61 



QÎ the quicksilver is a species of brownish clay, or 4 

 very brittle black stone ; in this the quicksilver i§ 

 found in great abundance in its natural state, in hori- 

 zontal veins, occasionally intersected by mineralized 

 mercury or cinnabar. That of Quillota is situated 

 in a very high mountain near Limache, and appear^ 

 to be as rich as the former. The quicksilver is mi* 

 neralized with sulphur ; its matrix is a calcarioils 

 stone, which would serve very well, as an interme- 

 diate substance, to retain the sulphur, if the mer- 

 cury were to be separated from it by a chemical 

 process. 



Sect. XII. Aietais.— The Chilians set little va^ 

 lue upon lead mines, although they possess those 

 that are of an excellent quality. No more of this 

 jîietal is dug than what is wanted in the foundries 

 for the melting of silver, or is employed for domes- 

 tic purposes. Lead is not only found in all the sil- 

 ver mines, but, in cubes of various sizes with the 

 galena or black lead, in mines of pure ore, or in- 

 termixed with spar of different colours. All the lead 

 mines contain either gold or silver, but in too small 

 a quantity to excite the attention of the miners. The 

 mines of tin, although excellent, are equally neg- 

 lected with those of lead. This ore is usually found, 

 in sandy mountains, not like other metals in con- 

 tinued veins, but under the appearance of black 

 stones, very brittle and heavy, of an unequal size 

 and irregular shape. In this state, the tin contains 9. 

 small portion of iron, mJneralized with a little arse- 



