60 



CHILI. 



set competition quite at defiance, and by conclud- 

 ing such bargains only as produced moderate 

 profits, secure the whole produce of the mine 

 permanently, by making it the miner's interest 

 to go along with him. Such a principle is quite 

 foreign to the practice and ideas of the native ha- 

 bilitador, who, notwithstanding the great altera- 

 tion both in the extent and advantages of the 

 trade, cannot submit to smaller though more cer- 

 tain profits. In process of time, he must no 

 doubt consent to act as he has already been ob- 

 liged to do in part : but in the meanwhile, the 

 more active foreign capitalist has stepped in and 

 displaced him. 



The advantage which the merchant derives from 

 securing, in this manner, the constant produce of 

 the numerous mines similarly at his command, 

 consists in his being thus enabled to act with con- 

 fidence as an agent for the commercial houses of 

 the capital. The manner in which this branch of 

 trade is carried on is as follows : — Goods are sent 

 from England or Calcutta, adapted to the Chilian 

 market, and consigned to British or American 

 merchants resident in Santiago. The returns for 



