64 



MINERALOGY. 



State, it seemed as if this calamity was about to bury all the 

 riches of the mountain. The miners were obliged to scrape 

 together the little ore they could find at the orifices of the 

 mines ; but had the mortification to discover that it did not 

 repay the trouble and expence of refining. Those who were 

 interested now formed a jun6lion, and agreed to make an 

 opening in the inferior part of the mineral rock of Santa Rosa. 

 The execution of this plan was confided to Don Felix De 

 Jjurra, a very skilful miner, whose zeal, probity, and ex- 

 perience had already been evinced by several undertakings of 

 a similar nature in which he had been engaged. Amid the 

 difficulties which Nature opposed at every step, and what 

 was more, having to supply with his own private purse the 

 deficiencies of many of the subscribers, Don Ijurra at length 

 completed his undertaking, drained off' the water which had 

 found its way into the mines of Santa Rosa, and, in a man- 

 ner, gave new life to the whole of the mineral territory. The 

 prosecution of this scheme was aided by all the influence of 

 Don Francisco Cuellar, then governor of Tarma. The wise 

 provisions of Don Juan De Galvez, lieutenant-governor of 

 those provinces*, have perfe6led this task, as honourable to 

 the co-operators, as it has been useful to the state. 



With a view to drain off" the water, a new aperture has 

 been recently made, at a great expence, in the inferior part 

 of the mine of Lauri-Cocha. The expe6tations of the pro- 

 prietors are already in a great measure realized. The ores 

 of this very produ6live mine are cineritious, and of a colour 



* In 1792. 



inclining 



