Her to fet out for Madrid, and make propofals to the
Spanifh company for draining the filver mine o f Guadalcanal,
in which expedition flic was attended by Mr.
Jofeph Gage, grandfon of Sir Thomas Gage, Bart, of
Hengrave, in Suffolk.
Thofe who are acquainted with the genius o f the
Spaniards, and the great deference they pay to the fair
fex, will eafily conceive what impreffion fuch an offer
muff have made, when, exclufive o f the profit it offered,
it came from a lady of the moil illuftrious birth,
with the additional advantages of perfon and talents.
Lady Mary propofed to the company to drain the mines,
on condition they would allow her two hundred thoufand
dollars(a), payable at different times as ihe proceeded, and
half the profit o f the mine, which was readily accepted,
and a formal agreement concluded ; the Spanifh company
having raifed a canliderable fubfcription by public
authority. Lady Mary fet out for the mines, and procured
engines from England, as well as miners, engaging her
own fortune in the undertaking as well as that of Mr.
Gage, and a large fum from the noble marquis her father
: Her agents undertook the draining of Pozo Rico,
and had tolerable fuccefs, receiving punctual payment
from the company; but towards the end, difputes began
to arife, the Spaniards' infilled that lady Mary’s
agents were obliged to clear away the mud, and remove
(4) ^33,333 6s. Sd. ilerling, valuing the current dollar at 40d. Engliih.
every
every obllruClion from rubbilh. in the galleries: Her la-
dyfhip endeavoured to prove her contract only related ter
the Water: the payments .were Hopped, and a fuit a L law
commenced. Lady Mary went on at her own expdnce,
and thoroughly cleared the mine to the tenth gallery.
Here there was fuppofed to be a rich vein o f mineral,
and as no Spaniard had gone to that depth, the opinion,
waseafily circulated : it got further credit, when lady Mary
prefented a petition to the judge confervator o f the
mine, requelting in a judicial form, that a quantity o f
this ore ihould be brought up and fmelted in prefence
of the court ; its value properly afcertained, and at-
tefled. The judge iffued his decree accordingly, but as
all the agents were foreigners, and united in their views,
an impofition is faid to have been artfully pradifed, in
prefence of the judge and officers o f the court, as well
on the Spanifh agents, as on the numerous witneffes prefent
on the occafion. Out o f 4olb. of ore fuppofed to
be from the tdnth gallery, the produce was made evidently
to be ten pounds, thirteen ounces of fine filver
; which was handed about in an oftentatious manner,
and afterwards fhewn to the king, who then refided at
Seville, by the maifquis de la Paz, prime minifter o f
Spain, which fixed the reputation and riches o f this mine
beyond all manner o f doubt. The law fuit had continued
againft lady Mary for two years-, and as the preferving
the galleries already drained, was very coftly, they foon
filled