60 



cannot be g,pplied to the uses of the firsts it is of 

 course held in much less estimation. 



Those of the calcareous kind are limestones, 

 marbles, calcareous spars^ and gypsums. Of the 

 liaiestones^ there are those that are very compact 

 and of all colours, the shining red, the coarse 

 white, the blue, and the grey. 



The plain marbles, or those of but one colour^ 

 hitherto discovered in Chili, are the Mhite sta- 

 tuary marble, the black, the green, the yellow, 

 and the grey. Two mountains, one in the Cor- 

 dilleras of Copiapo, and the other in the marshes 

 of Maule, consist wholly of a marble striped with 

 bandsof various colours, which have a beautiful 

 appearance. The variegated marbles are the ash- 

 coloured with veins of white, yellow, and blue ; 

 the green speckled with black ; and the yellow 

 with irregul.ir spots of green, black, and grey. 

 This last is found at St. Fernando, the capital 

 of Calchagua ; it is in high estimation, is easily 

 wrought, and becomes harder from exposure to 

 the air. The Chilian marbles are generally of 

 an excellent quality, and take a fine polish. 

 Several who have examined the interior Andes, 

 have informed me that those mountains abound 

 with marbles of various kinds, and of almost 

 all colours; but their ohservations were too 

 superficial to ailbrd me a correct description. 



In the plains near the %'ity of Coq[i|imbOj at 



