Mines about Pasoo. 



PERU. 



Casa Cancha. Departure. 



The duties it pays are six dollars per bar of two 

 hundred and ten marcs to the assay-master, one 

 real per marc for the public works of the Cerro, 

 and one real per marc to government. 



The mint price is eight dollars two maravedis 

 per marc of eleven pennyweights fine. 



Within three leagues of Pasco, on an extensive 

 plain, there stands an isolated hill of porphyry, 

 called Raco. From this hill are cut the stones 

 used in grinding the ores, which are from two and 

 a half to three varas in diameter, and from eighteen 

 to twenty-four inches in thickness. The cost for 

 delivering them at the foot of the hill is ten dollars 

 for every quarter of a vara in their diameter, and 

 the expense of drawing them to the mills varies 

 from seventy to two hundred dollars, according to 

 the distance *. 



In 1840 several new attempts were about to be 

 made in mining speculations. 



The great difficulty to secure success seems to 

 be in providing for the proper drainage, which the 

 present adit will not accomplish alone, and great 

 advantages might be derived from steam-power, 

 properly employed, to free the mines of water. 

 The owners of the mines are always desirous of 

 inserting in the contracts, that they shall not have 

 any water to raise, as this is the most expensive 

 part of the process : the ore is very rapidly mined, 

 after the water is drained off. The remuneration 

 given to the proprietors of the steam-engines, is 

 one-fifth of the ore raised ; this was the sum paid 

 to the old company, and the same was stipulated to 

 be paid to the parties who undertook the same 

 work in 1829. 



Mines are to be bought at all times, on reason- 

 able terms ; for the miners often desire to retire 

 from business, or wish to sell for the sake of profit, 

 or are not able to carry them on from want of 

 capital. There is, however, one difficulty a pur- 

 chaser has to contend with, for the mines are 

 almost always held in small shares among a num- 

 ber of relatives, many of whom refuse to sell their 

 small interest. This makes the mines less de- 

 sirable property, as difficulties almost invariably 

 occur with these small proprietors. 



No miner, who has worked with reasonable pru- 

 dence, steadiness, and a sufficient capital, has 

 failed to do well since the year 1833. The pro- 

 duce of the mines of the Cerro from that time, has 

 not varied much from one year to another, as will 

 be seen by the table heretofore given. The under- 

 takings which have been carried on upon an ex- 

 tensive scale, are those which have prospered most. 

 There were many difficulties that the first mining 

 companies had to encounter, that others need not 

 again apprehend ; the local interests are better un- 

 derstood, and would be more respected ; a better 

 knowledge of the people prevails, and of the modes 

 of mining ; and the people themselves have lost 

 some of their prejudices against foreigners. Per- 

 sons may now be obtained to assist in the direction, 

 as well as to afford advice to the agents who may 

 be entrusted with the affairs of the company, so 

 that the prospects of success in the operations' are 

 decidedly more favourable than they were fifteen 

 years ago. But although the actual operation of 



* Most of the above facts are derived from a person who 

 had long resided on the spot, and been engaged in various 

 mining operations. 



mining may be more advantageous, yet the country 

 in its political and commercial character has very 

 much deteriorated, and it is to be apprehended 

 that but little capital will be invested in it until 

 there is a great change in its rulers as well as in 

 its people, and until government, the laws, and 

 good order, become as well established as they are 

 in Chili. All the friends of Peru seem, however, 

 to be well satisfied, from appearances, that the day 

 is not far distant when she will see the restoration 

 of permanent tranquillity. 



To return, after this digression, to our party : 

 they had much agreeable conversation with the 

 Chilian officers, and passed a pleasant evening. 

 As I have before spoken of the accommodations, it 

 is needless to say that they were not improved. 



On the morning of the 24th the thermometer 

 stood at 36 in the hut, and on the rivulet there 

 was ice one-fourth of an inch thick. Mr. Bracken- 

 ridge gathered seeds here of a curious species of 

 cactus, which grows plentifully all over the moun- 

 tains in dense tufts ; from the quantities of down 

 or fine hair upon it, it has the appearance at a dis- 

 tance of a white sheep, so much so that a group of 

 them was sometimes mistaken for a flock. 



Although Casa Cancha was a wretched hovel, 

 and had every thing in it to disgust, yet the situa- 

 tion was one of great beauty. In the stream that 

 flowed near it were fish of from six to eight 

 inches in length, but none of these were taken, as 

 the party was not provided with fishing-tackle. 



When the time came for their departure, they 

 were glad to bid adieu to the place, and to begin 

 their ascent to the top of the ridge. They rode two 

 leagues to the source of the stream, which is near 

 the summit of the ridge. At a short distance from 

 their path was the line of perpetual snow. They 

 found the ground hard frozen as the snow was 

 approached, and almost bare of vegetation, only a 

 few stunted spears of grass occurring here and 

 there ; even this appeared to be wanting in the 

 bare spots above the snow line. The snow was but 

 a thin covering, its surface was hardened, and its 

 lower margin formed a perfectly unbroken horizon- 

 tal line along the face of the mountain. This was 

 not apparently the case on the other ridges, for the 

 snow lay there in hollows, and sometimes descended, 

 as before remarked, below the path. 



In the alpine lakes was a species of myriophyl- 

 lum, the same as was met with at Culnai, three 

 thousand feet below. Dr. Pickering found an am- 

 monite here. 



They descended rapidly on the western declivity ; 

 the scenery was beautiful, and they had enough 

 employment in collecting specimens. Two large 

 parties were met on the route, the one of loaded 

 mules, the other of several genteel travellers, among 

 whom were females, accompanied by several ser- 

 vants well armed. In the afternoon they reached 

 a solitary hut, at a place called Chicrine, situated 

 at the foot of La Vinda, and kept by an old woman 

 with one eye ; she proved very much the reverse 

 of their hostess at Casa Cancha, being very cleanly ; 

 here they passed the night comfortably. 



A Frenchman, who was now passing for a native, 

 and was on his way to Pasco with his servant, 

 joined them at Chicrine. Being invited to partake 

 of supper, he accepted, and did ample justice to 

 the meal ; but when he had finished, contrary to 

 the usual politeness of his countrymen, he told 



