Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!-Chapter 545 - 266: Mine Improvement, Guidance of Divine Revelation

"A daily output of 3,600 catties?"

Xiulote suddenly turned pale. He looked at Necali with some shock. As the main copper-mining area in the fief, the daily output of 1,000 miners was merely 3,600 catties of copper, and only 30% of them could actually participate in excavation. This production efficiency was far below his expectations. After all, the copper produced here not only supplied the entire fief but also nearly half of the world!

Seeing the king’s shock, Necali wore a proud expression.

"Yes, Marshal. Under my management, the miners spare no effort and exert their utmost strength! The mining volume per worker has reached the highest level of the Tarasco Kingdom in the past decade!"

Hearing this, Xiulote turned to look at Ezpan, who had always been following at his side but seldom spoke.

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"Your Highness, the person in charge of the mine has done an excellent job managing it. This output is indeed very high," Ezpan said with emotion, recalling memories from the past. He had stayed in these mines for a very long time, and many things were deeply ingrained in his brain like instincts.

"In this mining area, it’s impossible to excavate during the peak of the rainy season in July and August. A large amount of rainfall in June and September requires at least half of the people to drain water, while April, May, October, and November’s drainage accounts for at least a third of the workforce. Only during the dry season in December, January, February, and March can full-force excavation take place, and it also has to contend with underground springs. At that time, the output should be around 6,000 catties of copper per day for a thousand workers at its highest. However, averaging out the rainy and dry seasons over the year, it basically stands at about 4,000 catties per day for a thousand workers."

Xiulote didn’t speak. He slightly lowered his gaze, recalling the mining efficiency in modern Europe, and felt immediately dissatisfied.

"How could the output be so meager? Why is the efficiency so low!"

In fact, this was actually a misunderstanding on Xiulote’s part. Mining is a team activity that requires a high level of coordination, as well as substantial technical and management skills. Excavating hard copper ore is also more time-consuming and labor-intensive than mining coal. In the Classical Period, lacking machinery, the actual number of workers who could participate in excavation was usually less than half of the total number of miners.

Even in the Ming and Qing dynasties of the Celestial Empire, despite having quality iron tools and mature technology, the daily output of a miner was only about 20-30 catties of copper ore. Of course, this was also because the copper mines in Yunnan were mostly poor and difficult to exploit, and the ore quality was relatively low.

In fact, of the world’s top ten copper mines, eight are located on the American west of the Pacific Rim, with six in South America’s Chile and Peru alone. Compared with these, the reserves and quality of copper ore in the Celestial Empire are so inadequate that they’re enough to bring tears to the cash-strapped emperors.

Xiulote looked solemn and remained silent, causing the surroundings to fall still. He looked up at the sky, carefully contemplating the movies and written materials from his memories, determined to make improvements to the mining facility’s production equipment. After a moment, he reached out his hand, and the Head Warrior understood and brought him paper and pencil.

Necali stood respectfully by the side, eyes widened in awe, watching the "Divine Revelation" of His Highness.

"First is a straight shaft down, then depending on the direction of the rock layers, extend sloping shafts and horizontal galleries at different heights. At regular intervals, or in unstable rock layers, construct wooden frames to ensure the stability of the mine structure. The wooden frames should be connected by tenons, sometimes nailing the tips into the rock wall..."

Xiulote first sketched out a simple mining shaft, then emphasized the support structure of the wooden frames. Thinking of the underground caves he had visited, he again stressed.

"The reinforced wooden frames must be uniform and orderly. It is essential to nail the frames into the rock wall in the sloping shafts to prevent slipping. And in the fragmented ore zone, where rocks frequently fall, the frames must remain enclosed..."

Looking at the drawings, Necali nodded blankly, clearly not understanding.

Seeing this, the king pondered for a while then spoke earnestly.

"My warrior, these drawings contain the wisdom of the gods! The God of Flora is the child of the Earth Mother Goddess, bearing Her mercy and also blessing the lives of miners. Wooden frames can stabilize the world underground and are the most fundamental basis of excavation. You must construct the support structures seriously, just like building altars, ensuring the sturdiness!"

The Warrior Captain then became solemn, firmly promising.

"By your command, Marshal! You are the Priest of Divine Revelation, and I will do as you say!"

Xiulote gave a faint smile. He then drew a vertical ventilation shaft above the extended horizontal galleries.

"Only Tlaloc, the powerful Wind God, can overcome the evil beneath the earth and bring vitality to the underground mines... As the mining tunnels extend, there must be a vertical shaft from the surface for the force of the Wind God to enter. Multiple ventilation shafts can be excavated at different heights, forming convection under varying air pressures. Alternatively, torches, charcoal, and offerings of flora can be lit below the ventilation shaft to artificially heat the air below, creating convection..."

"What, you ask what convection is? Convection is the wind that connects the underground with the surface; it is the flow of Divine Power, bringing the vitality of the surface to the underground..."

After thinking for a while, Xiulote drew another mining air blower, similar to those used in iron smelting but slightly larger.

"In places where it’s difficult to dig ventilation shafts, this can be used to pump air in... to introduce the force of the Wind God, though it will require some manpower."

Necali nodded vigorously, engraving this mysterious knowledge into his brain as if it was dogma to be followed.

"Next is the improvement of lighting. Each group of miners must have people wearing specialized wooden helmets, with hanging half-open ceramic oil lamps. This is to pray for the gaze of the Chief Divine to bless the work of the miners, so they do not fear. If the oil lamp quickly dims or goes out, it signifies that evil lurks ahead. They must retreat immediately and then pump the force of the Wind God ahead..."