' 
 
TRAVELS 
 
 FROM 
 
 BUENOS AY RES, 
 
 BY POTOSI, 
 
 TO 
 
 LIMA. 
 
 WITH NOTES BY THE TRANSLATOR, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 
 TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION'S OF THE SPANISH POSSESSIONS 
 IN SOUTH AMERICA, 
 
 J)ravnfrom the Last atid Best Authorities. 
 
 BY 
 
 ANTHONY ZACHARIAH HELMS, 
 
 FORMERLY DIRECTOR OF THE MINES NEAR CRACOW IN PQLA.V5, 
 
 AND LATE DIRECTOR OP THE MINES AND OF THE 
 
 PROCESS OF AMALGAMATION IN PERU, 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED FOR RICHARD PHILLIPS, 
 
 6, BRIDGE STREET, BI.ACKFRIARS. 
 
 1807. 
 Printed by J. C. Barnard, 57, Snow JJilf. 
 
IV INTRODUCTION 7 . 
 
 Accompanied by their families, a few negro ser- 
 vants, and a great number of German miners, they 
 sailed from Cadiz for Buenos Ayres ; and on the 29th 
 of October, in 17S9, the spring season in that part 
 of the globe, began their journey at first in car- 
 riages, and afterwards on horseback, by the com- 
 mon route of the post, in an oblique direction across 
 South America, through Tucuman and over the Cor- 
 dilleras, to Potosi and Lima ; an extent of way 
 amounting, from Buenos Ayres to Potosi, to 1700 
 miles, and from thence, through Cusco and Guan- 
 cavelica, to 1300 miles. 
 
 In Potosi the German commissioners remained 
 until the 30th of January 1791', and during their 
 residence endeavoured to dispel the incredible bar- 
 barism and ignorance that prevailed in the mint and 
 mining departments there. Helms, for his part, 
 erected a laboratory, in which he daily read lectures, 
 accompanied M'ith suitable experiments, to an au- 
 dience composed of officers of the mint and pro- 
 prietors of the mines ; and fully instructed six young 
 men in the science of metallurgy. Supported by 
 the governor, he succeeded in exposing the igno- 
 rance of the American overseers and officers of the 
 mines and mint ; although the latter counteracted 
 with all their might the royal commissioners, and 
 particularly Helms, by secret cabals and the basest 
 calumnies. In writing and in conversation they de- 
 cried the Germans as arch-heretics, German Jews, 
 and cheats; as men, in short, who, it was to be 
 feared, would corrupt the morals of the honest 
 miners and their overseers; and tried everv means 
 
INTRODUCTION. V 
 
 to render them suspicious to the proprietors of the 
 mines, fearing lest, enlightened by Helms and his 
 associates, they should examine too narrowly into 
 the conduct of their ignorant and roguish servants. 
 
 They even excited the Indian labourers against 
 them, by insinuating that the foreigners had come 
 solely for the purpose of working the mines by ma- 
 chinery, and would thus deprive them of the means 
 of subsistence. In this opposition they were en- 
 couraged and joined by a numerous band of mer- 
 chants in the principal cities; as Helms, in particu- 
 lar, spoke loudly against the enormous usury by 
 which they oppressed the workers of the mines, and 
 made every effort to put a stop to their rapacity. 
 
 Scarcely had Helms arrived in Lima, when, at the 
 desire of the intendant of Guancavelica, he was order- 
 ed to proceed to that celebrated quicksilver-mine, to 
 introduce there the Idrian furnaces. But in procur- 
 ing Helms this commission, the intendant, an old 
 Creole, who by pretended patriotic projects had 
 amassed a fortune of a million of piastres, had no 
 other end in view but to derive a profit from fur- 
 nishing the necessary building-materials, for which 
 he received more than four times their value: and 
 when Helms set his face against his nefarious pro- 
 ceedings, he had the address surreptitiously to pro- 
 cure an order from the viceroy to suspend the work. 
 Vexation at the unjust treatment he here met with, 
 threw Helms into a fever, which caused him to leave 
 Guancavelica. 
 
 Two other commissions which he received from 
 Lima to introduce a better method of working the 
 
VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 mines at Pasco and Bellavista, fifty miles from Li- 
 ma, proved equally fruitless; as the viceroy abso- 
 lutely refused any pecuniary assistance from the 
 funds appropriated to the promotion of the mines, 
 and would not permit him to raise the necessary sup- 
 plies by means of a loan. All he could obtain was 
 a commendatory epistle in praise of bis zeal. 
 
 He therefore resolved to leave Peru, a land mo- 
 rally and physically pernicious to him — where, in 
 the execution of the most dangerous and laborious 
 commissions, he was obliged to act, not only as a 
 director of the smelting-houses, but lijkewise as a 
 carpenter, smith, and mason. Accordingly, in the 
 beginning of the year 1793, he sailed from Callao, 
 the port of Lima, on board of a register-ship; and 
 after a passage of two months and a half, round 
 Cape Horn, safely arrived in Cadiz. Having been 
 obliged to spend seven months in Madrid in tedious 
 solicitations to have the terms of his agreement ful- 
 filled, he at last obtained a small pension for life, on 
 which he lived lately at Vienna. 
 
 In 1798 M. Helms published an account of his 
 travels, which is in the proper sense of the word a 
 Journal: every page containing, unaltered, the re- 
 marks made and written down on the spot. 
 
 Station after station, the number of miles daily 
 travelled and indicated ; and interspersed we find 
 remarks on what he every day had seen, and like- 
 wise extracts from the official details on the state of 
 the mines which he had examined. 
 
 M. Helms is, however, only a miner and mineral- 
 ogist. To the other parts of natural history he is a 
 
INTRODUCTION. Vll 
 
 stranger, and few things worthy of notice relative to 
 that science are to be found in his journal. Even 
 geographical and statistical observations occur only 
 occasionally : but among them are many which con- 
 tain valuable information, and which throw consi- 
 derable light on the present state of these remote re- 
 gions, with which we are yet but imperfectly ac- 
 quainted. 
 
 Mineralogical and metallurgic remarks on Potosi 
 and Peru, and on the Cordilleras, the largest and 
 richest chain of mountains in the world, which 
 Helms had travelled over in every direction iu length 
 and breadth, from the borders of Chili to Lima, 
 form the bulk of his work. As few, however, would 
 have the patience to peruse the whole of his dry mi- 
 neralogical day-book, the unimportant details and 
 repetitions relative to the contents of the mountains 
 over which he travelled, have been abridged by the 
 translator; at the same time that nothing useful has 
 been omitted, and every fact relative to the general 
 state of the country, or of the people, has been 
 scrupulously retained. 
 
 It is to be regretted that these facts are not more 
 numerous ; but, as far as they go, their authenticity 
 cannot be questioned ; and as the last, and almost 
 the only account of these countries, the work can- 
 not fail to be acceptable to the public at a moment 
 when the attention of all England has been excited 
 towards them by the recent important conquest made 
 by Sir Home Popham, and by the pending expedi- 
 tion of General Miranda. The travels of Ulloa in 
 certain parts of this immense continent, it will be 
 
viii introduction'. 
 
 recollected, were performed nearly seventy years ago, 
 and perhaps no country in the world has undergone 
 greater changes in the same interval of time, than 
 South America. 
 
