^3 



more of this metal is dug than what is wanted in 

 the foundries for the melting of silver, or is 

 employed for domestic purposes. Lead is not 

 only found in all the silver mines^ hiiij in cubes 

 of various sizes with the galena or black lead, 

 in mines of pure ore^ or intermixed with spar of 

 different colours. All the lead mines contain 

 eitlier gold or silver^ but in too small a quantity 

 to excite the attention of the miners. The 

 mines of tin^ although excellent;, are equally 

 neglected with those of lead. This ore is 

 usually found in sandy mountains^ not like 

 other metals in continued veins^, hut under the 

 appearance of black stones^ very brittle and 

 heavvj of an unequal size and irregular shape. 

 In this statCj the tin contains a small portion of 

 iroU;, mineralized with a little arsenic. Crystals 

 of tin, of various colours^, are also common 

 throughout Chili. 



M. de Pauwj with a dash of his pen, has 

 driven out of this country all its iron mines, 

 since he boldly asserts that '' Chili does not 

 contain a single mine of iron/' But Frazier, 

 and otiier writers who have been in that country^ 

 declare the contrary.* 



*' In elder tlip more to depreciate America, Pauw asseil--, 

 that there are but lew iron mines in that quarter of the 

 world. And, uhat is still more sin!j;ular, that the iron pro- 

 cured from tlieiu is of very inferior quality to that of the old 

 continent, so much that it u ill doI aus-vev even for nails : and 



