Original Mxtitlt*'* 



JOHN MIEES. 



John Miers was born in London on the 25th of August, 1789. 

 His early years were spent in business with his father, who was a 

 jeweller. At this time he devoted much attention to scientific 

 pursuits, especially to chemistry. He carried on original investiga- 

 tions, and his first contributions to science were two chemical 

 papers, published in Thomson's * Annals of Philosophy ' in 1814, 

 on the composition of nitrogen, and on the experiments which he 

 conducted with the view of determining the constituents of nitrogen. 

 The zeal with which he prosecuted these investigations, and the 

 influence of Faraday and other chemists and physicists whose 

 acquaintance he made at this time, would have decided the line ol 

 his future labours, and the characteristics of careful observation 

 and persevering application which distinguished him in all his 

 pursuits, would, no doubt, have given him a high place among 

 the illustrious men who, during the early years of this century, 

 laid the foundations of the true science of chemistry, had it 

 not been for an unforeseen circumstance which altered the whole 

 future of his life. 



In the year 1818 Lord Cochrane (afterwards Earl of Dun- 

 donald), fretting at his enforced professional inactivity, resolved to 

 proceed to South America, and aid the Spanish colonies in that 

 continent to secure their independence. He believed that a high 

 future was before these struggling republics, and while his mission 

 was in the first instance to lead them in war, he made overtures to 

 Mr. Miers to join him in developing the reported mineral riches of 

 Chili. It was resolved to erect extensive machinery in Chili for 

 smelting, refining, rolling, and manufacturing copper into sheath- 

 ing. The inducements were powerful and alluring, and led to 

 sinking a considerable capital in the undertaking by the two pro- 

 moters. Copper of fine quality was said to be procured in 

 abundance from the mines of Chili, and could be purchased for 

 about half the price it bore in England. Nearly all the copper was 

 exported in a crude state, and as the copper sheathing used in 

 Chili was sent from England it appeared that a fortune might be 

 rapidly made by introducing improved machinery for the conversion 

 of the ore, and preparing the metal for the market in Chili. Mr, 

 Miers accordingly despatched a large quantity of machinery to 

 Chili in 1818 ; and in the beginning of 1819, when scarcely thirty 

 years of age, he set sail for South America, accompanied by his 

 wife, to whom he had been married a few months previously. 



In the end of March he reached Buenos Ayres, and immediately 

 started on the journey across the Pampas and over the Cordilleras 

 to Chili. The two volumes ' Travels in Chile and La Plata ■ 



n. s. vol.9. [Febkuaky, 1880.] f 