 The Appendix has been compiled from the best 
 and latest authorities, and from scarce and expensive 
 books, by the translator ; and he may, without va- 
 nity, assert that it contains the fullest and the most 
 correct account of Spanish America, which exists 
 in any European language. He is indebted for many 
 of his most curious facts to the valuable work on 
 the present state of Peru, lately published by Mr. 
 Skinner; and in defining the boundaries of the va- 
 rious governments, he is indebted to Mr. Arrowsmith, 
 the geographer, for the use of the great Spanish 
 map of South America, The work of Don Ulloa 
 lias been duly compared with later authorities; and 
 the Dictionario Geographlco, published by Don Al- 
 cedo, at Madrid, in 1788, a work till now wholly 
 unknown to the English reader, has been carefully 
 consulted. The detailed travels of Humboldt, it is 
 well known, are not yet given to the world; but the 
 various reports which have been published of them 
 in his letters to his friends, have served to correct 
 many errors, and to verity many facts in the exist- 
 ing accounts of those parts of South America over 
 which he travelled. 
 
TRAVELS 
 
 FROM 
 
 BUENOS AYRES 
 
 *ro 
 
 LIMA. 
 
 o 
 
 N the GQth of October 17S9, we began our journey from 
 Buenos Ayres westward to Cannada de Maron; distant fit- 
 teen geographical" miles, reckoning sixty to a degree. Buenos 
 Ayres is situated on the south-west bank of the great river la 
 Plata ; and, according to the account which he received from 
 the viceroy, contains from twenty-four to thirty thousand inha- 
 bitants. In 1748, regular posts were instituted from hence to 
 Peru ; post-houses were erected, and relays of horses and car- 1 
 riages provided*. 
 
 Seventy-three miles from the capital the traveller enters on an 
 immense plain, by the Spaniards called Pampas, which stretches 
 three hundred miles westward to the foot of the mountains, and 
 about fifteen hundred miles southward towards Patagonia-]-. 
 This plain is fertile, and wholly covered with very high grass ; 
 but for the most part uuinhabited and destitute of trees. It is 
 
 * For full local descriptions and other particulars, see the notes tn the 
 Appendix. 
 
 f In crossing South America from Buenos Ayres to Peru, great danger 
 arises from ttie savage nations who inhabit these pa:npas. Troops of them 
 attack travellers t hut they do not possess valour sufficient to maintain a 
 combat, and their attacks are successful only when made by surprise, or 
 when greatly superior in numbers. 
 
 The abundance of the necessaries of life encourages, amone the lower 
 orders, a propensity to idleness, which Iras given rise to another order of 
 strollers, called Gundirvis. Their modi: of life resembles that of the 
 Gypsies. They are badly clothed ; their whole dress consisting only of a 
 coarse shirt, and a worse upper garment. These articles of dress, together 
 with horse furniture, serve them for bedding, and a saddle for. a pillow* 
 They stroll about with a kind of small guitar;, to the souud of which tbev 
 aing ballads. 
 
 HELMS.] B 
 
10 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 the abode of innumerable buds of wild horses, oxen, ostriches, 
 &.C. which, under the shade of the grassj find protection from 
 the intolerable heat of the sun. The largest tinned ox is sold 
 for one piastre*, and a good horse may be purchased for two. 
 
 From Cannada de Moron to Cannada de Escobar, twenty-one 
 geopraphical miles. 
 
 On the 29th of October we were obliged to encamp at night 
 during a heavy storm; and early on the :30th of October we ar- 
 rived at Escobar. 
 
 From Cannada de Escobar to Cannada de la Cruz, twenty- 
 four miles. 
 
 At the former of ihese places T saw in the evening so great a 
 number of luminous insects, that at first I mistook them for ex- 
 halations proceeding from the marshy ground ; but found that. 
 they were a kind of glow-worms, twice as large as those "i 
 Europe. They are of an oblong shape, and ol a brown co- 
 lour. 
 
 From Cannada de la Cruz to Arcos, eighteen miles. 
 
 Adjoining to the' post-house at Arcos, I found a beautiful 
 orchard planted with peach-trees. 
 
 From Arcos to Chacras de Ayola, twelve miles. 
 
 The magnetical needle here points exactly north. 
 
 From Chacras de Ayola to Arecive, thirty miles. 
 
 On the road between these two stations, two of our carrctil- 
 (•:.", or baggage-waggons, broke down. The post-house here is 
 tolerably commodious. Near it arc orchards of peach-trees, 
 which are the only trees that grow^ in the pampas. 
 
 From Arecive to Pontezuelos, twelve miles. 
 
 From Pontezuelos to Arroyo de Ramallo, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Arroyo de Ramallo to Arroyo de Ehnedio, fifteen 
 miles. 
 
 From Arroyo de Elmedio to Arroyo de Pabon, fifteen miles. 
 
 From Arroyo de Pabon to Mananciales, ten miles. 
 
 As we pursued our journey late in the evening, we saw large 
 Rocks of ostriches (Struthio Rhea Finn.), which had come forth 
 from the long grass to refresh themselves with water. On the fol- 
 lowing day some of our attendants rode a considerable way mto the 
 grass, and brought back about fifty eggs of these birds. The 
 heat of the sun being very great, and each of us having put some 
 of them into bis hat, the young birds, to our no small astonish- 
 ment, broke the shell and rim away into the grass, which they 
 began to devour with as much appetite as if they had been long 
 accustomed to such a diet. The eggs are as large as an infants 
 
 * The piastre is o.<. 7d. English, being rather mere than «ix to a guinea. 
 Ippendix, 
 
WILD INDIANS. 11 
 
 "cad of a moderate size, and the young ostriches, when hatched, 
 art- of the size of a chicken two mouths old. 
 
 The ostriches lay their eggs, either singly or twenty together, 
 in nests*; and it is propable that in the day-time they leave them 
 exposed to the rays of the sun, and sit on them only dining night 
 to protect them from the effects of the dew. 
 
 The ostiiches that inhabit the pampas are of the height of a 
 calf. Thou ',h from the shortness of their whips they are unable 
 to fly, thev run faster than the fleetest horse. 
 
 From Mauanciales to Demochados, thirty miles. 
 
 From Demochados to Esquina de la Guardia, twenty-four 
 miles. 
 
