L. MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING. 463 



The washing is done with the assistance of copper vessels, 

 first coated with a little silver before the quicksilver is ap- 

 plied the gold being in so extremely small particles that it 

 requires this special measure for its extraction. 



During Mr. Chase's visit, gold of the value of $1600 was 

 obtained from the washings in six or seven days, with two 

 machines; and $1700 were secured the succeeding week. 

 Mr. Chase thinks the suggestion that coarser gold will be 

 found at a distance from the mine at low water, and beyond 

 the line of the surf, to be unfounded, and that, from his own 

 observations, the gold follows the first two or three lines of 

 breakers, and will never be found in paying quantities be- 

 yond. 



Professor Dana, in discussing specimens of the sand, remarks 

 that the red grains in the sand are garnets. Pie thinks it 

 probable that the deposit dates partly from the close of the 

 glacial era (that is, the time of the melting of the ice in the 

 early part of the Champlain period, when floods and gravel 

 depositions were the order of the day), and partly from the 

 latter part of the Champlain period, when the waters were 

 comparatively quiet. San Fran. Mining and Scien. Press, 

 January 24, 1874. 



RESOURCES OP PERU. 



Peru, as is well known, has been industriously occupied for 

 several years past in the construction of railroads into various 

 portions of her territory, with a view of opening them up for 

 trade and settlement; the following being already finished, 

 or to be completed within the present year namely, from 

 Ilo to Moquegua,62 miles; from Mollendo to Puno,337 miles; 

 from Pisco to Ico, 25 miles; from Callao to San Mateo, 73 

 miles; from Chimbote to Taquilpon, 55 miles; and from Pa- 

 casmayo to La Vina, 92 miles. 



As the Peruvian government is not able to develop the re- 

 gions thus opened, it proposes to invite the co-operation of 

 foreign nations in this direction, and is accordingly engaged 

 in preparing for publication copies of the plans and profiles 

 of the railways, with drawings of the most important engi- 

 neering works on the lines, and a general map of the country; 

 and a commission, consisting of Captain Ramon Azcarte, the 

 state geologist, Don Antonio Kaimondi, and Don Julio 



