NOTES—CuUYUNI GOLD MINING DISTRICT. 87 
water however does not take long to run off, and very 
often a difficulty is experienced in maintaining a supply 
of water sufficient to condu& gold washing operations at 
their proper force. 
The gold appears to be very unevenly distributed on 
many of the claims and much disappointment has been 
experienced in working ground which prospeéted well 
but did not afterwards come up to expe¢tations. 
The conditions of labour appear to be the same as at 
the other gold digging centres in the colony, a noticeable 
feature everywhere being the improvemeut in the gene- 
tal health of the labourers as compared with the state of 
things six years ago. It is amusing to see a manager, 
lately,—very lately,—a mere labourer, going about his 
daily duties. Previous to attaining his new dignity he 
has never troubled about a coat nor boots, nor the work 
he performs, nor the supposed many snakes and wild 
animals and noxious inseéts in the bush; but now he 
must always wear a coat, boots and gaiters, and also 
always have a breech-loading gun in his hands; some 
even aspire to a companion constantly with them in 
going from one place toanother. Occasionally serious 
accidents arise from this pra¢tice of carrying loaded 
firearms. On my way up, I learned that a quondam 
manager had had to postpone his trip, after proceeding 
a short way up the river, owing to his having acciden- 
tally, of course, but not the less carelessly, put a rifle 
bullet through the shoulder of one of his boathands. 
Another serious accident happened to aman who had one 
of his hands shot to pieces by the gun of his companion. 
This same individual began his gold digging career in an 
unfortunate manner by being lost for nearly forty days 