 ] 1 ere there is a square fortification, mounted with two pieces 
 of cannon, for the purpose of checking the incursions of the 
 Mild Indians, who are said sometimes to attack the weak Spanish 
 villages in bodies of from two to three thousand men. From 
 the testimony of the inhabitants, however, it would appear that 
 the danger is not so great as the Spanish soldiers {milizianos) 
 stationed there endeavour to persuade strangers from Europe, 
 for the purpose of giving them a high opinion of their courage 
 and valour, of which they are suspected to possess but a small 
 share. In this fortification there should be a guard of a captain 
 and thirty men ; but in the day-time we did not find a single sen- 
 tinel. I'hese soldiers are badly armed ; some with firelocks, 
 others with pistols, and others only with sabres or spears. As 
 the wild Indians still retain a dread of all European weapons, 
 and especially of lire-arms, we see no reason to reckon it a deed 
 of uncommon heroism, if these thirty horsemen sometimes put 
 to flight two or three thousand savages, whose weapons consist 
 only of a sling or a rope six ells in length, with an angular 
 stone or a piece of lead fastened to the end of it, with which 
 they endeavour to give their enemy a blow from behind; and 
 they are in general so expert in its use, and have such command 
 of their horses, that they seldom miss the object aimed at. 
 
 The wild Indians have no intercourse with the civilized Indians 
 or the Spaniards, whom they mortally hate, and are in the high- 
 est degree dirty, savage, mistrustful, and treacherous ; they are 
 strong and enterprising, but easily dismayed on the near approach 
 of danger. 
 
 Their vices show the state of society among them to be the 
 natural consequence of the manner in which they are treated by 
 the Spaniards: for if the latter were more attentive to the gene- 
 ral good of the state, and less attached to the promotion of their 
 
 * According to Molina, evon from forty to sixty in one nest, i^ee Suggia 
 mllu Storia Saturate del Chili. Bologna, 1707, [>. '26'i. 
 
 B V 
 
12 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 private interests, it would be easy, by mildness and by opening 
 a free trade with then), gradually to render them, in the same 
 manner as the civilized Indians, useful subjects of the crown. 
 But this can be effected only by statesmen of enlarged minds, 
 and gifted with sound political knowledge : — such may possibly 
 exist in Spain, but are seldom met with in South America. 
 
 From Esquina de la Guardia to Cabeza del Tiguere, twenty* 
 one miles. 
 
 Cabeza del Tiguere lies on the Rio Tercera : the bed of this 
 river consists of decomposed granite. 
 
 From Cabeza del Tiguere to Saladillo, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Most of the undulatory heights in this neighbourhood were 
 wholly covered with native saltpetre, as if with a hoar-frost. 
 
 From Saladillo to Barrancas, nine miles. 
 
 From Barrancas to Zarjon, twelve miles. 
 
 The bed of the river here consisted of indurated marl, in* 
 termixed with calcareous shells. 
 
 From Zarjon to Frailem Muerto, twelve miles. 
 
 Here begins a wood which continues on a gentle ascent as far 
 as Cordova. In this wood were only found two kinds of trees; 
 they resemble the olive of Spain, but bear no fruit; their leaves 
 are of a most beautiful green colour. 
 
 From Frailem Muerto to Esquino de Medrano, eighteen 
 miles. 
 
 Here the post-house and some huts of Creoles are situated in 
 an open field, without any ditches or ramparts, because the sa- 
 vage Indians never extend their predatory incursions thus far. 
 
 From Esquina de la Guardia to Paso Ferreira, eighteen 
 miles. 
 
 From Paso Ferreira to lo Tio Pafio, twelve miles. 
 
 Thence to Cannada del Govierno. 
 
 Thence to Impira. 
 
 We still continued to proceed in a north-west direction, along 
 the river Tercero. 
 
 From Impira to Rio Segundo, situated on a river of the same 
 name, fifteen miles. 
 
 The river Segundo is a continuation of the riverTercero, receiv- 
 ing its waters from the Peruvian promontory which begins near 
 this place. 
 
 From Jiio Segundo to Punto del Monte, thirteen mile3 and 
 a half. 
 
 From Buenos Ayres, the capital, to Cordova is four hundred 
 and sixty-eight miles. 
 
 Cordova, a neat clean town, is very pleasantly situated near a 
 wood at the foot of a branch of the Andes. It is the seat of a 
 
ACCOUNT OF CORDOVA. 13 
 
 bishop, nnd is inhabited by 1500 Spaniards and Creoles, and 
 4000 Negro slaves. 
 
 A transit trade is carried on here from Buenos Ayres to Po- 
 tosi. The cathedral is a very fine edifice, and the spacious mar- 
 ket-place is adorned with buildings of considerable magnitude ; 
 the streets are likewise much cleaner than in Buenos Ayres, be- 
 ing paved, an improvement still wanting in the capital. We 
 were pleasantly lodged in the late college of the Jesuits. It is a 
 very large and massy edifice, and the usual residence of the bi- 
 shop. But the see was now vacant. The heat is more intense 
 here than at Buenos Ayres, which, from its situation on the 
 larger river la Plata, and its vicinity to the sea, enjoys a milder 
 temperature. 
 
 Not far from the town, in the granite mountains, are found 
 veins of lead and copper ore which contain silver. As this ridge 
 of mountains (composed of red and green granite) gradually 
 becomes higher, the population increases : but at Remanso, 60 
 miles from Cordova, they again branch out so far from one ano- 
 ther, that from that place to Tucunum the traveller passes 
 through a saline plain 210 miles in length, and for the most part 
 barren and desert, from which the mountains are seen at a dis- 
 tance. The whole ground is covered with a white incrustation 
 of salt, and bears no other plants except the iahola hall, which 
 here grows to the height of four yards. The decayed little town 
 of St. J ago de Estero, is situated in this plain. 
 
 The Creole, a descendant of American Spaniards, is of a 
 brown complexion, and differs in every respect from his ances- 
 tors. Though born with a genius capable of attaining whatever 
 ennobles humanity ; yet, from an education in the highest degree 
 neglected, he becomes lazy, licentious, and indelicate in his con- 
 versation; a hypocrite, and infected with a blind and malignant 
 fanaticism. He tyrannizes over his slaves; but, in general, 
 through his inordinate love of pleasure, is himself enslaved by 
 his mulatto and black females, who rule him with despotic sway. 
 He is in the highest degree reserved and insidious; the sport of 
 every unruly passion, immoderately puffed up with pride, and 
 prepossessed against whatever is European; and, in an especial 
 manner, of a hostile and mistrustful disposition towards the 
 Spaniards. Under the oppressive yoke of such men the Indians 
 have lived for centuries, and they consequently pant for die blesn- 
 ings of liberty. 
 
 The king of Spain has enacted several salutary laws, with a 
 view of ameliorating the condition of the Indians ; but they have 
 either never been promulgated, or, by intrigues or artifice, arc 
 fcoon rendered of no avail. 
 
14 
 
 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 The Indians are, in fact, the only industrious class of the* 
 community. To the labour of these patient drudges we are in- 
 debted for all the gold and silver brought from every part of 
 Spanish America. No European, nor even the Negroes, are 
 robust enough, for one, year only, to resist the effects of the 
 climate, and support the fatigues of working the mines, in the 
 npountainous regions. Yet to tluse good and patient subjects 
 their haughty masters leave, as the reward of then toil, scarcely 
 a sufficient pittance to enable theni to procure a 
 potatoes and maize boiled in water. 
 
 The following Jist of the mines or pits, in the \i>> 
 of la Plata, or Buenos Ayres, was extracted from the record^ 
 of the chancery. 
 
