m 



the white, and the true lapis lazuli and among 

 the variegated, the grey spotted with black, the 

 whitish interspersed with yellow and blue, and the 

 yellow marked with blue, red and grey spots. Be- 

 sides the pieces of rock crystal found in all parts 

 of the country, blocks of it are obtained from the 

 Cordilleras of a size sufficient for columns of six or 

 seven feet in height. They also contain great quan-, 

 tities of coloured crystals, or spurious precious 

 stones, resembling in appearance rubies, jacinths, 

 diamonds, Sic. Not many years since a real topaz 

 of a very large size, was found in the province of 

 St. Jago, and a beautiful emerald at Coquimbo. From 

 time to time the rivers wash down Vv^ith their sands 

 various kinds of precious stones, particularly rubies 

 and sapphires, which, though small and of little value, 

 fully prove that the mountains producing them con- 

 tain those that are of great worth. But the indolence 

 of the inhabitants, which induces them to neglect 

 many other important branches of commerce, has 

 hitherto prevented them from attending to this, not- 

 withstanding it might become of the utmost im- 

 portance. 



A little hill at the north east of Talca: consists 

 almost entirely of amethysts. Some arc found en- 



* In the plains of Copiapo, are also great quantities of load- 

 stone, and of lapis lazuli, which the inhabitants consider as cf 

 no value. These mines are at the distance of fourteen or fifteen 

 leagues from Copiapo, and in the vicinity of a tract of countr/ 

 ;ibounding in mines of Itad.—Frazier^s Voyage, vol. i. 



The lapis lazuli, according to the ojiirdons of the best informed 

 mineralogists^ belongs to the gc?iiis of zeolites Fr. Trans. 



I 



