70 



MINERALOGY. 



CONDITION OF THE MINERS OF PERU. 



The following correspondence, addressed to the Acade- 

 mical Society of Lima, tends to throw much light on the con- 

 dition of the Peruvian miners, and on the internal economy 

 of the mines. The first letter is from an individual of the 

 above profession, who stiles himself Egerio Chrysoforo, and 

 is to this efFedl. 



"Mexico has constantly flourished by her mines; while 

 Peru can scarcely maintain herself by hers, notwithstanding 

 they are richer and more numerous. This diversity of suc- 

 cesses, in the same order of causes, proceeds solely from the 

 different estimation in which the pursuit is held in each of 

 these kingdoms. In Mexico, a merchant, or an adventurer, 

 advances, on the bare word of the miner, from fifty to a hui^j- 

 dred piastres, towards the exploration of a mine, and receives, 

 without abandoning the speculation, the information that thp 

 vein has been missed. In Peru, on the other hand, an habili- 

 tador^ has scarcely advanced a sum of ten or twelve piastres, 

 if he can even be prevailed on to supply so much, than he 

 wishes both the miner and his mines to be ground in the mill 

 for the pulverization of the ores, to the end that the pina maj 

 be secured to him, and his eventual profits ascertained. "i» 



The enemies of the body of miners seek to justify thert» 



\ \ . J ' I 



* The kabilhadores. are speculators who establish themselves in the vicinity of the 

 mines, to make advances to the miners. They are repaid in the p'ma, that is, the 

 silver, after it has been freed from the mercury with which it was amalgamated, 

 without having been fused. 



selves 