 
 1 
 
 £_ 
 
 '/_ 
 
 
 i" 
 
 [-t 
 
 b 
 
 Names of me Province*. 
 
 
 
 ~ 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 Mine*'. 
 
 Tucumau 
 
 . 
 
 ~2 
 
 1 
 
 2 — : 
 
 Mendoza a Chili 
 
 - 
 
 — 
 
 : 
 
 1 
 
 Atacama 
 
 - 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 lj— 1.4 
 
 Pofco \ P rovince of Potosi { I 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 -\~ 
 
 Caranges 
 
 - 
 
 — 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 Pacages or Berenguela 
 
 - 
 
 — 
 
 1 
 
 
 _ ' 
 
 Chucivyto 
 
 - 
 
 — 
 
 2 
 
 — 
 
 . 
 
 Paucarcofla, city of Puno 
 
 - 
 
 — 
 
 i 
 
 _, 
 
 — _ 
 
 Lam pa 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 _ 
 
 — ' — 
 
 Montevideo 
 
 . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 Chicks or Tarifa 
 
 _ 
 
 -1 
 
 b 
 
 
 
 — i 
 
 Cochabamba 
 
 . 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 — L 
 
 Zicuzioa 
 
 - 
 
 2 
 
 — 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 Lavicaja 
 
 - 
 
 •1 
 
 r 
 
 
 i—m 
 
 Omasuijos 
 
 - 
 
 4 
 
 — 
 
 
 1 
 
 Avangaro 
 
 - 
 
 .''i 
 
 _ 
 
 
 1 
 
 Carabaya 
 
 _ 
 
 <> 
 
 1 
 
 ; 
 
 ' 
 
 Polosi ' 
 
 - 
 
 _ 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 Chayamm 
 
 - 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 -Mi/que 
 
 _ 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 ! 
 
 1 
 
 Puna 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 1 
 
 i— 
 
 11 1 
 
 Tn the neighbourhood of Cordova there is a great scarcity of 
 water for the mines and the purifying of the ores. 
 
 From Cordova, we pursued our journey northward, along 
 the foot of the anterior ridge of the Andes, to Noria, twenty- 
 one miles. 
 
 From Xoria to Sinsacate, fifteen miles. 
 
 From Sinsacate to Totoral, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Totoral to San Antonio, fifteen miles. 
 
 From San Antonio to Coral de liarancaj fifteen miles. 
 
ACCOUNT Ol" TUCUMAN. 15 
 
 Tliu direction of that ridge of mountains is from south t> 
 north; and it hero begins to rise gradually to a considerable 
 height. In the valleys I first saw the American paim, which 
 forms one of their chief ornaments. 
 
 from Coral de Baranca to San Pedro, twelve miles. 
 
 From San Pedro to Duruzno, twelve miles. 
 
 The mountains continue to be composed of red and green 
 granite, and contain veins of corneous silver ore. 
 
 Prom Durazuo, we passed through a broad and pleasing valley 
 to Channar 6 C'achi, fifteen miles. 
 
 Prom Channar to Pontezuelo, twenty-seven milts. 
 
 From Pontezuelo to Remanso, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Prom Remanso to \ nucha, ninety miles. 
 
 Prom Yuncha to Silipica, thirty-three miles. 
 
 Prom Silipica to San Jagode Estero, thirty-three miles. 
 
 San J ago, situated on the river of the same name, is a small 
 town, which has fallen into decay, in consequence of the trade 
 which it once enjoyed having been diverted into other channels. 
 
 Prom the great declivity and depth of the valleys of San JagO 
 the heat is almost intolerable, especially when the wind blows 
 from the north. 
 
 From San J ago de Estero to San Antonio, eighteen miles. 
 
 From San Antonio to Chachilla, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Prom Chachilla to V inara, twenty-four miles ; and during 
 fifteen miles of our route we passed and repassed the river St. 
 Jago in all directions. In January, however, when the snow 
 begins to melt on the mountains of Potosi, this river swells so 
 as to become dangerous to travellers. 
 
 From Vinuara to Pal mas, eighteen miles. 
 
 Prom Palmas to Talacacha, eighteen miles. 
 
 Prom Talacacha to Tucuman, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Tucuman, a pleasant little town, which is surrounded by 
 groves of citron, orange, lig, and pomegranate trees, lies four 
 hundred and fifty miles from Cordova, and seven hundred from 
 Potosi. It is the seat of a bishop, and contains three monas- 
 teries: the inhabitants are wealthy, and might derive great pro- 
 fits from working gold and silver mines ; as, immediately after 
 passing this place, the whole ridge of mountains contain the 
 precious metals in abundance. But the Negro slaves, who arc 
 here employed in mining, and their overseers are so ignorant, 
 that they have not even an idea of the advantages arising from 
 the use of a windlass, and carry out the ore in sacks upon their 
 shoulders: and this we found in the sequel* to be the practice at 
 Potosi, and in the whole kingdom of Peru. 
 
 During the journey to Tucuman, we found the mountains 
 composed of primitive granite, but as we proceeded, the granite 
 
iG TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMEUTCA. 
 
 became intermixed with argillaceous slate of various colours ; 
 that, however, which chiefly predominates in the Cordilleras, is 
 of a bluish cast, as far at least as we had an opportunity of ex- 
 amining them. Strata of limestone, and large masses of ferru- 
 ginous sandstone, are in many places superincumbent on the 
 argillaceous slate. We likewise found on the road, coal, gyp- 
 sum, and rock-salt ; the last even on the summits of the most 
 elevated ridges. 
 
 From Tucuman to Tapia, twenty-one miles. 
 
 From Tapia to Duralde, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Duralde is situated ou a mountain torrent of the same name. 
 On account of the badness of the road, we did not arrive here 
 till late at night on the 14th of December. 
 
 From Duralde to Paso del Pescado, eighteen miles. 
 
 Twelve miles from Pescado lies Trinca, a small pleasant little 
 town with a church, on a mountain torrent of the same name. 
 The road continued to pass through thick woods, which, how- 
 ever, contain very few large trees. 
 
 From Paso del Pescado to Arenal, thirty-seven miles. 
 
 From Arenal to Rosario, fifteen miles. 
 
 From Rosario to Concha, twenty miles. 
 
 The main ridge of mountains begins to rise here considerably. 
 In the bed of the river Rosario we found blue argillaceous slate, 
 of which the mountains are ch icily composed. The woods are 
 thicker, and the trees of a more vigorous growth. 
 
 From Concha to Rodeo deTala, twenty-four miles. 
 
 From Rodeo de.Tala to Pasage, on the river of the same 
 name, twenty-four miles. 
 
 About seven miles from Tala we passed the dry bed of a river, 
 the southern bank of which was incrusted with a white substance, 
 in taste and shape resembling common culinary salt ; and from va- 
 rious other indications, we were led to conclude that there are 
 large beds of fossil salt in this part of the country. 
 
 From Pasage to Sienage, thirty miles. 
 
 From Sienage to Cobos, twenty-one miles. 
 
