75 



provinces likewise produce excellent iron^ and I 

 have been as:^iircdby aninielligcnt Biscayan smith, 

 that it was no way inferior to tiie best in Spain. 

 In the same coiiiitry lias likewise been discovered 

 a species of that mineral substance called rcfrac- 

 tarias ; and there is scarce a province that does 

 not contain a mine of load-stone : Frazicr speaks 

 of a mountain in the Andes^ called St. Agnes^ 

 which is entirely composed of this substance. 



If the Chilians have neglected the working of 

 mines in general^ this cannot be said of those of 

 gold^ silver^ andcopper^ to which great attention 

 has been paid, from the conquest to the present 

 time. The richest mines of the latter are found 

 betwixt tlie 24tli and 36th degrees of latitude; 

 the ore obtained from them is of various qualities, 

 some very fine and some but indifferent. Ulloa, 

 in speaking of this copper generally^ assigns to it 

 the second place after that of Corinth, which is 

 properly considered as an artificial metal.* Al- 

 most all the copper in Chili contains a greater or 

 less proportion of gold. This was v,'ell known to the 

 French, who, in the beginning of thepresent cen- 

 tury, carried on a profitable commerce with that 



* In tlie province of Coqulnibo all kinds of metals are so 

 common, that it would seem as if the oailh was entirely com- 

 posed of mineral. In that province are those mines of copper 

 which supply the consumption of Chili and feru, and althoujli 

 it is con->ii!ore(l as the best of anv hitherto known, it is di;<r 

 very 5p;trir;:;y. Awxrican Cjaze:uer: irticle CiiiLi. 



