276 Scientific Intelligence. 
have occasioned the death of the animals themselves. The Quebrada of 
Murco trends from the northwest to the southeast, and consists, as far as 
in view, of sandstone and black schist. Fifty ranchos (huts of straw or 
stone) are occupied b the natives in charge of their herds, and this is all 
the population. They cultivate Indian corn, poor peaches, together with 
the Chilea (Eupatoria resinosa) a shrub that grows abundantly and which 
dug into the ground makes an excellent fertilizer ~ four to six cua- 
dras from these vidal on the banks of a strea m which is impassable in 
the rainy season, there are some beds of coal in the slate, which dip to 
the north, the strike east-southeast and west-northwest. They are ex- 
plored at the surface for a breadth of some — and are associated with 
ironstone and pyrites. I have observed other beds near, which a 
to be of better quality. One explored under the direction of M. 
has a breadth of more than a yard, and the coal has been tried in che Pae 
cific steamers. It is carried to Arequipa, 15 to 16 leagues, for the forges 
there in operation. I believe that it will soon be employed in the valleys 
of Siguas and Vitor for the distillation of wine. 
In the valley of Mages, near the property of petaeirett I have found 
in a limestone a small and nearly Ait oe bed of coal which I have left 
to ced ste he to explore. In the Quebrada of the warm springs of 
Yur, agues north of sein I found, in 1827, coal im a 
blackish achat like that of Compuerta, on the road from that village 
uno. ere are said to other beds at Esquino, on the route 
from Moquega, and at Morro on the way from Sama. From the nature 
of the beds, coal may yet be found near Arica. There are still other 
places in La Costa or the Coast Region, where it may be found. 
Peru is not destitute of beds of mineral coal. But o owing to the 
great a pt paying 20 to 25 dollars a to 
7. Waters of Lake Ooroomiah ; by Howxs Wirt, (Phil. Mag. [4], xi, 
257 )—The a of Lake Ooroomiah examined, were collected by 
W. K. The lake, he says, is “about 82 miles in Lee Be 
24 wide, its height being 4100 feet above the level of the 
ter is of a deep azure color, but there is something etoendingly cain 
in its heavy stillness and want of life. Small fragments of Fuci, saturated 
with salt, and thrown ashore, form a ridge at the margin of the | 
and emit such a noxious effluvium under a hot sun as to produce nausea 
at the stomach. The sulphuretted hydrogen generated from the lake itself 
without doubt adds to this sensation. The water is intensely salt, and 
evaporates so rapidly, that a man, who swam in to bring me a bottle 
the shes r for analysis, on coming out was covered with particles of salt, 
and ne as white and ludicrous as though he had been thrown into 4 
flour tu 
The sample was taken from the lake at Guverjin Kalah, on the 
north-western shore, on the 14th of sa or 1852, the temperature of the 
water at the time being 78° F. at 11 a 
As | received it (the cork having en well secured by a coating of wax), 
the water still retained a strong smell of sulphuretted hydrogen, and was 
moreover supersatur carbonic acid, which it evolyed on being 
