PRODUCTION  OF  NITRATE  OF  SODA  AT  IQUIQUE  (PERU).  267 
The  officineros,  as  a  body  (with  some  exceptions,)  are  a  reckless 
set  of  men,  wasteful  in  their  expenditure  and  careless  of  their 
promises.  Their  arrangements  with  their  laborers  are  also  bad  ; 
their  principal  ones,  the  barretero,  acendrador,  and  fondeador, 
being  paid  according  to  the  product  of  the  parada,  recrimina- 
tions are  ever  recurring,  and  not  unfrequently  leading  to  a  clos- 
ing of  the  works.  Another  thing  must  also  be  noticed — the  s 
great  amount  of  adulteration  that  has  taken  place  within  the 
three  past  years.  Rarely  a  cargo  leaves  that  is  better  than  5  per 
cent.,  some  even  7  to  10,  and  some  samples  assayed  have  shown 
as  much  as  30  to  50  per  cent,  of  foreign  matter.  The  adultera- 
tion is  effected  in  two  ways;  in  one,  white  "  caleche  "  is  ground 
and  mixed  with  the  refined  nitrate, — this  is  called  green  nitrate  : 
the  other,  the  powdered  "  caleche,"  is  mixed  into  the  solution, 
and  at  once  put  into  the  coolers, — this  is  dirty  nitrate.  This  is 
in  some  measure  protected  by  the  present  state  of  the  trade. 
Merchants  in  England  purchase  from  the  importer,  and  get  a 
deduction  from  him  corresponding  to  the  amount  of  foreign 
matter  in  the  article ;  but  as  the  general  sales  are  made  without 
any  deduction,  then  the  worst  cargoes  are  the  most  profitable  to 
the  merchants. 
The  province  has  not  been  thoroughly  surveyed ;  but  enough 
"  caleche  "  has  been  discovered  to  yield  an  increased  supply  for 
ages.  In  May,  1856,  there  were  about  100  officinas  at  work, 
with  about  250  paradas ;  but  the  work  is  not  constant,  240  days 
is  a  good  year's  work.  The  principal  sales  of  this  article  are 
made  in  Valparaiso,  on  the  usual  terms,  viz.,  ore  well  sacked, 
not  to  contain  less  than  95  per  cent,  of  nitrate  placed  in  the 
ship's  launch  outside  the  surf.  The  price  has  been  very  fluctuat- 
ing, commencing  at  18  reals,  rising  to  20  reals,  falling  to  16 
reals,  and  then  in  four  months  rising  to  23  reals,  but  taking  an 
average  price  of  19  reals,  936,719  quintals,  with  the  exchange 
at  46  dollars,  would  give  426,402Z.  5s.  lOfd.  The  other  salts 
found  in  the  province  are  chloride  of  sodium,  biborates  of  lime 
and  soda,  sulphates  of  lime  and  soda,  magnesian  alum,  &c.  Iodine 
exists  with  the  nitrate,  and  throughout  the  calecheros  traces  of 
boracic  acid  have  been  found  in  the  water. — Chem.  News,  London, 
Jan.  18,  1862,  from  the  Report  of  H.  B.  M.  Consul 
