328 



SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES EEGIONS. 



years later Rivero estimated at 36,000,000 tons tlie accumulated contents of the 

 beds; those covering the three Chincha Islands to a thickness of from 60 to 100 

 feet alone represented some 23,000,000 or 24,000,000 tons. It was expected that 

 such treasures would last over a century. But the deposits, of a yellowish-grey 

 above, of a blackish-red below, rapidly disappeared under the pick and shovel 

 of the thousands of hands, nearly all Chinese, South -Sea Isliinders or convicts. 



Fig. 126. — Aeequipa Geajjient. 

 Scale 1 : 2,000,000. 



West dr vjreenw ch 



m 



Oto50 

 Fathoms. 



Depths. 



50 to 500 

 Ifathoms. 



500 Fathoms 

 and upwards. 



employed on the works. The wretched coolies perished in multitudes, having 

 little food except the birds which they captured at night by holding out lanterns 

 at the entrance of their roosting- places. 



The Peruvian Grovernment, owner of the giianeras, and the speculators of all 

 nations who acted as its intermediaries with the European buyers, saw in this 

 industry nothing but present profits from a turn-over exceeding £4,000,000 

 yearly. Sale prices rising to thirty times the cost of production left the directors 



