66 
varied by large plains of salt * — (he nearest water in a natural state is in Pisagua 
14 legs. north of Iquiqui, from whence Iquiqui is supplied • — to the N. E. is 
a small rivulet at Jilivichi 22 leagues distant, to the east the river of Javapaca 
24 legs. and to the south the river of Loa -35 legs. by sea and 48 to 50 legs. 
by land > — < in the present day water is supplied to this mineral and Santa Rosa 
from wells sunk in the pampa where the salpetre is found 7 or 8 legs. distant 
and is brought on asses & mules in bags or odres made of the sinks of the 
Llama. * — • The water arrives in the minerals in a half putrid state add to 
wliich it is originally brackish, so that the privation and inconvenience respecting 
this article is extreem, it is sold in the mineral from 5 to 10 or 12 reales pr. 
odre or skin • — * weighing about 100 or 125 ®s at most * — this is the only 
supply of water both for man beasts as also for every domestic purpose 
and precludes the possibility of establishing works for the beneficio or smelting 
or amalgamation in or near the Mineral. 
The only plant in this part of the country is a species of Cactus called 
Cardon • — • and in the spring several kinds of flowers and grapes are scattered 
about the hill round wliich are only seen for about 2 months in the year and 
spring through the heavy fogs, wliich rise from the sea about the spring season • — 
these liills and this very scanty Vegetation is called Llanos and is generali all 
along the coast of Peru. • — • 
About 1778, 2 new minerals were discovered about 2 legs. to the 
south of Guantajaia • — • called El Carmen, which at first has been a source of 
great riches and still contains a considerable quantity of silver • — • the veins of 
Sa. Rosa are not so rieh as tliose of Guantajaia but are more constant as the 
riches of this latter mineral is found generally in accumulations of great richness 
called bolsones » — but these are soon cut through and either the silver entirely 
disappears or the ore is so poor that in this place it will not pay • — but if 
water and otlier necessaries were near hand and cheaper; still the now unpro- 
ductive ores would yield many thousand marc a year and good profit. • — 
The population in the year 1826 * — was in Guantajaia 280, in Santa 
Rosa 360 * — • and in Iquiqui 280 — • adults. 
Tliere is very little or no sulphur of sulphurised metals in these mine- 
rals . — the veins first sliew copper, which is very abundant all round about ■ — 
but the copper at a few yards below the surface is soon found to contain a more 
or less portion of silver, at a greater depth, say from 50 to 190 or more yards, 
the copper very often disappears but the vein of calcareous spar in which it and 