 From Cobos to Salta, twenty-seven miles, 
 
 The town of Salta is situated on the river Arias, in 64° 4.V of 
 west longitude. It is divided into four principal streets, very 
 irregular, but wider than those of Cordova. The market-place 
 (Plaza Major) is a regular and large square, on the west side oi 
 which stands the beautiful town-house, and on the opposite side 
 the cathedral. It is the residence of the governor-intendant, 
 and of the administation of the province of Tucuman. Besides 
 the cathedral, there are seven churches and monastic establish- 
 ments. There are about (J00 Spanish families here ; and the 
 whole population, including Creoles and slaves, is estimated to 
 
JOURNEY OVER THE CORDILLERAS. 17 
 
 amount to 9000 souls. The inhabitants, who carry on a consi- 
 derable transit trade with Potosi, Peru, and Chili, are richer 
 and more polished than those of Cordova and Tucuman. 
 
 Here terminated ihe less elevated ridges and promontories : 
 and we now prosecuted our journey over the Cordilleras, pro- 
 perly so called, which are rich in various plants, and whose 
 snow-capt summits are lost in the clouds. 
 
 At Salta we changed our carriages for saddle mules, and 
 thence pursued our way over the highest chain of mountains on 
 the globe, and on roads the most wretched and fatiguing, eigh- 
 teen hundred miles to Lima. It was fortunate for us that we 
 had entered upon this dangerous journey at the most proper and 
 favourable season of the year ; as in our progress across the Cor- 
 dilleras we were obliged to ford a number of rapid rivers and 
 torrents (some of the in even thirty different times). In these 
 torrents, which often suddenly swell during summer, a great 
 number of travellers perish. In a few hours we exchanged the 
 very intense summer-heat in the valleys for the piercing cold of 
 the snowy summit of the mountain — a transition that soon un- 
 dermines the health of the most robust European. A hectic 
 fever attacks him ; or he is seized with the cramp, rheumatism, 
 and nervous melancholy. 
 
 Immediately behind Salta, the woods Which till then had 
 covered the less elevated ridges, cease to embellish the land- 
 scape : but the traveller is no longer incommoded by an al- 
 most incredible multitude of locusts, crickets, singing-toads, 
 frogs, serpents, crocodiles, and musquitoes. 
 
 The ants are likewise very numerous and troublesome; their 
 bite, and the corrosive fluid which they discharge when irritated, 
 causing as painful symptoms as the sting of the musquito. 
 
 The ill regulated, dirty post-houses swarm with bugs, fleas, 
 and other vermin ; and we were frequently obliged to quench 
 our thirst with nauseous fetid water, or to breathe air impreg- 
 nated with the noxious effluvia of putrid carcases. But the in- 
 quisitive traveller, in the pursuit of knowledge, braves dapger, 
 fatigue, and privations of every kind, while his mind is grati- 
 fied by [he acquisition of new ideas, or the contemplation of the 
 wonders of nature. 
 
 The tiger is the fiercest and most dangerous of all the beast-; 
 of prey found in this country. The South American lion, I was 
 informed, far surpasses the tiger in strength and courage, though 
 not larger than a middle-sized dog : in other respects, however, 
 it perfectly resembles the African lion. 
 
 There are no domestic bees reared in hives in South America. 
 and those which are wild do not construct their nests in the tal- 
 low trunks of trees, as in Europe, bat fix them in. a very cu- 
 
 HEL.MS.j c 
 
38 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 rious manner on the branches. These nets form an oval ball ei 
 wax, ahotit the size of an ox's bladder ; at its apex is the opening 
 through which the insect enters, and within are cells full of the 
 purest honey. Owing to the heat of the climate, the inflamma- 
 ble parts of the external shell of wax gradually drip away, ami 
 only the earthy particles remain. 
 
 From Salta to Caldera, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Caldera to Buena Voluntad, seventeen miles. 
 
 From Buena Voluntad to Jujui, six mites and a half. 
 
 Jujui is a small town containing about three thousand inhabit- 
 ants, who carry on some trade with Potosi ; they might derive 
 great advantage from the rich ores in the neighbourhood : but 
 here, as well as atTucuman and Salta, they have neither enter- 
 prise nor skill to make a proper use of the gifts which nature has 
 bestowed with a liberal hand on these interesting regions. 
 
 From Jujui to Bolcan, twenty-seven miles. 
 
 The river Bolcan is the largest of the mountain torrents we 
 passed since we left Jujui. The ascent became circuitous, and 
 more gradual. 
 
 From Bolcan to Los Ormillos, twenty-seven miles. 
 
 From Los Ormillos to Guacatera, eighteen miles. 
 
 As hitherto we had passed over few mountains, and proceeded 
 along the valleys, we crossed the Jujui no less than thirty times 
 in one day ; which a month later woidd have been attended with 
 danger, as this rapid river is at that season much swollen with 
 rain, and the melting of the snow on the mountains. 
 
 From Guacatera to Humaguaca, eighteen miles. 
 
 A mile from the village of Humaguaca, when we had almost 
 reached the highest part of the mountains, I again met with in- 
 dications of beds of salt. 
 
 Guacatera is a -small Indian town, governed by an Indian 
 judge or alcade. It has a church and a neat chapel on an adjoin- 
 ing hill. 
 
 The converted Indians, who are styled Fideles, in contradis- 
 tinction lo the savages, whom they call Barbaros, Injideh s, or 
 Bravos, are of a very obedient and patient disposition ; but, 
 from the abject state to which they are reduced, and the oppres- 
 sion of the sub-delegates, they lire very timid and suspicious. 
 If we may judge of their character from that of the wild In- 
 dians, it seems not improbable, that if they enjoyed a better 
 education, and milder treatment, they would become one of the 
 Juest nations on earth; for in their intercourse among themselves, 
 they give strong proofs of humanity and a love of justice, and 
 betray less selfishness and less pride than the Creoles ; they also 
 evince a quick sense of right and wrong. Their colour resem- 
 bles dark bronze ; they have an agreeable physiognomy, and 
 
ACCOUNT OF THE LAMA SHEEP^ 19 
 
 muscular limbs ; they are of a middle stature, and endued 
 with an excellent understanding, but are rather of a pensive and 
 melancholy, than lively disposition. The Indians being esteemed 
 the most laborious and diligent of the various classes of men 
 found here, such as Spaniards, Creoles, Mulattoes, Samboes, 
 Negroes, are employed through the greatest part of South 
 America in mining, tending flocks, in cultivating the fields ; and 
 more especially as domestic servants ; as in the mountains or mine 
 country, the Negroes, like the Europeans, cannot endure the 
 daily alternations of heat and cold ; but become sickly, and soon 
 die an untimely death. 
 
 From Humaguaca to Cueba, twenty-four miles. 
 
 From Cueba to Los Colorados, eighteen miles. 
 
 Mountains so irregular and broken as this part of the Cordil- 
 leras, and with such various alternations of their component 
 parts, we had sen neither in Hungary, Saxony, nor in the Py- 
 renees. In no place does a revolution of nature appear to have 
 been so general as in South America ; of which the traces are 
 •very where discoverable. 
 
