68 



Mines about Paaco. 



PKRU. 



Casa Cancha — Depurtttn. 



The duties it pays «r« six dollars per bar of two 

 hundred am! t«-n nmn's to the usriiv miisUT, one 

 real per marc for the public works of the Cerro, 

 a n< I one real per marc to government. 



The mint price is eight dollars two marnvedis 

 per man- .if eleven pennyweights fine. 



Within three leagues of |W", on an extensive 

 plain, there stand* an isolated hill of porphyry, 

 railed Raeo. From this lull are rut the stones 

 used in grinding the ores, which are frnm two and 

 a half to three varnsiu diameter, and from eighteen 

 to twenty -in nr inches in thickness. The cost fur 

 delivering them at the foot of the hill is ten dollars 

 f..r even quarter of a vara in their diameter, and 

 the expense of drawing them to the mills varies 

 frmn seventy to two hundred dollars, according to 

 the distance *- 



In 1840 several new attempts were about to he 

 made in mining speculations. 



The great difficulty to secure suce< — seetiH to 

 be in providing for the proper drainage, which the 

 present ndit will not accomplish alone, and great 

 advontoges might he derived from steam-power, 

 properly employed, to free the mines of water. 

 The owners of the mine* are always desirous of 

 inserting in the contracts, that they shall not have 

 any water tn raise, as this is the most expensive 

 part of the process : the ore is very rapidly mined, 

 alter the water is drained off. The remuneration 

 given to the proprietors nf the steam-engines, is 

 one fifth of the ere raised ; this was the sum paid 

 to the old company, and the same wax stipulated to 

 he paid to the parties who undertook the MUM 

 work in 1821). 



MincB are to he bought at all times, nn reason- 

 able terms ; for the miners often desire to retire 

 from business, or w ish to sell for the sake of profit, 

 or ore uot able to carry them on from want of 

 capital. There is, however, one difficulty a pur- 

 chaser has to contend with, fur the mines are 

 almost always held in small share's among a num- 

 ber of relatives, many or whom refuse to sell their 

 small iuterest. This makes the urines less de- 

 sirable property, as difficulties almost invariably 

 occur with these small proprietors. 



No miner, who has worked with reasonable pru- 

 dence, steadiness, and a sufficient capital, has 

 failed to do well since the year IH33. The pro- 

 duce of the mines of the Cerro from that time, has 

 not varied much from one year to another, as will 

 be item by the table heretofore given. Tiio under- 

 takings which have been rarricd on upon an ex- 

 tensive scale, are those which have prospered most. 

 Tli'-iv wi re ninny difficulties that the lirsi mining 

 companies had to encounter, that others need not 

 again apprehend ; the local interests are Letter un- 

 derstood, and would bo more respected ; a better 



1 vv ledge of the people prevails, and of the modes 



of mining ; and the people themselves have lost 

 some of their prejudices against foreigners, per- 

 sons may now be obtained to assist in the direction, 

 as welt as to afford advice to the agents w ho may 

 be entrusted with the affaire of the company, so 

 that the prospects of success in the operations are 

 decidedly more favourable than they were fifteen 

 years ago. But although the actual operation of 



• Most of ihp above facts are derh-ed from a person who 

 had lung resided on the ipot, and been enffAtfed In various 

 mining operations. 



mining may he more advantageous, yet the country 

 in its publico] and commercial character has very 

 much deteriorated, and it is to be apprehended 

 that but little capital will be invested in it until 

 there is n great change in its rulers as well ns in 

 its people, and until government, the laws, and 

 good order, become as well established as they are 

 in Chili. All the friends of Peru seem, however, 

 to be well satisfied, from apj>ea ranees, that the day 

 is not far distant when she will see the restoration 

 of permanent tranquillity. 



To return, after this digression, to our parly : 

 they had much agreeable conversation with the 

 Chilian officers, and passed a pleasant evening. 

 As I have before spoken oT ihc accommodations, it 

 is needless in sin that they were not improved. 



On the mnrnitig of the 24lh the thermometer 

 stood at '.'•<> in the hot, and on the rivulet three 

 u.-is ice one-fourth of an inch thick. Mr. Praekeii- 

 ridge gathered seeds here of a curious sprcics of 

 cactus, which ^rnws plentifully all over the numn- 

 laim fa dense tufts j from the quantities of down 

 or line li.iit- upon it, it has the appearance at a dis- 

 tance of a white sheep, so much so lhat a group of 

 them was sometimes mistaken for a flock. 



Although Casa Concha was a wretched hove), 

 and had every thing in it to disgust, yet the situa- 

 tion was one oT great beauty. In the stream lhat 

 flowed near it were fish of from six to eight 

 inches in length, but none of these were taken, as 

 the party was not provided with fishing-tackle. 



When the time came for their de|mrture, they 

 were glad to bid adieu to the place, ami to begin 

 their asccul :<> the top of the ridge. They rode two 

 leagues to the Bnurre of the stream, which is near 

 the Hiitnmit of the ridge. At a short distance from 

 their path was the line of perpetual enow. They 

 found the ground hard frozen as the snow was 

 approached, and almost bare of vegetation, only a 

 few stunted spears of grass occurring here and 

 there ; even ibis appeared to be wanting in the 

 bare spots above the snow line. The snow was bat 

 a thin covering, its surface was hardened, and its 

 lower margin formed a perfectly unbruken horizon- 

 tal line along the face of the mountain. This was 

 not apparently the case on the other ridges, for the 

 snow lay there in hollows, and sometimes descended, 

 as before remarked, below the path. 



In the alpine laki s was a species of myriophyl- 

 him, the same as was met with at Culnai, three 

 thousand feet below. Dr. Pickering found an am- 

 monite here. 



They descended rapidly nn the western declivity ; 

 the scenery was beautiful, and they had enough 

 employment in collecting specimens. Two large 

 parlies were met on the route, the one of loaded 

 mules, the other of several genteel travellers, among 

 whom were females, accompanied by several ser- 

 vant?, well armed. In the afternoon they reached 

 a solitary hut, at a place called Chicrme, situated 

 at the font of La Vinda, and kept by an old woman 

 with one eye ; she proved very much the reverse 

 of their hostess at Casa Concha, being very cleanly ; 

 hen- they passed the night comfortably. 



A I- Yeiiehman, who was now passing for a native, 

 and was on his way to Pasco with Ins servant, 

 joined them at Chicrine. Heitig invited tn partake 

 of supper, he accepted, and did ample justice to 

 the meal ; but when he had finished, contrary to 

 the usual politeness of his countrymen, he told 



