Peru — Its Resources and Development 317 



This animal possesses characteristics 

 greatly superior to those of the original. 

 The wool is of better quality and of 

 longer staple. It is as long as that of the 

 alpaca and as smooth and silky as that 

 of the vicuna. The animal is easily do- 

 mesticated. Today the raising of the 

 paco-vicuna is one of the most important 

 industries to be developed. 



The llama is of large size (6^ feet 

 high from the sole to the head) and the 

 body is covered with a rough wool. It 

 has existed in a state of domesticity 

 from the earliest times. The Indians 

 used it as a beast of burden many cen- 

 turies before the arrival of the Spaniards. 

 It is a precious animal in every sense of 

 the word. It possesses the power of walk- 

 ing whole days with a burden of ioo 

 pounds. This weight appears to be its 

 normal burden, as if exceeded by only 

 a few pounds the animal falls down as 

 if to demonstrate that it is overburdened. 

 As it takes its food while walking along, 

 its pace is necessarily slow. It is so 

 obedient that there is no need to use a 

 stick. They are usually employed from 

 the age of three years, and can be worked 

 up to twelve years of age. 



About 60,000 bales of wool are pro- 

 duced annually, nearly all of which 

 come from Cuzco and Puno. 



Peru is above all a mining country. 

 The eminent naturalist, Raimondi, in 

 his book, "Minerals of Peru," says: 

 ' ' The abundance and diversity of min- 

 erals that exist in Peru are truly pro- 

 digious. They are found in every one 

 of its regions." 



For hundreds of years the great min- 

 eral wealth of Peru has been known to 

 the civilized world. The extent and 

 variety of the deposits are such that it is 

 practically impossible to mention the 

 mineral that does not exist there, and 

 most of them in abundance. The new 

 mining code, containing the most liberal 

 laws, will give still greater impetus to 

 the progress of mining in Pern. The 

 exploitation of the mining industry is 



entirely open to all comers, without dis- 

 tinction of nationality. The only min- 

 ing tax is the half-yearly payment of 

 $7.50 per claim. Each claim measures 

 about 10 acres. Up to June 30, 1902, 

 6,380 claims had been registered in the 

 " Padron General de Minas." 



The importation of machinery, im- 

 plements, and tools for mining purposes 

 is duty free, as is also that of coal, dyna- 

 mite, timber, quicksilver, and also roll- 

 ing stock and all materials for use in the 

 construction of railways. 



In writing of the Peruvian miners, 

 Mr E. Lane, C. E., English mining 

 engineer, says: "In comparing the 

 labor of the Cholos or Indians with that 

 of the Anglo-Saxon labor, the opinions 

 differ much. The average daily rate of 

 pay for the Cholo laborer is from 50 to 

 75 cents. The writer has come to the 

 conclusion that as regards the relative 

 cost of the work, there would not be 

 much difference between them and the 

 more highly paid Anglo-Saxon. Most 

 of the skilled labor is done by foreigners 

 or]by people of foreign extraction. The 

 Indian of the Sierra is mild and in- 

 offensive, willing to work, and easy to 

 manage." 



Gold is found on the coast region of 

 Peru, in veins of ferruginous quartz. 

 In the mountainous districts of the 

 Sierra it is present both as alluvial and 

 in lodes, associated with silver and cop- 

 per. On the Montana gold is found in 

 the alluvial deposits along the slopes of 

 the valleys, also in the rivers, and in the 

 numerous veins crossing the formation 

 of silurian rocks, which predominate in 

 this vast zone. On the coast the richest 

 region in gold is Camana ; in the Sierra, 

 in Huanuco, Aymaraes, Cotabamba, 

 etc., and in the Mantana, in Pataz, Pau- 

 cartambo, Sandia, and Carabaya. 



A number of companies possessing 

 modern machinery have been established 

 to work these gold mines, among which 

 the Inca Mining Company of Bradford, 

 Pa., is prominent. 