 One hundred and forty miles beyond Jujui, the traveller 
 reaches the highest ridge of the Cordilleras ; which is the fa- 
 vourite haunt of the celebrated sheep (named Lama or Gu- 
 anaco, and by the Indians, JIuatiacos,) which feeds on moss, is 
 easily tamed, and used as a beast of burthen. This animal, as 
 likewise the Vicunna, is found only on the summits of hills co- 
 vered with snow, and in the coldest mountainous regions, where 
 they rove about in numerous herds. 
 
 1 likewise saw here the American wild cat, which is not much 
 larger than our domestic cats : its fur is excellent, and its flesh 
 is esteemed a delicacy by the Creoles and Indians. 
 
 From Cangrejos to Guayaca, twenty-seven miles. 
 
 From Guayaca to Mojos, twenty-one miles. 
 
 The Indian town Mojos formerly belonged to Peru, and was 
 the border-town towards the kingdom of La Plata, or Buenos 
 Ayres. But in a recent division, the southern provinces of 
 Peru, viz. Atacama, Potosi, Caranges, and others, have been 
 added to the kingdom of La Plata, whose limits were extended 
 four- hundred and fifty miles further, to Santa Rosa. In the 
 argillaceous-slaty mountains around Mojos, we found a great 
 many veins of quartz, containing gold, yellow copper-ore, lead- 
 ore, and iron-spath. The terminations or" these veins appear 
 above ground ; but few of them are worked. There is likewise 
 rtear that town a considerable stratum of magnetic*! iron-sand, 
 full of particles of gold, some of which are as large as a quar- 
 ter of a ducat : but of this gold the American gains hut a small 
 proportion, as he washes away into the. stream all the finer par 
 
20 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 tides, which are less than half the bigness of a lentil. Similar 
 alluvial layers, containing gold, and resting on the base of argil- 
 laceous slate, occur till within a short distance of Potosi; and 
 gold is washed from them, especially at the little town of St. 
 J ago de Cotagoita, ninety miles from Mojos, and as many from 
 Potosi. 
 
 From Mojos to Sulipacha, twenty-four miles. 
 
 From Sulipacha to Mojara, twenty-four miles. 
 
 From Mojara to Bamada, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Bamada to San J ago de Cotagoita, twenty-four miles. 
 
 From San Jago de Cotagoita to Kscobar, twelve miles. 
 
 From Escobar to Guirbe, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Guirbe to Zurupalca, eighteen miles. 
 
 After passing a high mountain, we descended towards Rio 
 Grande, a large mountain-torrent, which we were obliged to- 
 cross more than fifty times in one day. 
 
 From Zurupalca to Caiza, eighteen miles. 
 
 At Caiza, one hundred and forty-two miles from Potosi, are 
 found, in a hot spring, impregnated with hepatic gas, small 
 pieces of brimstone, and a friable clay full of crystals of allum ; 
 from which we may infer, that the Water derives its peculiar pro- 
 perties from a stratum of burning sulphur in the aluminous 
 slate, from which it bursts forth. There are similar hepatic 
 springs twelve miles north of Potosi, and at Churin, one hun- 
 dred and fourteen miles to the north-east of Lima. 
 
 From Caiza to Potosi, thirty-six miles. 
 
 This was the most fatiguing and disagreeable post during our 
 whole journey ; having been exposed till ten at night to heavy 
 rain, and often obliged to wade knee-deep in the bed of the Rio 
 Grande : and from the height of this tract of country, the air 
 was most piercingly cold. 
 
 Here, on the highest plains, the water from the snowy sum- 
 mits of the mountain is collected, till forcing a passage thrqugh 
 the clefts, and forming several cataracts, it flows into the Rio 
 Grande, 
 
 Twelve miles from Potosi the ridge begins to decline to the 
 north, so that a considerable river flows hi that direction, while 
 the Rio Grande runs towards the south. 
 
 Jt deserves to be remarked, with respect to the great chain of 
 mountains stretching from Tucuman to Potosi, that till within 
 eighteen miles of the latter place, where the Rio Grande takes 
 its rise on the highest part of the mountain, the valleys in many 
 places produce small trees and bushes ; but further towards Po- 
 tosi they are entirely destitute of wood ; and on the high shelves 
 aid declivities nothing grows but patches of green spongy moss,. 
 
SOME ACCOUNT OF POTOSI. 21 
 
 which serves for food to the lamas, as likewise to sheep, asses, 
 and mules. 
 
 Brushwood and charcoal for fuel must therefore be brought 
 from a distance of from thirty to sixty miles, and larger trees fit 
 for building even from Tucuman, being dragged across the 
 mountains by the hands' of men. 
 
 A beam of timber sixteen inches square, and thirty-four feet 
 in length, costs at Potosi two hundred pounds. 
 
 It in a particular manner excited my astonishment here to find 
 the highest snow-capt mountains within nine miles from Potosi, 
 covered with a pretty thick stratum of granitic stones, rounded 
 by the action of water. 
 
 How could these masses of granite be deposited here, as there 
 is a continual descent to Tucuman, where the granitic ridge ends, 
 and from Tucuman to Potosi it consists of simple argillaceous 
 schistus I 
 
 Have they been rolled hither by a general deluge, or som» 
 later partial revolution of nature ? 
 
 The solution of this question I shall leave to systematic natu- 
 ralists and geologists. 
 
 The celebrated city of Potosi is situated in the midst of the 
 most elevated range of the Andes, whose summits, at the dis- 
 tance of nine miles to the south, are covered with snow. It 
 contains about one hundred thousand inhabitants, including- 
 slaves. The churches are very rich in silver utensils, and the 
 clergy are subject to the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Chu- 
 quisaca, which is the seat of the ecclesiastical tribunal for the 
 whole kingdom of La Plata, and of an university. The militia 
 consists of only five hundred men, of a most wretched appear- 
 ance, without uniforms, and without cannon ; and of whom 
 one-half parade with wooden muskets. 
 
 The mountain Potosi, at whose foot the city is built, resem- 
 bles a sugar-loaf ; it is almost eighteen miles in circumference, 
 and chiefly composed of a yellow very firm argillaceous slate, 
 full of veins of ferruginous quartz, in which silver-ore and some- 
 times brittle vitreous ore are found interspersed. 
 
 These rude ores are there called paco ores; and from experi- 
 ments with more than three hundred specimens, I found they 
 contain, on an average, from six to eight ounces of silver in 
 ■every caxon, or fifty hundred weight. They sometimes likewise 
 meet with solid silver-ore, especially with grayish brown ore, 
 each caxon of which yields twenty marks of silver. Above 
 three hundred mints or pits are worked; but all of them irregu- 
 larly, and as if it were merely for plunder : few of them there- 
 fore penetrate to a greater depth than about seventy yards. 
 
 A main conduit which had been begun in 1779, and in the 
 
 a 
 
22 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 course of nine years had, at an incredible expence, hern carried 
 on two miles in length, was even at its mouth much loo high, 
 and yet had been made to slope one yard in every thirty-two; so 
 that it could not come deep enough into many of the pits to free 
 them from water. 
 
