July, 1835. 



QUIQUE. 



443 



manner firewood, and of course every article of food, is 

 imported. Very few animals can be maintained in such a 

 place : on the ensuing morning I hired, with difficulty at the 

 price of four pounds sterling, two mules and a guide to take 

 me to the saltpetre works. These are the present support of 

 Iquique. During one year the value of one hundred thou- 

 sand pounds sterling was exported to France and England. 

 This saltpetre does not properly deserve to be so called ; for 

 it consists of nitrate of soda, and not of potash, and is there- 

 fore of much less value. It is said to be principally used in 

 the manufacture of nitric acid. Owing to its deliquescent 

 property it will not serve for gunpowder. Formerly there 

 were two exceedingly rich silver-mines in this neighbour- 

 hood, but they now produce very little. 



Our arrival in the offing caused some little apprehension. 

 Peru was in a state of anarchy ; and each party having 

 demanded a contribution, the poor town of Iquique was in 

 tribulation, thinking the evil hour was come. The people 

 had also their domestic troubles ; a short time before, three 

 French carpenters had broken open the two churches, during 

 the same night, and stolen all the plate : one of the robbers, 

 however, subsequently confessed, and the plate was reco- 

 vered. The convicts were sent to Arequipa, which, though 

 the capital of this province, is 200 leagues distant: the 

 government there thought it a pity to punish such useful 

 workmen, who could make all sorts of furniture ; and accord- 

 ingly liberated them. Things being in this state, the 

 churches were again broken open, but the plate this time 

 was not recovered. The inhabitants became dreadfully 

 enraged, and declaring that none but heretics would thus 

 " eat God Almighty," proceeded to torture some EngUsh- 

 men, with the intention of afterwards shooting them. At 

 last the authorities interfered, and peace was established. 



July 13th. — In the morning I started for the saltpetre 

 works, a distance of fourteen leagues. Having ascended the 

 steep coast mountains by a zigzag sandy track, we soon came 

 in view of the mines of Guantajaya and St. Rosa. These 



