of mountains. The usual course of the veins, though subject to some variations, is from south to north. "The mines are worked both with the pickaxe and by explosion. The ore is reduced to powder in a mill of a very simple construction, called trapiche, of which two stones, the lower placed horizontally, and the upper vertically, form the mechanism. The horizontal is about six feet in diameter, and has near its circumference a groove of eighteen inches deep, in which the ore is placed; through the centre passes a vertical cylinder connected with a cogwheel turned by water. The vertical stone is about four feet in diameter and ten or fifteen inches thick, and is furnished with a horizontal axis which permits it to turn freely within the groove. When the ore is sufficiently pulverized, a proportionate quantity of quicksilver is added to it, which is immediately amalgamated with the gold; to moisten the mass and incorporate it more fully, a small stream of water is then directed above it, which also serves to carry off the amalgam into reservoirs placed beneath the stone. The gold combined with the mercury falls to the bottom of these reservoirs in the form of whitish globules; the mercury is next evaporated by heat, and the gold appears in its true colour and in all its brilliancy. In each of these mills upwards of two thousand weight of ore is daily ground and amalgamated. "As the digging of the stone ore obtained from the mines is very expensive, from the number of workmen and the materials required, it is pursued only by the rich; but it furnishes a much greater profit than the lavadero, or the ore procured by the washing of auriferous sands, which is practised only by the poorer class, and those who cannot afford the necessary expenses for mining. The washing is performed in the following manner: The earth or sand containing particles of gold is put into a vessel of wood or horn, called poruna, which is placed in a running stream and constantly shaken; by this means the sand which contains no metallic particles, being lighter, is thrown out over the top, and the more weighty, or the gold, remains at the bottom. This operation is necessary to be repeated several times, in order to carry off all the ferruginous earth which is always united with gold. But as many of the smaller metallic particles must necessarily be washed away with the earth by this process, a mode, in my opinion, much more economical, is that employed in some places of washing the sand upon inclined planks covered with sheep skin. Defective as the process of washing is, the profit that accrues from it, is frequently almost incredible, as it is not unusual to find among the sand large pieces of gold, called pepitas, which sometimes exceed a pound in weight; but it is more commonly found in a pulverized state, and in the form of little round or lenticular grains. This gold is sold in the cities in little purses made of the scrotums of sheep, as in the time of Pliny, and is generally more esteemed than that of the mines, as it is of a better colour and a finer standard. "The quantity of gold annually dug in Chili is difficult to be estimated. That called oro-quintado, which pays the fifth to the royal treasury, does not amount to less than four millions of dollars, of which there is coined at the mint of St. Jago a million and a half, the residue is exported in bullion, or used in the country for plate and jewelry. The amount smuggled without paying the duty cannot be calculated, but it certainly is very considerable. I have made much search, but without success, to discover the platina, or white gold, found in Peru. What bears the name of white gold in Chili, is a mixture of gold and silver in which the latter predominates. But since I left that country a new immalleable metal, of a kind unknown to the miners, has been discovered in the gold mine of Capati, on the mountains of Copiapo, which I imagine can be no other than platina. "Many obstacles present themselves to impede the working of the mines, both in the danger to which the miners are exposed from the mephitic vapours, called mountain fires, and in the vast expense attending the digging them. The great number of tools, the timber required for propping the arches, which is very scarce and expensive in the country, the numerous workmen who must be paid and subsisted, together with the uncertainty of the product, are reasons which operate powerfully to discourage those who are inclined to engage in mining; of course, the number of those who pursue this business is very small in comparison to that of the mines. "When any persons are desirous of opening a mine, application is made to the government, which readily grants its permission and appoints an inspector, under whose authority and direction they begin by dividing the mine into three equal parts, or estacas, each two hundred and forty six feet long and one hundred and twenty-three broad. The first portion belongs to the king, in whose name it is sold, the second to the owner of the land, and the third to the discoverer of the mine. As the opening of a mine is very injurious to the cultivation of the land in which it is situated, the proprietors of the soil endeavour to prevent as much as possible the discovery of veins in their grounds. The number of persons who flock from all quarters to a newly opened mine that promises to be profitable, is almost incredible. Some come thither to work, others to sell their provisions, which at such times are in great demand; and in this manner a kind of fair is gradually established, which leads to the erection of houses, and finally to the formation of a