 The conduit intersects eight new lodes* running in a direction 
 nearly from north to south; the best of them is galena, about 
 two fept deep, and was said to yield eight marks of silver in fifty 
 hundred weight of ore. The rest consist of spatbose blend, 
 ■with gray silver ore and yellow copper ore. 
 
 On the opposite side we inspected another old conduit, which 
 about a hundred years ago led to many rich veins of red 
 and gray silver ore. lint they had no proper machinery; the 
 pits became tilled with water : we found all along the bottom ol 
 the conduit good red and other silver ores, mixed with other ma- 
 terials, which by proper management might yield the proprietors 
 3 considerable-ijuantity of metal : but it would be still more to 
 their advantage if they employed skilful men to erect machinery 
 fox th<^ purpose of clearing the bottom of the mines from Wa- 
 ter. The direction of this as well as the large conduit is nearly 
 from east to west. 
 
 Still greater, if possible, was the ignorance of the directors 
 of the smelting-houses and retining-works at Potosi : by their 
 method of amalgamation they were scarcely able to gam two- 
 thirds of the silver contained in the paco-ore ; and for every mark 
 of pure silver gained, destroyed one, and frequently two, marks 
 of quicksilver. Indeed all the operations at the mines of Po- 
 tosi, the stamping, sifting, washing, quickening, and roasting 
 the ore, are conducted in so slovenly, wasteful, and unscientific a 
 manner, that to compare the excellent method of amalgamation 
 invented by Baron Born, and practised in Europe, with the bar- 
 barous process used by these Indians and Spaniards, would be 
 sn insult to the understanding of my readers. 
 
 The tools of the Indian miner are very badly contrived, and 
 unwieldy. The hammer, which is a square piece ot lead ot 
 twenty pounds weight, exhausts his strength ; the iron, a foot 
 and a half long, is a great deal too incommodious, and in souk 
 narrow places cannot be made use of. The thick tallow candles 
 wound round with wool vitiate the air. 
 
 In the royal mint at Potosi, where from five hundred and fifty 
 thousand to six hundred thousand marks of silver, and about 
 two thousand marks of gold, are annually coined, affairs wen: 
 not better conducted. Every hundred weight of refined copper, 
 used for alloy in the gold and silver coin, cost the king :>>1. 
 through the gross ignorance of the overseers of the w oik, who 
 spent a whole month in roasting and calcining it, and frequently 
 
IGNORANCE OF THE SPANIARD* IN METALLURGY. 23 
 
 rendered it quite unfit for the purpose. I was therefore ordered 
 by the governor, Don Fr. de Paulo Sanz, to introduce a process 
 founded on sound principles. 
 
 For this perpose, as no chemico-metallurgic laboratory ex- 
 isted here, I erected one, with all the necessary apparatus, in 
 one of the largest rooms of the mint, and in the presence of the 
 governor and all the persons belonging to the mint-department, 
 proved by experiment, that it might be brought to a greater de- 
 gree of fineness in four hours and a half, and at less than one- 
 twentieth part of the expence. 
 
 These various evils the German commissioners endeavoured 
 as much as possible to remove. Mr. Weher, one of my col- 
 leagues, dug two deep conduits (to free the mines from wa- 
 ter) in the mountain of Potosi ; Baron von Nordenflycht erected 
 proper machinery; amalgamation works, according to Baron 
 Bern's plan, were erected under my superintendence, and lessons 
 in metallurgy were given by me to six pupils. As soon as the 
 water in the pits can be got under, the mines of Potosi will be 
 in a more flourishing condition than ever. However, the total 
 want of timber on this nuked ridge of mountains very much re- 
 tards the work. 
 
 The revenue to the king from the mines in the kingdom of La 
 Plata is said to amount annually to four millions and a half of 
 piastres: and if they possessed more knowledge and economy, it 
 might easily be doubled. It' all the veins of ore, &c. were 
 sought for, and wrought with but moderate skill and diligence, 
 this kingdom alone might yield every year twenty, and even thir- 
 ty, millions of piastres. 
 
 Prom Buenos Ayres to Potosi, one thousand six hundred and 
 seventeen geographical miles. 
 
 As Baron Nordenflycht was obliged to say some time longer 
 at Potosi, to superintend the finishing of the machinery for the 
 mines, 1 set out for Lima on the 30th of January, 1790, with 
 the greater part of our German miners, and travelled to Jocalla, 
 nine miles. 
 
 Twelve milestfo the south of Potosi there is a hot sulphure- 
 ous bath, with a boiling hot spring. Near it is a village, whi- 
 ther the invalid Potosians resort, for the recovery of their healtu,. 
 The waters possess the same qualities and virtues as the springs 
 near Caiza. 
 
 Argillaceous slate is here, likewise, the chief component part 
 of the mountain, with a stratum of sand-stone upon it. 
 
 Further on we again find on both sides alluvial hills, with 
 rounded masses of granite, extremely bad roads, and the moun- 
 tain very much weather-beaten and broken. 
 
 From Jocalla to La Lenna, eighteen miles. 
 
24 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 Not far from Jocalla a mass of granite, many miles m length, 
 rises in huge weather-beaten rocks, which threaten every moment 
 to roll down the precipices. At Lenna the granite masses are 
 succeeded by a stratum of deep red rough-grained sand-stone. 
 
 From La Lenna to Las Lagumillas, fifteen miles. 
 
 We now entered a valley, which, with little variation, extends, 
 nbove six hundred miles to Cusco. 
 
 From Tolapalca to Guilcapuzico, twelve miles. 
 
 Thence to Ancacato, fifteen miles. 
 
 Here again argillaceous slate, interspersed with masses of gra- 
 nite, appears. 
 
 From Ancacato to Las Pennas, twelve miles. 
 
 A layer of red sand-stone on the substratum of argillaceous 
 slate. The soil becomes more fruitful, and population and the 
 number of villages increase. 
 
 From Pennas to Condor-Apacheta, fifteen miles. 
 
 The sand-stone succeeded by argillaceous slate, mostly co- 
 vered with thin moss. 
 
 From Condor-Apacheta to La Venta de en Medio, fifteen 
 miles. 
 
 From La Venta de en Medio to Oruro, twenty-seven miles. 
 
 The valley becomes more even and agreeable. 
 
 Four miles from Oruro it is covered with a saline incrustation, 
 mixed with saltpetre. 
 
 Oruro, a town in this valley, was formerly the residence of 
 wealthy capitalists, who derived their riches from the mines in 
 the adjacent ridge of moimtains. But in the dreadful insurrec- 
 tion of the Christian Indians of La Plata and Peru, in the year 
 1779> here, as in most other towns of these extensive kingdoms, 
 the greatest and richest part of the Spaniards were murdered, 
 and the town plundered and almost totally destroyed. Those 
 who escaped, aud had concealed their money and valuable effects 
 in the monasteries, mostly emigrated to Europe*'. And hence 
 the mines here are in a state of decay and neglect, from the 
 want of pecuniary resources. Intelligent miners might certainly 
 derive great profit from working these mines : one active indivi- 
 dual, by the old Potosi mode of amalgamation, has obtained 
 weekly a clear gain of about 801. from the residuum formerly 
 thrown away; and in future his profits *vill be still more consi- 
 derable, as one of my colleagues has made for him a machine 
 with eight casks, by the use of which he will no longer be sub- 
 ject to such losses of quicksilver, which amounted to about half 
 of the quantity employed. 
 
