94 



pulverized state, and in the form of little round 

 or lenticular grains. This gold is sold in the 

 cities in little purses,, inade of the scrotums of 

 sheep, as in the time of Pliny^ and is generally 

 more esteemed than that of the mines, as it is 

 of a better colour and a finer standard. 



The quantity of gold arnually dug in Chili 

 is difficult to be estimated. That called oro- 

 quintado, which pays the fifth to the royal trea- 

 sury, does not amount to less tha;n four millions 

 of dollars, of which there is coined at the mint 

 of St. JagOj a million and a half; the residue 

 is exported in bullion, or used in the country for 

 plate and jewelry. The amount smuggled with- 

 out paying the duty cannot be calculated, but it 

 certainly is very considerable. I have made 

 much search, but without success, to discover 

 the platina, or white gold, found in Peru,, 

 What bears the name of white gold in Chili is 

 a mixture of gold and silver, in which the latter 

 predominates. But since I left that country a 

 new inimallcable metal, of a kind unknown to 

 the miners, has been discovered in the gold 

 mine of Capati, on the mountains of Copiapo, 

 which I imagine can be no other than platina. 

 "^^^ Many obstacles present themselves to impede 

 tlie working of the mines, both in the danger to 

 which the miners are exposed from the mephitic 

 vapours, called mountain fires, and in the vast 

 expense attending the digging them. The great 



