104 



DUTIES ON SILVER. 



I had this statement from Mr. Jump. I did not examine it at the 

 time, but I observed afterwards that there is no charge for driving off 

 the mercury of the amalgam, and leaving the pure silver, which is 

 worth eight dollars and fifty cents the mark. This would amount to 

 six dollars more, leaving the profit to the purchaser, for the two months 

 that he has been engaged in getting his silver, but fourteen dollars. 

 This, of course, is but a poor business; for, though any quantity of the 

 ore may be purchased, there are not haciendas enough to grind, or circos 

 to amalgamate, a sufficient quantity to make the speculation good; and 

 thus many millions of this ore are left unworked. The ore, however, 

 rarely costs sixteen dollars, and will frequently give seven or eight 

 marks to the caxon. 



Statement showing the cost of a mark of silver placed on board ship 



for exportation : 



Cost of a mark of pina in the Cerro - - - - - $8 50 

 Impost for steam machines for pumping water from the mines. 



(This has been 12-J- cents, and soon will be 50 cents) - - 25 



Socabon (or great drain) duty 12-J 



Public works 6^ 



Government or export duty - - - - - - 50 



Mineral tribunal duty - - - 12-J- 



Loss in running the pina into bars 12 J 



Carriage to Lima, and other petty expenses - 6^ 

 Profit of the purchaser in the Cerro - - - - - 



10 12£ 



Twelve dwts. is the standard of pure silver in the mint at Lima. All 

 the bars that go from this place are marked 11.22. They are assayed 

 in Lima. If they come up to that standard they are worth $8. 6*746 the 

 mark. For every grain under this 11.22 there is a deduction in the 

 price of .0303 of a dollar. 



To-day there was a meeting of the gremio, to take into consideration 

 a question that had arisen whether the contractors for putting up the 

 steam machinery for draining the mines had fulfilled their part of the 

 contract. A short history of the draining of these mines may not be 

 uninteresting, and will at all events put persons on their guard how they 

 make' contracts with miners. 



The mines of Cerro Pasco were discovered in 1630, by an Indian 

 making a fire on some stones and observing melted silver. They were 

 worked, with little or no drainage, and with great success, up to the 



