262 PERU. 



amalgam is formed ; it is then put into a vessel, and stirred with watei 

 until the earth mixes with it, and the water being poured off, leaves the 

 amalgam, whence the mercury is finally evaporated. 



The ore appears to be taken almost entirely from the surface. It is 

 poor, and the mines do not yield much profit. There are many old 

 veins that have been extensively worked, but owing to their depth have 

 been abandoned. 



The superintendent arrived after a while ; he proved to be an English 

 miner (Mr. 11. Bevan), who had been twenty years in the country. He 

 was delighted to see our party, saying that an American and English- 

 man were all the same in Peru, and that he had not heard his own 

 language spoken for two years. He informed them that the old 

 Spaniards had worked the mines cheaper than any one has been able 

 to do since. They were large landholders, and contrived to keep them- 

 selves in debt to their tenants ; this they always paid in manufactured 

 goods, very much in demand with the Indians who worked the mines, 

 thus making a double profit on the wages. At the present time the 

 mines are worked by Indians of a mixed blood, who have a language 

 of their own. They are much addicted to the use of coca (the leaf of 

 the Erythroxylon coco, which is mixed and masticated with " Quinoa?') 

 and without a supply of this leaf they will not work. 



Mr. Bevan took the party to the mine, which is some distance up 

 the mountain. Much difficulty was experienced in breathing the 

 rarefied atmosphere, and great fatigue in walking, so much so, that it 

 was necessary to stop every few steps to rest; and what was sur- 

 prising, Mr. Bevan and the Indians who accompanied them, appeared 

 to be more affected than any of the party. He assured them it was the 

 same, even with the Indians born on the spot, showing that neither 

 time nor other circumstances can acclimatize a constitution to this 

 elevated region. On reaching the mouth of the mine, they saw several 

 emaciated and ghastly-looking Indians seated near the entrance ; they 

 descended a few yards into it, but found that time would not admit of 

 the delay necessary to pass down to the places where they were at work ; 

 and wishing to devote their attention to the interesting region of botany 

 in which they then were, they gave up their purpose of descending. 



On no part of their journey did they find so many remarkable plants 

 as on this mountain ; for information respecting these, the reader is 

 referred to the Botanical Report. 



Towards the middle of the afternoon they returned to the hut, when 

 they determined to proceed to Bafios. Previous to leaving Alpamarca, 

 they had some difficulty with the guides, who were dissatisfied with 

 their bargain; it therefore required some management to prevent them 



