144 



DOMAIN IX. ANOMALOUS. 



Of Peru. 



Kirwan's 

 account. 



those in Spain and Africa, are in Peru; and are 

 thus described by Ulloa, who says they are 

 situated at the surprising height of 10 or 12,000 

 feet, on the grand chain of the Andes. 



" The highest part of Peru," says Ulloa, 

 " which seems to be a depot of minerals, has 

 also mines of salt. It is found in hard blocks, 

 and continuous like the rock. The exterior form 

 of this salt strikes at first sight; for it resembles 

 a stone of a dull violet colour, strewed with rays, 

 of jasper. 



" These mines of salt are found nearly all over 

 the country; and what is most worthy of re- 

 mark, is its extreme hardness, its colour, and 

 that it should be in those mountains equally as 

 high as those which yield silver or mercury, 

 which is certainly extraordinary."* 



Mr. Kirwan has treated this subject with his 

 usual mineralogic erudition. 



cc Many mountains, entirely consisting of salt, 

 have been discovered. The salt mountain of 

 Cardona, in Valentia, is from 4 to 500 feet high, 

 and about three miles in circumference. Bowles, 

 406. Fortis mentions several in Calabria, attend- 

 ed with some of gypsum. Several in the States 

 of Algiers and Tjmis are mentioned by Shaw, p. 



Mem. i. 352. 



