JOIO ANNUAL REGISTER, 1B05. 



sand one hundred and forty.seven which throw much light on their cnn- 

 maiks ovtr_*^e average produce of ditioii and on the internal conduct 

 the (en anteceQent years. and occononiy ol the mines. They 



" It would appear that the. nnincs of point out, in the clearest and 

 Mexico arc much more prodnclive most inconlrovvrtible manner, llio 

 than those of leru, since, in the cause «hy the mines of Mexico 

 above year of 1790, wJiich was are in a flourishing condition, ' 

 far from being reckoned one of while (hose of Fcru are hourly 

 the best, five Ihousand and twenty- decreasing in value, not from a defi- 

 four marks of gold, and two mil- ciency in the metal, but from the im- 

 lions one hundred and seventy, politic treatment of the native Indi- 

 ninetlionsand fonrhundred and fifty- ans, in the latter country, who are 

 five marks of silver, the produce of diminishing in numbers to an alarm- 

 the mines, m ere coined in the Royal ing degree, and vho are alone cal- 

 Mint of Mexico. The proportion of cnlateri to woik them, to the abso- 

 silver was, consequently, in (he ratio lute exclu>ion of tlie Spaniards, nc- 

 of more than five to one grtat<M- tiian grocs, and mixed breeds, to whom 

 that alfordcd by the Peruvian mines." the hiborious opcradons of the mines 

 The historical and topographical are intolerable. The nece.^sity of a 

 description of the mountainous tcrri- milder coursi , and a more i ncourag. 

 tory of Lauri-Cocha, tlie mineral ing line of conduct being taken by 

 territory the most abundant in the the government towards (he former, 

 production of the precious metals, as well from motives of policy as of 

 which next follows, is extremely benevoh nee, is thencemost ably and 

 interesting; as is the account of (he mos( convincingly arguid. 

 great quicksilver mine of Huanea- A dissertation upon the commerce 

 Tclica, which ha' produced, since its ofPeru, by one of (he members of the 

 * discovery, in the year 1556, to the institution, to which we have already 

 commencement of (he year ITl'O, adverted, under all its various heads, 

 the prodigious quantity of one mil- is next presented to the reader. This 

 lion forty (housand four hundred essay, at once able, elaborate, and 

 and fifty. (wo quin(als, (wcn(yrfiVe conclusive, is pardcularly direc(ed 

 pounds, and two ounces of mercury, (o the solution of a question of poli- 

 which gives an average (o each year deal a'cotjomy, which seems (ohave 

 of four (housand seven hundred and been, about (hi.^ period, warmly agi. 

 fifty quintals, twenty-nine pounds, tated : namely, VVhether, in (he pre- 

 and five ounces. The total value of sent " abject" condition of Peru, the 

 which, deducting every cxpcncc at- encouragement of agriculture, and 

 tending it, yielded to Spain nearly the extension and augmentation of 

 thirteenmiliions sterling in thcabove the natural j)roductions and primary 

 space of time. This mine enjoys the sabs(ances connected with it, should 

 exclusive privilege of supplying to be pursued, or the preferable encou- 

 the proprietors of the gold and silver ragcmcnt of the abundant source of 

 mines of Peru, the quicksilver em- richeswhich the working of themines 

 ployed in the extraction of the metals give to that extraordiiiary country, 

 from ihe ores. To enable the reader to decide for 



Two essays are here subjoined himself, the author commences with 

 upon the condition of the miuers, a surrey of the topography of the 



3 Ticeroyalt\, 



