise, inasmuch as the dirt is so loose, they would not remain
at all secure, as has happened to those unpropped, since we saw some
that were blocked up and caved in. The said works are very narrow,
and all were examined without finding metal, because of the high level,
or sides, or any kind of vein, except at the entrance of the openings
whence they were drawn.
From the said threads they obtained a kind of brass-colored and less
dirty earth, in order to wash it in another large placer, that they
had at one side of the said elevation, with a small stream that rises
on top of the elevation, where they had a small settlement. They
could, to all appearances, obtain but little profit, and with great
difficulty, even with the community so near by. According to the signs,
it was a long time since those workings and mines had been worked,
and they were more neglected than the others; yet they produced the
best (or the best-appearing) ore that could be found. Twenty baskets
of it were obtained by the said miners to assay and investigate its
nature, and determine what it might be.
The fifth and last elevation, hill, or mine is that called Conog,
which is about one-half legua from the preceding and located in the
same chain. It is flooded by the sun all day long, as is the other. The
said elevation, turning, extends toward the north. In it are to be
seen five or six openings or passages, that differ but little from
those of Antamog. No considerable or fundamental vein was found,
but only brass-colored earth that contained some small bits of blue
metal containing iron pyrites, all of them very soft. In one passage
that was lower was found on the level a small stream of clear water
which empties through another opening lower down than it, both of those
openings having been made for one excavation. To all appearances those
mines were abandoned long ago; and although they were not being worked,
and were seen to be so neglected, they contained the best-appearing
metal that was seen. The said miners got about ten small baskets of
it to assay.
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