370 
NORTHERN CHILE 
CHAP. 
live here at the height of only three or four thousand feet : it 
can scarcely be the trifling diminution of temperature, 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 in 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 quantities 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 
useless 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, “ Let 
us see which rolls farthest.” The owner, who was standing by, 
bet a cigar with his friend on the race. The miner by this 
means watched the very point amongst the rubbish where the 
stone lay. In the evening he picked it up and carried it to 
his master, showing him a rich mass of silver-ore, and saying, 
“ This was the stone on which you won a cigar by its rolling 
so far.” 
May 23 rd. — We descended into the fertile valley of 
Coquimbo, and followed it till we reached an Hacienda 
belonging to a relation of Don Jose, where we stayed the 
next day. I then rode one day’s journey farther, to see what 
were declared to be some petrified shells and beans, which 
latter turned out to be small quartz pebbles. We passed 
through several small villages ; and the valley was beautifully 
cultivated, and the whole scenery very grand. We were here 
near the main Cordillera, and the surrounding hills were lofty. 
In all parts of Northern Chile fruit-trees produce much more 
abundantly at a considerable height near the Andes than in 
the lower country. The figs and grapes of this district are 
