ExpoKTS OF Peeu. 439 



$70 a quintal. Yicuna wool brings $100 a quintal; but 

 little is exported. The sheep's wool of Peru (" cholo ") i^ 

 of middling quality, inferior to the "mestizo" of the Ar- 

 gentine Republic. It brings twelvepence in England. It 

 is exported (20,000 quintals a year) from Arica and Islay. 



About 4000 goat -skins are exported annually to the 

 United States from Payta, and a few chinchilla-skins from 

 Arica. 



Silk, — Peru is admirably adapted for the cultivation 

 of the mulberry and the castor-oil plant, and the two spe- 

 cies of silk-worm which feed upon them. Three, four, and 

 even five crops of eggs could be produced annually. 



Minerals. — Arica, being the main port of Bolivia, ships 

 the most metal, especially bar silver (at $12 04 per mark), 

 copper barilla or powdered ore (at $18 a quintal of 70 per 

 cent.), and tin barilla (at $19 a quintal of 70 per cent.). 

 Cinnabar abounds at Huancavelica and Chonta in a Juras- 

 sic slate and sandstone. Pacasmayo and Chimbote will 

 ere long export considerable siher ore and bituminous 

 coal, the latter having been discovered of excellent quality 

 and in large quantity near the line of the Chimbote Rail- 

 road. Coal occurs also near Arequipa (Sumbay), near 

 Pisco, and on the Oroya Railroad, the last resembling 

 Rhode Island anthracite. The want of coal and wood has 

 prevented the smelting of ores to any extent in the coun- 

 try hitherto. An English firm has lately established a fur- 

 nace on the island of San Lorenzo, opposite Callao. Iron 

 ore is abundant in Jauja, Cuzco, and Puno. 



Besides these exports, Tumbez yields petroleum ; Huan- 

 chaco, starch ; Quilca, olives ; and Amotape (near Payta), 

 cochineal. Orchilla (or archil) was formerly sent from 

 Payta; but a better article has recently been found on an 

 island off Mexico. In times of scarcity it is worth 

 a ton. 



