FIELD FOR CAPITAL AND LABOUR. 199 



woods, dyes, and medicinal vegetation abound. Many of 

 the hardwoods and timbers are marvellously durable, and 

 very valuable for house and ship-building purposes. Nor 

 are animal products wanting. The mountain slopes and 

 valleys give us, and are admirably adapted to the breed- 

 ing of, the alpaca, vicuna, llama, guanaco, and the native 

 goat crossed with the angora, also sheep of long wool 

 available for material improvement by crosses of the 

 English long wools and others; also cattle, on the slopes 

 and plains. Already many British and other foreigners 

 are dedicating themselves to the goat and sheep industries 

 in the province of Cordova, the lands on the hill slopes 

 and on the southern plains being remarkably well adapted 

 for them. The indigenous sheep of Cordova, Santiago, 

 Tucunian, and other adjoining provinces, crossed with the 

 large-framed English long wools will, as already stated, 

 form a breed of great promise, and well suited not only 

 to the slopes of the hill ranges, but to the somewhat 

 strong pastures of the southern plains of this province and 

 the adjoining lands of Santa Fe and San Luis. There 

 have been several considerable purchases of land recently 

 made at Frayle Muerto and establishments formed 

 on them, by a number of enterprising English gentlemen, 

 in adjoining lots of various extent from four to nine 

 square leagues ; some sixty or eighty more square leagues 

 are taken up at that place, and were purchased at prices 

 ranging between 800 and 2,000 Bolivian dollars, equal to 

 120/. to 300/. per square league. These are frontier 

 lands, and are of course somewhat exposed, though in 

 reality there is little risk. 



These great ' alfalfa ' or lucerne irrigated meadows on 

 or near the slopes of San Luis, San Juan, and Mendoza, 

 where cattle are fatted for the Chilian market on the 

 other side of the Cordilleras, as these provinces are 

 brought nearer to a market and seaport on the east coast 



