366 



CHARLES DARWIN 



America, the subsiding movements have been coextensive 

 with those of elevation, by which, within the same period 

 of existing shells, the shores of Peru, Chile, Tierra del 

 Fuego, Patagonia, and La Plata have been upraised — then 

 we can see that at the same time, at far distant points, cir- 

 cumstances would have been favourable to the formation of 

 fossiliferous deposits of wide extent and of considerable 

 thickness; and such deposits, consequently, would have a 

 good chance of resisting the wear and tear of successive 

 beach-lines, and of lasting to a future epoch. 



May 21st. — I set out in company with Don Jose Edwards 

 to the silver-mine of Arqueros, and thence up the valley of 

 Coquimbo. Passing through a mountainous country, we 

 reached by nightfall the mines belonging to Mr. Edwards. 

 I enjoyed my night's rest here from a reason which will not 

 be fully appreciated in England, namely, the absence of 

 fleas ! The rooms in Coquimbo swarm with them ; but they 

 will not live here at the height of only three or four thou- 

 sand feet: it can scarcely be the trifling diminution of tem- 

 perature, but some other cause which destroys these 

 troublesome insects at this place. The mines are now in a 

 bad state, though they formerly yielded about 2000 pounds 

 in weight of silver a year. It has been said that " a person 

 with a copper-mine will gain; with silver he may gain; but 

 with gold he is sure to lose." This is not true : all the large 

 Chilian fortunes have been made by mines of the more 

 precious metals. A short time since an English physician 

 returned to England from Copiapo, taking with him the 

 profits of one share of a silver-mine, which amounted to 

 about 24,000 pounds sterling. No doubt a copper-mine with 

 care is a sure game, whereas the other is gambling, or rather 

 taking a ticket in a lottery. The owners lose great quan- 

 tities of rich ores ; for no precautions can prevent robberies. 

 I heard of a gentleman laying a bet with another, that one 

 of his men should rob him before his face. The ore when 

 brought out of the mine is broken into pieces, and the use- 

 less stone thrown on one side. A couple of the miners who 

 were thus employed, pitched, as if by accident, two fragments 

 away at the same moment, and then cried out for a joke 



