the extreme levity with which we judge in Europe of the state of the mines of the New World, when we consider how little accuracy is displayed by the most celebrated politicians in their investigations regarding the state of the mines of their own country.

But what is the proportion between the produce of the Mexican mines, and the produce of the other Spanish colonies? We shall successively examine the wealth of Peru, Chili, the kingdom of Buenos Ayres, and New Grenada. It is known that the other great political divisions, namely, the four capitanias generales of Guatimala, the Havannah, Portorico, and Caracas, contain no mines which are wrought. I shall not follow the vague and imperfect data to be found in several very recent works, but shall discuss only what I have been able to procure from official papers communicated

to me.

I. There has been given into the mint at Lima,

marcs of silver. marcs of gold. From 1754 to 1772-6,102,139 and 129,080

1772-1791-8,478,367

80,846

The value of the gold and silver* amounted in the first of these periods to 68,944,522

* Unanue, Guia politica del Peru, 1790, p. 45.

piastres*, and in the second to 85,434,849 piastrest, which on an annual average of gold and silver is

From 1754 to 1772-3,830,000 piastres. 1772-1791-4,496,000§.

The produce of gold has diminished while that of silver has increased. In 1790, the produce of the mines of Peru amounted to 534,000 marcs of silver and 6,380 marcs of gold. Between 1797 and 1801 there was coined at Lima gold and silver to the amount of 26,032,653 piastres. The following table points out the produce of the mines year year**.

after

** Razon de lo que se ha acuñado en la real casa de moneda de Lima. (MS.)

26,032,653

Total in 5 years 2,322,667|23,709,986

In the five preceding years the produce amounted to 30 millions; so that we may consider six millions of piastres as the mean term for one year, the produce of gold and silver having declined in 1800 and 1801 on account. of the maritime war which impeded the importation of mercury as well as iron and steel from Europe. We shall adopt however a smaller sum, viz. 3,450 marcs of gold, and 570,000 marcs of silver, the value of which amounts altogether to 5,300,000 piastres*.

The places in Peru, most celebrated for their metallic wealth, or the magnitude of the works are in following the chain of the Andes from north to south in the province of Caxamarca, the Cerro de Gualgayoc, near Micuipampa, Fuentestiana, and Pilancones; in the province

* 1,113,000 Sterling. Trans.

of Chachapoyas, S. Thomas, Las Playas dé Balzas, and the Pampas del Sacramento, between the Rio Guallaga and l'Ucajale; in the Province of Guamachuco, the town of Guamachuco (with the Reales de San Francisco, d'Angasmarca, and de la Mina Hedionda), Sogon, Sanagoran, San Jose, and Santiago de Chucu; in the province of Pataz, the town of Partaz, Vuldivuyo, Tayabamba, Soledad, and Chilia; in the province of Conchucos, the town of Conchucos, Siguas, Tambillo, Pomapamba, Chacas, Guari, Chavin, Guanta, and Ruriquinchay; in the province of Huamalies, Guallanca; in the province of Caxatambo, Chanca, and the town of Caxatambo; in the province of Tarma, the Cerro de Yauricocha (two leagues, to the north of Pasco) Chaupimarca, Arenillapata, Santa Cathalina, Caya grande, Yanacanche, Santa Rosa, and the Cerro de Colquisirca; in the province of Huarochiri*, Conchapata; in the province of Huancavelica, San Juan de Lucanas; and lastly in the confines of the desert of Atacama, Huantajaya.

I have followed in this long enumeration the old division of Peru into provinces; but since

*The mountains of Huarochiri and Canta contain excellent coal; but on account of the high price of carriage, they cannot be used at Lima. Cobalt and Antimony have also been discovered at Huarochiri.

the frontier of the kingdom of Buenos-Ayres has been made to pass to the west of the lake of Chucuito, between the lake and the city of Cuzco, and since on the one hand the kingdom of Quito and the provinces of Jaen de Bracamoros and Maynas, and on the other the governments of Paz, Oruro, Plata, and Potosi have been separated from Peru, this last kingdom is divided into seven intendancies, Truxillo, Tarma, Huancavelica, Lima, Guamanga, Arequissa, and Cuzco, of which each comprehends several departments or partidos*. We can only arrive at false results when, as has been done in works of the greatest estimation, we compare the produce of the mines of old Peru, with that of the present Peru, which since the year 1778, includes within its limits neither the Cerro del Potosi nor the mines of Oruro and Paz. The Peruvian gold partly comes from the provinces of Pataz† and Huailas, where it

* The old provinces of Pataz, Guamachuco, and Chachapoyas are now considered as partidos of the intendancy of Truxillo; and those of Caxatambo, Huailas, Conchucos, and Huamalies, belong to the intendancy of Tarma. The capitals of the seven intendancies are: Lima with 52,600 inhabitants; Guamanga with 26,000; Arequipa with 24,000; Truxillo with 5800; Huancavelica with 5200; Tarma with 5600; and Cuzco with 32,000. (Guia politica, ecclesiastica y militar del Vireynato del Peru, para el año 1793, por Don Jose Hipolito Unanue).

Among the five districts of mines of the partido of