permanent town or village. A magistrate, with the title of the Alcayde of the mine, is then appointed by the government to regulate and superintend it, and as this office is almost always very lucrative, the governor of the province generally assumes it, and appoints a deputy to manage it for his account. "The miners of Chili are in general well acquainted with metallurgy. They are expert in mining and in the art of assaying and refining metals; but their knowledge is wholly practical, and they are entirely ignorant of the theory or the real principles of the art. They are divided into three classes, the first those who labour in the mine, the second the founders and refiners, the third the porters or those who carry off the mineral. In general they are a bold, enterprising and prodigal class of men. Familiarized to the sight of the precious metals, they learn to disregard them, and attach but little value to money. They are extravagant in their expenses, and passionately addicted to gaming, in which they pass almost all their leisure moments; and instances are not unfrequent of a miner losing one or two thousand crowns of a night. Losses of this nature are considered by them as trifles, and on such occasions they gaily console themselves with a professional proverb, that "the mountains never keep accounts.' Nothing is more abhorrent to them than frugality, and whenever they find one of their companions who has amassed a sum of money by his economy, they leave no means untried to strip him of it, observing, that avarice is a vice peculiarly degrading to the character of a miner; and so addicted are they to ebriety, that those who on first joining them are remarkable for their abstemiousness, are soon led, from the influence of example, to participate in the general in temperance. From these causes none of them acquire property, and they generally die in the greatest poverty and distress, while the profits of their labour are wholly absorbed by those who supply them with provisions and liquor." Having given this ample account of the first volume, we proceed to the second. This is occupied with the Civil History of Chili, and therefore lies without the limits of our plan as reviewers. We may, nevertheless, observe, that it is divided into four books, and the matter of these regularly distributed into chapters. The first of these treats of the civil events from the traditions of the aborigines in the unknown ages of past time, to its conquest by the Peruvians under the Inca Yupanqui in 1450, and finally to the founding of the city of Conception by the Spanish conqueror Valdivia in 1550. The second book contains an account of the Indians of Arauco, a brave and martial race, who defended their rights like heroic freemen, and gave the Castilians uncommon resistance and losses. Their manners and customs, rites and ceremonies, and their progress in astronomy, medicine, oratory and commerce, are described. The third and fourth books are chiefly filled with a recital of the wars carried on between these resolute Araucanians and the invading Spaniards; which conflicts were so obstinate and destructive, that the Europeans at length were glad to conclude a peace with them upon honourable and advantageous terms, in 1773. A dissertation on the Chilian language, and a review of Ercilla's poem of Araucana, add very much to the literary value of this entertaining volume. A comparative view of the four projected coastwise canals, which are supposed to be in competition for the trade between Norfolk and North-Carolina. By William Tatham. Norfolk. O'Connor. 1808. 8vo. pp. 27. tance. HE inland navigation from one part of the United We have already given an enlarged account of that subject in our review of Mr. Gallatin's report. The author of the tract before us, has presented his observations to the public since the Secretary of the Treasury laid his report before the Senate of the United States. His object is to ascertain which is the preferable of the existing projects, for opening a communication by a canal, between the Sounds of North-Carolina and Chesapeakebay, by the route of Norfolk. The first of these is that which passes through the Dismal Swamp. It extends twentytwo miles from Deep Creek, a stream of the southern branch of Elizabeth river, seven miles above Norfolk, to Joyce's creek, a branch of Pasquotank. The second is that which connects Nansemond river at Suffolk with Bennet's creek, a water of Chowan river at Gates court-house; passing by the western margin of the Dismal Swamp, and extending a computed distance of thirty miles. The third is the Great Bridge Canal, a distance of nine miles, between the Great Bridge and the North river. The fourth and favourite project of the author, is what he terms the Kempsville Canal. The design of this is to leave Elizabeth river near that place, and run from thence to North Landing, which is a distance of eight miles on a straight line. It is contemplated too, to connect with this a lateral canal to Lynhaven river, for the passage of armed craft and market boats for the defence and supply of Norfolk. The particulars of this latter project have been detailed by Mr. T. in another pamphlet which appears to have been published about the same time, and at the same place.. This is entitled A View of the proposed grand junction canal designed to bring the commerce of North-Carolina to Norfolk by an inland navigation; together with a proposed lateral canal from Kempsville to Lynhaven river, &c. And it is sufficient for our purpose to state, that he urges various considerations with great force and zeal in favour of the preference he has given. |