74 



So plentiful is this metal in the country;, that, 

 as i have already observed^ the brooks and rivers 

 deposit great quantities of sand^, replete w'lih. 

 partieles of iron upon their shores^, the sea also 

 washes it up at times in great abundance. 



The provinces of Coquimbo^, Copiapo^, Acon- 

 cagua^ and liuilquilcmU;, are very rich in mines of 

 iron ; it is found under various appearances^ as 

 a black, a grey compact ore, or crystallized in 

 bluish cubes. From the essays that have been 

 made, the iron of these mines is of the very 

 best quality; but the working of it is prohi- 

 bited, in order to favour the trade of Spain, from 

 whence all the iron used in the country is brought. 

 But during the last war between England and 

 Spain, v,'hen iron was at an exorbitant price, seve- 

 ral quintals v. ere secretly wrought; which proved 

 to be of a superior quality. The Araucanian 



that, in consequence, it is so dear as to be sold in Peru at li;c 

 rate oi" a crown, and steel at a crown and a half lor the 

 pound \vei2;ht." 



The iron, iiowcver, so ninch decried by this author, wlio 

 supposes it to be American, is what is imported from Europe. 

 But supposins; hi . assertion to be true, for what pur])ose has 

 the Sj.:inisii government prohibited the working or sellijig any 

 iroii but liiat wliich is brouglit from Spain 1 



" In tile vicinity of Copiapo, be-ides tlie mines of pold, 

 iheve are n.ar.v of iron, copper, tin, and lead, that arc not 

 '.<>:i\erj." Aa:l in the year 1710, ii nunber of iuine= of ,11 

 h.'nds of mo'ial, such a? L'old, silver, iron, lead, copper, a lid 

 *. . w'-re (li'Tovercd at I.air.j.a-n'.e , /''(..~2V/-'.c f^ova^'", vol. i 

 J. 



