SILVER SPAIN. 133 



Tangier expedition was a trick. He had taken the 

 army right over into Spain, and was righting with the 

 native chiefs who had always been the friends and 

 allies of Carthage. 



By a strange fortuity, Spain was the Peru of the 

 ancient world. The horrors of the mines in South 

 America, the sufferings of the Indians, were copied, so 

 to speak, from the early history of the people who 

 inflicted them. When the Phoenicians first entered 

 the harbours of Andalusia, they found themselves in a 

 land where silver was used as iron. They laded their 

 vessel with the precious metal to the water's edge, 

 cast away their wooden lead-weighted anchor, and 

 substituted a lump of pure silver in its stead. After- 

 wards factories were established ; arrangements were 

 made with the chiefs for the supply of labour, and the 

 mining was conducted on scientific principles. The 

 Carthaginians succeeded the Phoenicians and remained, 

 like them, ouly on the coast. 



It was Hamilcar's design to conquer the whole 

 country, to exact tribute from the inhabitants, to 

 create a Spanish army. His success was splendid and 

 complete. The peninsula of Spain became almost 

 entirely a Punic province. Hamilcar built a city 

 which he called New Carthage, the Carthagena of 

 modern times, and discovered in its neighbourhood 

 rich mines of silver-lead, which have lately been re- 

 opened. He acquired a private fortune, formed a 

 native army, fed his party at Carthage, and enriched 

 the treasury of the State. He administered the pro- 

 vince nine years, and then dying, was succeeded by 

 his brother, who, after governing or reigning a few 

 years, also died. Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar, 

 became Viceroy of Spain. 



