346 NORTHERN CHILE. [cHap. xvT. 
appreciated in England, namely, the absence of fleas! The rooms 
in Coquimbo swarm with them ; but they will not live here at the 
height of only three or four thousand feet : it can searcely be the 
trifling diminution of temperature, but some other cause which 
destroys these troublesome insects at this.place. The mines are 
now in a bad state, though they formerly yielded about 2000 
pounds in weight of silver a year. It has been said that ‘a per- 
son with a copper-mine will gain ; with silver, hemay gain; but 
with gold, he is sure to lose.” This is not true: all the large 
Chilian fortunes have been made by mines of the more precious 
metals. A short time since an English physician returned to 
England from Copiapé, taking with him the profits of one share 
in a silver-mine, which amounted to about 24,000 pounds ster- 
ling. No doubt a copper-mine with care is a sure game, whereas 
the other is gambling, or rather taking a ticket ina lottery. The 
owners lose great quantities of rich ores; for no precautions can 
prevent robberies. I heard of a gentleman laying a bet with 
another, that one of his men should rob him before his face. 
The ore when brought out of the mine is broken into pieces, and 
the useless stone thrown on one side. A couple of the miners 
who were thus employed, pitched, as if by accident, two frag- 
ments away at the same moment, and then cried out for a joke, 
‘¢ Let us see which rolls furthest.”” The owner, who was stand- 
ing by, bet a cigar with his friend on the race. The miner by 
this means watched the very point amongst the rubbish where 
the stone lay. In the evening he picked it up and carried it to 
his master, showing him a rich mass of silver-ore, and saying, 
‘“* This was the stone on which you won a cigar by its rolling so 
far.” * 
May 23rd.—W e descended into the fertile valley of Coquimbo, 
and followed it till we reached an Hacienda belonging to a rela- 
tion of Don Jose, where we stayed the next day. I then rode 
one day’s journey further, to see what were declared to be some 
petrified shells and beans, which latter turned out to be small 
quartz pebbles. We passed through several small villages ; and 
the valley was beautifully cultivated, and the whole scenery very 
grand. We were here near the main Cordillera, and the sur- 
rounding hills were lofty. In all parts of northern Chile, truit- 
trees produce much more abundantly at a considerable height 
