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it is undoubtedly because the granitic beds in which it was primitively contained, have been decomposed in their place.

The process of amalgamation of silver minerals followed in Peru, since 1571, is the same as that which is used in Mexico. In the two countries the schlich is manufactured according to the rules prescribed by Medina, Barba Corso, de Leca and Corosegarra; but generally speaking, amalgamation is practised with more care and more intelligence by the Mexican miners at Guanaxuato and Zacatecas, than by the miners of Peru. In New Spain the expence of amalgamation is generally estimated at 87 piastres 4 reals for one hundred quintals of minerals containing four ounces of silver per quintal, of which sum, 25 piastres go for waste of mercury. As three hundred quintals produce fifty marcs of silver, which according to the common price of silver * at the mines are worth 362 piastres, it follows that the expence of amalgamation amounts nearly to 24 per cent. of the value of the silver. But in Peru, where the mercury of

* At 7 piastres, 2 reals. Garces, p. 144. In the beginning of the seventeenth century the expences of amalgamation at Potosi, for a caxon of ore weighing 5 quintals, and containing 20 marcs of silver, were only estimated at 30 piastres. or 20 per cent. although the pound of mercury cost a piastre. Barba, p. 118.

Huancavelica is generally sold for 60 or 70 piastres the quintal *, the expences amount in several districts of mines to 30 or 30 or 38 per cent. At the Cerro de Gualgayoc for example, where the price of labour is from three to four reals (from 40 to 50 sous) per day, a load of schlich, containing from two to three marcs of silver costs seven piastres in the process of amalgamation, viz.

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During my stay in the Cordillera of the Andes, there were only two districts of mines where the method of M. de Born of amalgamation in casks, was followed with any degree of success, namely the Real de Requay, in the province of Huailas, and Tallenga, in the province of Caxatambo †. To judge of the considerable loss of silver annually ex

* Campomanes, de la educacion popular, Tii. p. 132. + The mines near Requay, where a German amalgamation work has been constructed is called Ticapamba, and belongs to Don Juan Ignacio Gamio. The work of Tallenga was established by Don Juan Baptista Arieta.

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perienced in Peru from the ignorance of the amalgamators, it is enough to mention the simple fact that it daily happens that an azoguero extracts 15 marcs per caxon, from the same mineral, out of which hitherto there has never been extracted more than ten or twelve In the years which immediately succeeded the discovery of the mines of Yauricocha, they only wrought the pacos or oxides of iron, mixed with native silver, and muriate of silver. The prismatic black silver and the argentiferous grey copper were thrown among the rubbish. In the same manner on building the small town of Micuipampa, walls were constructed of very rich pieces of gangue, and those minerals only which were of a yellowish brown or of an earthy appearance, like the pacos, were considered as containing silver. These facts will not appear so surprising when we consider that not more than forty years ago, in one of the most civilized countries of Europe, calamine was employed in the making of roads, without its being perceived that this substance which was soiled with clay contained zinc.

II. The Presidencia, or Capitania general of Chili produces annually in gold and silver, one million seven hundred thousand piastres *.

357,000 Sterling. Trans.

Guasco.

The most considerable mines of gold, are Pe torca, ten leagues to the South of Chuapa; Yapel or Villa de Cuscus, Llaoin, Tiltil and Ligua, near Quillota. Mines are also wrought in the partidos of Copiapo, Coquimbo and The silver mining operations of Chili are in general by no means productive. The Cerro de Uspallata, at eight leagues distance to the north-west of Mendoza contains, however, pacos so rich that they yield from two to three thousand marcs per chest (caxon) of 5000 pounds, or 40 or 60 marcs of silver per quintal. The produce of the mines of Chili, has considerably increased of late years. In 1790 there was coined at Santiago 721,000 piastres in gold and 146,000 in silvers

III. The great mass of precious metals, supplied by the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres,. is entirely derived from the most western part, the provincias de la Sierra, which in 1778, were separated from Peru. We may estimate the annual produce, which is almost wholly silver, at four millions two hundred thousand piastres *. The districts which supply the most are Potosi, Chaganta, Porco †; Oruro;

* £882,000 Sterling. Trans.

See Alonzo Barba, Arte de los Metales (ed2 1729) p. 48, respecting the silver mines of Porco wrought by the Incas.

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Chucuito, la Paz, Caylloma, and Carangas. In the intendancy of Puno, the mountains of Ananca, near Caravaya and Azangara, to the north-east of the lake of Titicaca were celebrated in the first years of the conquest on account of the wealth of their mines of gold *. Thoughts were entertained in 1803 of resuming the old operations of Morocollo, in the Pampa Fungoso de la Rinconada, and on the banks of the lake of Communi. They sought also to continue the gallery of Vera Cruz, in the famous silver mine of Salcedo, situated in the mountains of Ycacota and Cancharani.

The mountain of Potosi † has alone furnished, including only the silver which has paid the royal duties, since its discovery in 1545 to our days, a mass of silver equal to 5750 millions

* Proclamacion del Intendente de Puno, D. Jose Gongalez. Platina is also said to have been discovered near Morocollo but the fact has never yet been confirmed by persons deserving of credit.

† Potosi properly Potocchi, Potossi or Potocsi. The old name of Huancavelica is Huanca-Villca. Garcilasso, Com Reales, lib. viii. c. 25. Pedro de Cieça de Leon, Chronica del Peru, c. 109. The porphyry bed which crowns (the mountain of Potosi, the Hatun-Potocsi, gives it the form of a sugar-loaf or basaltic hill (See p. ). This mountain is 1624 varas, or 697 toises above the neighbouring plain, Acosta, lib. iv. c. 6. Hernandez, p. i. lib. xi. c. 2. Helms, p. 65-122.

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