ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1005 



consist almost entirely of a few 

 friezes, tiie use of which is in a man- 

 ner confined to the Indians and ne- 

 groes. There are besides an incon- 

 siderable number of manufactures 

 of hats, cotton cloths, drinking 

 glasses, &c. which do not, however, 

 occupy much space in the scale of 

 the riches of Peru. Sugar, vicuna 

 wool, cotton, Peruvian bark, cop- 

 per, and cocoa (it is to be observed, 

 however, that the two latter arti- 

 cles, as Avcll as a considerable part 

 of the Peruvian bark, are sent 

 hither from Guayaquil, &c.) are the 

 only commodities, the produce of 

 our mines excepted, m hich we ex- 

 port. 



" The mines are the principal, it 

 may indeed be said, the only source 

 of the riches of Peru. Notwith- 

 standing the little industry which is 

 employed in working them, and the 

 small help which commerce aflords 

 to the miners, 534.000 marks of sil- 

 ver, and 6,380 of gold, were smelted 

 and refined last year (1790) in the 

 royal mint of Lima: and 5;W6^Q06 

 piastres,* in both materials, were 

 coined there. + 



"From the mines of Gualgayoc+, 

 and from that of Pasco§, about the 



one half of the silver which is 

 annually smelted, coined, and 

 wrought, is extradlcd. The mine 

 of Gnantajaya|| is abundant in ores 

 and rich metallic veins, but does 

 not yield in proportion, in conse- 

 quence of the dearness of every 

 necessary, as well for working as 

 for convenience and subsistence. 

 On account also of its distance from 

 the capital, the benefits which would 

 otherwise arise from it arc lost: 

 the ores of thirty marks the cax- 

 onf , do not pay themselves ; and 

 ihe same may be said of the pro- 

 ducts of the smaller and more 

 superficial veins, which occa'^ion- 

 ally present themselves, and in 

 which the silver is chisclied oat. 

 It is greatly to be hoped that the 

 plan of transporting the produce 

 of this mine to Calioa may be 

 adopted, since such an expedient 

 would not only cause the mine 

 to flourish, but would be beneficial 

 to all the adjacent provinces. 



"Thatof Giiarochiri**,the cffefls 

 of the abundance of which are 

 more immediately felt in the ca- 

 pital, docs not flourish in a degree 

 which should apparently corres- 

 pond with the richness of its ores, 



* Dollars. 



t In the former year, 1789, 3,570,000 piastres in silver, and 7C6,7G8 in g;old, 

 were coined. 



I These mines are in tlie intendcncy of Truxillo, one huiidred and scventy-cii^ht 

 leagues distafit from Liiii;i, and from Truxillo sixty- cijilit. 



§ Otherwise cali^'d the r.ieiallic mountaii) of Lauricoclia. Tt is situated at tlie 

 northern extremity oi" tlic plains of Bombun, and is distant ihi'M Lima lorty-.*ive 

 leagues, and from Tarma twenty-two. 



II This mine, which, in opposition to the laws Nature generally observes, is 

 ftilualed in a very hot and sandy soil, is compichendcd in tlie {-.mviuce of Tarapar.'i, 

 in the intcn.'Icncy of Arequipa. It is distant from that intendcncy clzhxy leaguo';, 

 from Lima tJni'e hundred, nnd tVoin the port, of Iqiiique nearly Uvo leaij^'ies. 



<r The caxon containi (J,^.0O j.onnils. 



** 'I'liis mine c,\ten(N, in a maTini-r, over the whole of the province hearinc; its 

 »wnic, tiicca['ital of which is the town of Cuarocliiri, diblant from Lima scvcniccsi 

 k-agues, and from Tunna twentv-ti':ht. It ijclonj;^ to tl;e iiitcii.hncv of l.hv.v. 



