MINERALOGY. 



59 



huasi, the only mines which had been discovered at that time 

 were of silver. They were nineteen in number, and were all 

 of them successfully wrought. . 



In the intendency of Arequipa, with its dependency of 

 Caylloma, one mine of gold, and seventy-one of silver were 

 wrought. Of the former metal four mines had been aban- 

 doned ; and of the latter, twenty-eight. 



In the intendency of Guantajaya, with its dependency of 

 Tacna, one mine of gold, and twenty of silver, were wrought ; 

 at the same time that no less a number than nineteen of 

 the former metal had been abandoned. Thirty mines of silver 

 were in the latter state. 



In the intendency of Huancavelica, with its dependencies 

 of Castrovirreyna and Lircay, one mine of gold, eighty of 

 silver, two of quicksilver, and ten of lead, were worked. Two 

 of gold, and two hundred and fifteen of silver, were in an 

 abandoned state. The multiplicity of unserviceable silver 

 mines may be accounted for by the abundance of water, in the 

 distridls in which they are situated, having gained on them 

 from time to time, so as at length to have choked them com- 

 pletely. 



From the above statement it results, that in the eight inten- 

 dencies into which the viceroyalty of Peru is divided, there 

 were, in the year 179 1, sixty-nine serviceable mines of gold, 

 seven hundred and eighty-four of silver, four of quicksilver, 

 four of copper, and twelve of lead ; at the same time that 

 twenty-nine gold, and five hundred and eighty -eight silver 

 mines had, by various accidents and casualties, been ren- 

 dered unserviceable. In this statement the mines contained 

 in the kingdom of Quito, and in the viceroyalty of Buenos- 



I 2 Ayres, 



