Bushiribana and Balashi
Bushiribana and Balashi are the sites of two former gold smelters on the Caribbean island of Aruba.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Bushiribana_gold_mine.jpg/220px-Bushiribana_gold_mine.jpg)
Bushiribana
[edit]The Aruba Island Gold Mining Company built the Bushiribana smelter in 1825 to extract gold from the ore that was being mined in the nearby hills of Ceru Plat; it operated for ten years. Today, its remains are a stopping-off point for tourists on their way to view the Aruba Natural Bridge, which collapsed on 2 September 2005.[1][2]
Balashi
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Balashi_gold_mine.jpg/220px-Balashi_gold_mine.jpg)
In 1899, the Aruba Gold Concessions Company built a gold smelter at Balashi, at the southern end of Frenchman's Pass.[3] In 1916 during the First World War, it closed for lack of raw materials and spare parts, as most of them came from Germany.[4]
In 1933, a sea water desalination plant was constructed at Balashi.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Account of a visit to the Natural Bridge before the collapse
- ^ "Coral bridge, natural Aruba tourist spot, collapses". USA Today. Associated Press. 2 September 2005. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
- ^ "Historische Goudmijnen". Aruba (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "Island Insight Episode XXVIII: Yes! Aruba had its own gold rush". Aruba Today. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "Water Tower San Nicolas 1939". Monumenten Fonds Aruba. Retrieved 19 February 2022.