»835.] CHILIAN MINERS. 339 



which is only 67 miles north of Valparaiso, rain is not expected 

 till the end of May ; whereas, at Valparaiso some generally falls 

 early in April : the annual quantity is likewise small in pro- 

 portion to the lateness of the season at which it commences. 



Ath. — Finding the coast-road devoid of interest of any kind, we 

 turned inland towards the mining district and valley of Illapel. 

 This valley, like every other in Chile, is level, broad, and very fer 

 tile : it is bordered on each side, either by cliffs of stratified shingle, 

 or by bare rocky mountains. Above the straight line of the 

 uppermost irrigating ditch, all is brown as on a high road ; while 

 all below is of as bright a green as verdigris, from the beds of 

 alfarfa, a kind of clover. We proceeded to Los Homos, another 

 mining district, where the principal hill was drilled with holes, 

 like a great ants'-nest. The Chilian miners are a peculiar race 

 of men in their habits. Living for weeks together in the most 

 desolate spots, when they descend to the villages on feast-days, 

 there is no excess or extravagance into which they do not run. 

 They sometimes gain a considerable sum, and then, like sailors 

 with prize-money, they try how soon they can contrive to squan- 

 der it. They drink excessively, buy quantities of clothes, and 

 in a few days return penniless to their miserable abodes, there to 

 work harder than beasts of burden. This thoughtlessness, as 

 with sailors, is evidently the result of a similar manner of life. 

 Their daily food is found them, and they acquire no habits of 

 carefulness ; moreover, temptation and the means of yielding to it 

 are placed in their power at the same time. On the other hand, 

 in Cornwall, and some other parts of England, where the system 

 of selling part of the vein is followed, the miners, from being 

 obliged to act and think for themselves, are a singularly intelli- 

 ofent and well-conducted set of men. 



The dress of the Chilian miner is peculiar and rather pic- 

 turesque. He wears a very long shirt of some dark-coloured 

 baize, with a leathern apron ; the ^^ hole being fastened round \i\s 

 waist by a bright-coloured sash. His trowsers are very broad, 

 and his small cap of scarlet cloth is made to fit the head closely. 

 We met a party of these miners in full costume, carrying the 

 body of one of their companions to be buried. They marched 

 at a very quick trot, four men supporting the corpse. One sel 

 having run as hard as they could for about two hundred yaids. 



