GOLD OF CARABAYA. 



91 



expected a kicking from Rose, but she stood quietly. The blacksmith 

 wanted to buy her, and said she was worth more than she cost in Lima, 

 though mules are more plenty here. He charged four dollars for eight 

 shoes. The man's son held the mule ; his daughter handed him the 

 nails, and his wife cooked her chupe by the smithy fire. She makes 

 pottery and he silver spoons ; he is a Creole and she an Indian woman. 

 One spoon had a sharp-pointed handle. After breakfast, which came 

 in between the shoeing of Rose's fore and hind feet, the woman picked 

 her teeth with the sharp end of the spoon ; after which she used it as a 

 pin to hold on her shawl or manto, made usually of scarlet, blue, or 

 yellow coarse cloth, cut square, and sometimes ornamented with white 

 silk or silver thread. When cold, it is raised over the head, but gener- 

 ally covers only the shoulders. The blacksmith was very polite, and 

 seemed actively employed. His shop and house are in one, situated 

 near where the arrieros stop, so that he is constantly called upon for 

 shoes. He wanted to know if we were not Germans ! 



The silver mines of Palca, seven leagues to the westward of this 

 place, are profitably worked. There are no steam engines. Some of 

 the old mines contain water, but are said to be valuable. 



From Lampa to Crucero, the capital of the province of Carabaya, the 

 distance is thirty-one leagues in a northeasterly direction. From Cru- 

 cero there is a path through a rugged country, crossing mountain 

 streams, to the gold mines of Carabaya, situated in the wild woods on 

 the northeast side of the mountains, among which the tributaries of the 

 Madre-de-Dios take their rise. Gold was discovered and mines worked in 

 Carabaya many years ago ; of late, new discoveries have been made, and 

 more gold hunters seek their fortunes there. At the commencement of 

 the dry season three hundred Quichua Indians set out on foot, with 

 provisions and clothing upon their backs, from Crucero to the mines. 

 The road near the mines is too rough for a mule. These Indians are 

 employed to work the mines by Creole companies. 



The gold occurs in quartz and in veins of black dust, which is some- 

 times half gold, and also in grains among the sands of the river. I was 

 told one of the lavaderos or washings, called "Alta Gracia," worked from 

 May to December last year, by 150 men, produced one hundred and 

 twenty-five pounds of gold. 



Pavements are built in the beds of the streams five yards square, 

 which are overflowed in the rainy season, and the gold deposited to the 

 amount sometimes of five ounces, which is separated from the sand by 

 washing in the dry season. The men suffer somewhat from sickness 

 and exposure ; provisions are very -scarce, for every man has to carry 



