266 PERU. 



people of Peru, notwithstanding they are surrounded with every thing 

 to make them comfortable, want the knowledge and industry to use the 

 advantages nature has given them. 



On the 23d they left Banos on their return. Notwithstanding their 

 horses had had some rest, their backs were in a shocking state, but the 

 sores did not seem to be regarded much by the guides, who applied 

 soap to them ; they scolded and blamed the English saddles, which 

 they called " Gallapagos turtles." 



The party had determined to make another visit to Alpamarca, but 

 the guides would not listen to it; giving as a reason that they should 

 have their horses stolen if they went. While this discussion was 

 going on, they met a person who informed them that the only persons 

 now there were Indians. As their only inducement to return was the 

 agreeable company they had left, they acceded to their guides' views, 

 and taking another direction, arrived at Casa Cancha in the afternoon. 

 At night some Chilian cavalry arrived, which caused great alarm among 

 the occupants of the huts and the guides, for fear of losing their horses, 

 a disaster which they said often occurred when such visiters came. 

 The commander proved to be a gentlemanly person, and rendered our 

 party much assistance* This party had left Pasco, the chief mining 

 place of Lower Peru, in the morning, and represented it as a place of 

 considerable trade, containing many foreign residents, including English, 

 American, French, and German. He stated that the Quichua language 

 was spoken there, and that the Spanish was not commonly understood. 



The town of Pasco is at an elevation of thirteen thousand feet, and 

 situated in the plain of San Juan, at the head of two ravines or gullies, 

 one called Rumiallana, leading to the northward, and the other 

 Huanuco, to the eastward, where the two great veins of Colquijirca and 

 Pariajirca unite. These are supposed to extend some seventy miles in 

 length, and the town of Pasco is situated at their junction, a plot of 

 which, taken from the survey of Mr. Trevithick, is given on the next 

 page. The part of the ground that has been broken up, and in which ores 

 have been found, is about half a mile in length in a north and south direc- 

 tion, and about one-fourth of a mile east and west. Within the whole of 

 this extent, ores have been mined of greater or less value, and the mines 

 formerly worked and now deserted are said to amount to upwards of a 

 thousand : some of these are represented on the plan by round marks. 



The town of Pasco is surrounded on three sides — northeast and 

 south by hills of blue limestone ; on the west the hills are of sandstone, 

 and on the southwest of a blue slate. Through the latter rock the adit 

 which comes up from the lake of Quilacocha has been driven, until it 

 reached the metalliferous ground in the district of Santa Rosa. All 



