SOUTH AMERICAN LOCALITIES. 23 



Peroz-Rosales,' the Indians of the present day extract quicksilver from cin- 

 nabar in small, rudely made, earthen retorts (cornues en terre) and supply 

 the demand of the gold mines of the region. Has this industry survived 

 among- the natives from the time of the Incas ? It might also l)e asked what 

 connection, if any, existed between the primitive furnaces of the Indians 

 and the aludels of the Bustamente furnace which was invented at Iluanca- 

 velica in 1G33 b}' Lope Saavedra Barba, a physician and prospector. 



Native quicksilvei is found in the pores of a trachyte at Ayaviri, de- 

 partment of Puno," and tliis is the most southerly locality in Peru of which 

 I have irotes. 



Bolivia. — It is stated that cinnabar is among the ores of Bolivia and 

 that quicksilver is frequently found associated with silver ores.^ 



Chili. — Mr. Crosnier, in discussing the deposits of Cliili and Peru (loc. 

 cit), remarks that deposits of mercury appear to occur inditferently in 

 stratified rocks and in granite. The Punita mine, in Chili, is in the -latter. 

 According to Mr. Resales (loc. cit.) cinnabar occurs in the northern prov- 

 inces, especially near Andacollo, in the province of Coquimbo. Near the 

 town of Chili* cinnabar is found in dendritic forms, inclosed in quartz. 

 Amalgams are well known to be frequent in the Chilian precious metal 

 mines, especially at Arqueras. 



The Argentine Republic. — It lias becu asscrted that traces of mercury have 

 been found in the sandstones at La Cruz and at Santo Tome. Professor 

 Stelzner'' regards this occurrence as extremely problematical. These local- 

 ities lie in the northeastern part of the republic. The northwestern corner 

 of the country, adjoining portions of Peru and Chili known to contain mer- 

 curial ores, does not appear to have been explored to any considerable 

 extent. 



Brazil. — There is no doubt that quicksilver occurs in southern Brazil, 

 but the information concerning it is very indefinite and probably in part 

 erroneous. In 1865 Dr. Bosquet, a resident of Paranagua, stated that at 



' Essai sur le Chili, 1857, p. 166. 



'G. vom Rath, loc. cit. lu view of the iuvestigatious of later years on the supposed trachytes of 

 the Pacific Slope, it is not improbable that the two mercurial lavas of Peru are really andesites. 

 'J. A. Phillips: Ore Deposits, p. 6iO; Keith Johuston : Eacyc. Brit., article Bolivia. 

 *Xon;gerath, loc. cit. I caunot flud such a town on the maps. 

 sQeol. nnd Pal. Arg. Rop., Ihifl.'., p. 249. 



