72 



MINERALOGY. 



worth seven piastres three reals ; thus gaining eighteen per 

 cent, in the short space of three or four months, when the cre- 

 dit expires. They are, notwithstanding, loud in their com- 

 plaints, if the miner is in arrears in the smallest degree. Fur- 

 thermore, the latter requires, I shall suppose, two thousand 

 piastres for the current expences of his mine, and makes his 

 arrangement accordingly with the habilitador. In such a case, 

 the latter never supplies the whole of the sum at one time, but 

 in small proportions, accompanied by fair promises. Thus 

 it happens that the unfortunate miner is prevented from taking 

 advantage of the seasons and opportunities, in laying in his 

 supply of necessaries. But this is not all : of the two thou- 

 sand piastres I have supposed, the whole is not paid in specie, 

 but a great part in baize, and other commodities of a similar 

 nature, charged at a very high rate. As the miner is under 

 the necessity of distributing these commodities among his In- 

 dian labourers, the latter are, by the debts they contra6t, fre- 

 quently led to desert. He is thus not only defrauded, but de- 

 prived of their valuable services. 



" Finally, the reply to the two antecedent charges may be 

 reduced to the following propositions. Whenever impossi- 

 bilities shall be no longer expe6led from them, the condu6l of 

 the miners will be more corredl. Let them be treated with 

 equity and candour, and there will be few among them who 

 will fail in the pundtuality of their payments. 



" With respe6t to the accusation of prodigality, it can 

 only have been urged against us by those who confide in 

 the assertions of the colledtors, and obscure dealers in the 

 produce of the mines. Men mounted on mules, on which 

 they have wearisome journeys to perform over their grounds ; 



eternally 



