Retrospect of Domestic Literature — Travels, Voyages, Kc. 637 



miner and niineralogift; to the other 

 parts of natural hiftory he is a ftranger; 

 and even geographical and ftatiftical ob- 

 fervations are very rarely interfperfed. 

 Of Buenos Ayres itfelf we have only a 

 few fentcnces: the population, however, 

 according to the mod recent account?; is 

 under-rated ; being placed at only from 

 24 to 30,000 inhabitants. At the dif- 

 tance of 73 miles from the capital, the 

 travellers entered on the Pampas, a fe- 

 rics of uncultivated plains, llretching 

 300 miles wellward to the foot of the 

 Chili mountains, and about 1500 miles 

 fouthwards towards Patagonia. Thefe 

 plains are fertile, and wiiolly covered 

 with very high grafs ; but for the mod 

 part uniuhabited, and deftitute of trees. 

 They are the abode of innumerable herds 

 of wild horles, oxen, oftriches, &c., 

 which under the fliade of the grafs fmd 

 proteftioa from the intolerable heat of 

 the fua ; and are infefted by wild tribes 

 of Indians, who are defcribed by M, 

 TIelms in few words: he fays, they have 

 DO intercourfe with the civilized Indians 

 or the Spaniards, whom they mortally 

 hate, and are in the highcft degree dirtv, 

 favagc, miftruftful, and treacherous; they 

 »re ftrong and enterpiifing, but ealily 

 difuiayed on the approach of danger. 

 After a journey of 4G3 miles, Helms and 

 his companions reached Cordova, a neat 

 clean town, pleafantly fituated near a 

 wood at the foot of a branch of the 

 Andes. Of the Indians of Cordova, and 

 its neighbourhood, our traveller gives a 

 better charatter : they are defeiibed as, 

 in fa6t, the only indultrious clafs of the 

 community. The town of Tucunian, 

 which was the next they came to, is fi- 

 tuafed 450 miles from Cordova. The 

 wealth of both towns confifts in their 

 mules and cattle, and their chief com- 

 merce ariling from the intercourfe Ije- 

 tween Potoh and Buenos Ayres. The 

 population of Salta, the capital of the 

 province of Tucmnaii, is reckoned at 

 9000 fouls. Here the lefs elevated ridges 

 and promontories terminate; and iM. 

 Helms and his companions, quitting 

 their carriages, profecuted the reft of 

 their journey on mules. 'J'he celebrated 

 mines of Potofi, 1873 Englilh miles from 

 Buenos Ayres, are aext defcribed ; and 

 the ignorance of the Spaniards in work- 

 ing them bitterly lamented. By their 

 method of amalgamation, it is repre- 

 fented, they were fcarcely able to gain 

 two-thirds of the filver contained in the 

 jtaco-ore ; and that for every mark of 

 pure fdvcr gained, they dellroyed one, 

 MoKTHLT Mac. No.'l5'<J. 



and frequently two, marks of fpiickhlver. 

 Indeed, all tlic operations at the mines 

 of Potoli, whether of ftaniping, fiftii:g, 

 walhing, quickening, or roailinn the ore, 

 are ftaied to have Ijeen conducted in a 

 manner, not only flovenly, but waficfiil 

 and unfcientific; and even, at iaft, the 

 endeavours of the Germans to r-iiove 

 ihe evils were rejefted by the Sianilh 

 overfeeis. Lima, to which our travel- 

 lers' views were ultimately diretted, was 

 flill at the dillunce of 1800 miles; many 

 of the towns in the early part of tne way , 

 to which, appear not to have re 'overed 

 from the deliruftion which ti.ey f itfered 

 during the infurrection of the Ind ans in 

 1779. T!ie royal mine of Guancavclica, 

 and \%% produce, are pa: ticukrly d 'fcrib- 

 ed, as well as the city of Li.ir.i : the 

 latter, in point of population, is repre- 

 fented to have declined. Throughout, 

 the mineral contents of South America, 

 as for as it was vilited by M. Helms, 

 appear to be very accurately noticed: 

 though wc think the politive richas which 

 are annually produced fiom it, ellimatcd 

 rather beyond than within the truth. 

 From Linja our traveller had orders to 

 proceed to the province of Tama, as fu- 

 peiintendant of the celebrated mines of 

 I'afco. 



Other particulars, methodically ar- 

 ranged, relating to the various countries 

 belonging to Spain in South America, 

 are given by the Englifli editor in an 

 Appendix. M. Ilehns's work in its own 

 nature was confined, and rendered fucii 

 an addition neceliary. Though haftily 

 drawn up, it contains many fatts and 

 elucidations which we do not remember 

 to have met with before. 



Another, though apparently lefs valu- 

 able, work on our recent capture ia 

 South America is, " A Siiimnury Account 

 of the Vice-royalty of Bue.nvs Ayres, or 

 La Plata ; including its Geographical 

 PoJ'ition, Climate, Afpe6l of the Country, 

 Natural Proditdion^,Comincrie, Govern- 

 ment, and Stale of Society and ALuinen, 

 Extruded from the bejt Authorities." 



Hitherto the jealoufy of the Spanilli 

 government has prevented, us from ob- 

 taining any thing like an accurate know- 

 ledge of her South American celonies. 

 From the fpirit and a6tivity of new let- 

 tiers, however, we may hope fur more 

 extcnfive information ; though it mull 

 be owned, that the parched and uncul- 

 tivated waftes with w^ich the interior of 

 South America abounds, may prove 

 fome hindrance to geographical and rta- 

 tift'ta! enquirers. 



4 M Tht 



