Domesticated South American Animals, fyc. 65 



The moulds are transferred to a furnace, where, by sublima- 

 tion, much of the remaining mercury is evaporated and 

 subsequently recovered, leaving the pure metal in somewhat 

 similar moulds to that of a small Cheshire cheese. These are 

 then sent to the Government Smelting Works, which are 

 conducted in a very free and easy style. When the furnace 

 has reduced the metal to a proper state, the crucible's molten 

 contents are poured into a rough mould, in which hay or 

 straw has been previously placed. At the moment of contact 

 the latter ignites, thereby producing a gas which I was given 

 to understand prevented splashing or bubbling of the metal, 

 which would otherwise ensue. After remaining a short time 

 in the mould, the bar is tossed over on the floor, and any 

 rough edges are well hammered whilst soft. Next follows the 

 cooling, as if it were a piece of iron in a blacksmith's shop. 

 Weighing and stamping with the progressive number, marks, 

 &c, of the revenue, weight and value, complete the whole, 

 and the bar is then ready for transmission to Lima, on the 

 backs of mules. 



These ingots are sent down the mountains without the 

 slightest protection, as the banditti know that they are of no 

 use to them in the state they are, and prefer occasionally 

 attacking the escort coming up to the mines with coin for 

 the payment of wages and purchase of metal. 



Art. VII. — On some Domesticated Animals of South America 

 which ivould be useful in Victoria. By P. Nisser, Esq. 



[Bead before the Institute, 22nd June, 1859.] 



For some peculiar reason the regions of Chili, Lower and 

 Upper Peru, but especially the latter, are the more favored 

 regions of the vast South American continent, where varieties 

 of animal tribes exist which have proved of great importance 

 to the original occupiers of that part of our globe. Previous 

 to the conquest and extinction of the great empire of Peru, 

 much care and attention was paid to the animals termed 

 by the Spaniards Peruvian sheep, but now known as the 

 Llama, Alpaca, and Vicuna. The Llama is the tallest and 

 most corpulent of the three, and is well known as having 

 been the only domesticated animal of burden in South 

 America previous to the conquest by the Spaniards. It was 



