52 



CHILI. 



aware that, in consequence of the increased trade 

 of the country, the price of copper had of late 

 years been nearly doubled ; and he naturally felt 

 entitled to share more equally in this advantage. 

 But the habilitador, who was not in want of mo- 

 ney, was in no haste to close the bargain, and was 

 deaf to this reasoning : at length, the poor miner, 

 rather than sell his little farm and become a beg- 

 gar, agreed to the hard terms offered him. 



The mine being again in action, copper was 

 produced in abundance ; all of which was deliver^ 

 ed to the capitalist, who lost no time in sending 

 it to Guasco ; where he sold it for twelve or thir- 

 teen dollars per quintal, clearing thereby, at once, 

 four or five dollars upon every eight of expendi- 

 ture. But his gains did not stop here ; for, as 

 he had to provide the miners with food, clothing, 

 and tools, he made his own charges for these, 

 which being a capitalist he could afford to pur- 

 chase in wholesale, while he took care to distri- 

 bute them at very advanced prices at the mine. 

 In the payment of the workmen's wages, he also 

 contrived to gain materially. By established re- 

 gulations, it is settled, that, for every pair of 



