ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1013 



of mercury were annually consumed, 

 in separating the metal from the ores. 

 This extraordinary consumption was 

 owing to the ignorant method of as- 

 signing to each quintal of silver, an 

 equal quantify of that necessary 

 JBgrcdicnt. 



" It vTould appear that the epoch is 

 not very distant, when the clo;ids 

 which have hitherto obscured the Pe- 

 ruvian horizon in this docimasfic part, 

 as well as in all the other branches 

 of mineralogy, will be dispersed. 

 The expedition utiich has, with this 

 view, been confided by his Catholic 

 majesty to the direction of baron 

 Northenflicht, holds out a prospect 

 of the higlicst improvements. If, as 

 there can be little doubt, it should 

 realize the flattering expectations the 

 public has formed, itwillnor amelior- 

 ate the conditionof the miner, with- 

 out, at the same time, giving prospe- 

 rityboth to commerce and agriculture. 



"The latter ought not, on any con- 

 sideration, to be abandoned. We 

 have inculcated the preference that 

 should be bestowed on the working 

 of the mines, which must engage our 

 particular attention, because they 

 are the sources of our riches; but 

 we ought not to neglect the precau- 

 tions to which our plains are en- 

 titled. To know how to profit by 

 them ; to better their quality ; to 

 give them the advantages of irriga- 

 tion ; and to facilitate the fcansijort 

 of their productions ; such are the 

 principles of the prosjierity of our 

 agriculture, from which greater ad- 

 vantages may he derived than our 

 commerce can be made to afford." 



The description of Lima, its 

 population, and public buildings, 

 its courts of justice, and its mu- 

 nicipal regulations — the present 

 state of its establishments, civil, 

 ecclesiastic andliterary, its public di- 



versions, together with its charitable 

 institutions, occupy a very consider- 

 able portion of the remaining pai-t 

 of the volume, and abound in n<>ve!, 

 curious, and interesting matter. On 

 the customs and manners of the in- 

 habitants no particular detail occus, 

 save what can be collected from three 

 or four satirical essays which appear- 

 ed in the Peruvian Mercury, aud 

 which are here given at length. 

 They principaily consist of severe 

 invective and caricatura description 

 of the luxury, passion for dress, 

 and overruling influence of the wo- 

 men, and the effeminacy, indolence, 

 and want of energy of the male 

 inhabitants ; upon the whole, though 

 rather trifling, they are worth the pe- 

 rusal oi'our readers, more particular- 

 lyasthey convey also, noinconsider- 

 able specimen of Peruvian literature. 



The tixth part of the work is 

 appropriated to the description of 

 the manners and customs of the 

 Indian, and other inhabitants of 

 Peru ; — which commences with an 

 essay on the idolatry and super- 

 stitions of the Peruvian natives. 

 It is a pleasing circumstance, con- 

 ne6ted with this subject, to find, 

 that the ecclesiasticai government 

 of the country have -long aban- 

 doned any other means, save those 

 of persuasion and clemency, to 

 open the eyes of those deluded poor 

 people ; that the happiest conse- 

 quences have arisen from this mild 

 and beneficent system, numbers of 

 proselytes having been made, and 

 that, to use the words of our au- 

 thor, " the respeftable prelates, 

 the fathers of the Peruvian church, 

 are seen dire6ling their steps on 

 every side, not like the thunder 

 bolt, which carries terror in its 

 train, but like the lovely light of thcs 

 morning, dissipating the dark shades 



3 T i of 