 * Mr. Helms says nothing further concerninc; this insurrection, of which 
 a circumstantial account would have been highly interesting. 
 
SOME ACCOUNT OF LA PAZ. 25 
 
 From Oruro to Caracollo, twenty-seven miles. 
 
 The summits of the ridge, the direction of which is still north- 
 erly, continue to he covered with snow. 
 
 Camcollo to Panduro, fifteen miles. 
 
 From Panduro to Sicasica, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Near 'he river the valley is very fertile. 
 
 Fro ill Sicasica to Tambillo, twelve miles. 
 
 Two miles from the post-station we found two important amal- 
 gamation-works heionging to the Indians, which, from the 
 richness of the ore, are very productive. 
 
 From Tamhillo to Ayoayo, twelve miles. 
 
 Near Ayoayo J found the ground strewed with small shining 
 pure quartzose crystals, partly consisting of half six-sided pyra- 
 mids of half the size of a lentil. The mountains to the west 
 contain many veins of this rich quartz. 
 
 From Ayoayo to Calainarca, fifteen miles. 
 
 The same kind of brilliant quartzose crystals, among which 
 small topazes are sometimes found. 
 
 From Calamarco to V. ntilia, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Ventilla to La Paz, twelve miles. 
 
 The rich town of Lu Paz likewise suffered considerably through 
 the revolt of the Indians ; but still is said to contain four thousand 
 hearths, and twenty thousand inhabitants, whose chief source of 
 opulence is the coca, or tea of Paraguay, as it. is called — a 
 greenish, tart herb, which the Indians chew mixed with calcined 
 lime. This article is as indispensable to them as tobacco is to 
 our seamen ; and the town of La Paz carries' on a lucrative trade 
 with it to the extent of two hundred thousand piastres annually. 
 
 T he mountain at whose foot La Paz is built, is the highest 
 Cordillera in this part of the country, and covered with everlast- 
 ing snow. 
 
 This mountain, and the whole ridge as far as Sicasica, where 
 the Indians collect gold by washing, abounds in rich gold ore ; 
 and when, about eighty years ago, a projecting part of it tumbled 
 down, they severed from the stone lumps of pure gold weighing 
 from two to fifty pounds. Even now, in the layers of sand, &c. 
 washed from the mountain by the rain-water, pieces of pure gold 
 are found, some of which weigh an ounce. From the ignorance, 
 however, of the inhabitants, most of these treasures lie totally 
 neglected. 
 
 There are likewise in the argillaceous slate many veins of rich 
 silver-ore. 
 
 The province of Tiupani, which is one hundred and twenty 
 miles from La Paz, is said to abound more with gold than even 
 the latter. 
 
 From La Paz to La Laja, eighteen miles. 
 
 HELMS.] D 
 
26 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 From La Laja to Tiaguanaco, twenty-one miles. 
 
 There is upon the whole an ascent from Potosi to this place, 
 and further to Puno, which is the highest point of the Cordilleras 
 of the kingdom of La Plata. 
 
 Here likewise the west side of the mountains consists of fine 
 argillaceous slate, and the Indians formerly found much rich ore 
 in it. 
 
 From Tiaguanaco to Guaqui, twelve miles. 
 
 Here begins the large lake of Tituaca, the first I had seen in 
 South America ; and on whose western shore rise the highest 
 Cordilleras of the kingdom of La Plata. Since we left Buenos 
 Ayres and the river de la Plata, we had not passed through so 
 picturesque a country as that bordering on this lake ; and were 
 charmed with the alternation of hills and dales, intermixed with 
 the richest meadows, depastured by numerous herds of cattle, 
 mules, horses, and sheep. 
 
 From Guaqui to Zepita, twenty one miles. 
 
 From Zepita to Clicsta, twelve miles. 
 
 From Chesta to Pomata, which has a church, and is plea- 
 santly situated, nine miles. 
 
 From Pomata to .lull, twelve miles. 
 
 We still continued to travel for the most part along the shore 
 of the lake, which we were told is eighty miles in length, and 
 in some parts equally broad. 
 
 From Pomata to Juli, a small populous Indian town, with 
 four rich churches, which is governed by an Indian governor 
 (cazica,) and an Indian judge (alkalde), twelve miles. 
 
 From Juli to Uabe, (or Uave) fifteen miles. 
 
 At the distance of six miles from Uave, the road diverges from 
 the lake, along the shore of which we had hitherto been travelling 
 with much inconvenience and fatigue, during the rainy season : 
 but, just before we arrived at the post-house, we were ferried 
 over an arm of it, about one hundred and twenty feet in breadth, 
 in an Indian canoe, made in a very neat manner of a kind of reed 
 and grass, on which timid people might be afraid to trust them- 
 selves, as they are only one ell and a half in breadth, and quite 
 Mat like a raft. 
 
 From Uave to Acora, fifteen miles. 
 
 From Acora to Chucuito, nine miles. 
 
 The mountains contain many rich veins of gold and silver ore. 
 
 From Chucuito to Puno, the chief town of the province of 
 the same name, nine miles. 
 
 Puno suffered likewise; by the above-mentioned insurrection. 
 The silver ores in the neighbourhood ate very rich ; but the 
 mines are filled with water, and the proprietors have neither the 
 capital nor the skill requisite for draining them. 
 
 From Chucuito to Caracato, twenty-four miles. 
 
REMARKS ON TRAVELLING. S? 
 
 From Caracato to Calapuja, twenty-one miles. 
 The ores obtained from a soft porphyrinic ridge, extending 
 eighteen miles, are very rich, yielding about ten marks of silver 
 pet cwt. 
 
 From Calapuja to Pucara, twenty-four miles. 
 From Pucara to Aguaviri, fifteen miles. 
 From Aguaviri to Santa Rosa, eighteen miles. 
 From Santa Rosa to Larucachi, twenty-seven miles. 
 The ridge of Cordilleras, whose summits are covered with 
 eternal snow, extends far beyond Larucachi. From the badness 
 of the roads, the continual rain, and the dreadful storms of 
 thunder and hail, travelling over the Cordilleras at this season of 
 the year, is attended with almost intolerable hardships. The 
 proper time for such a journey is during the months of March, 
 April, May, June, and July. 
 
 During the three months of the rainy season among the moun- 
 tains, the traveller may proceed along the sea-shore, under a se- 
 rene sky, and without a single drop of rain, as far as Lima; but, 
 on the contrary, he there is exposed to excessive heat, trouble- 
 some vermin, and dangerous fevers. 
 
 From Larucachi to Concha, eighteen miles. 
 The valley becomes wider, and we were obliged frequently to 
 ford ;j. large rapid river. Three miles from Larucachi lies a neat 
 Indian town called Cicuani, the residence of Colonel Manuel 
 Vilalta, governor of Tinta, a very obliging polite gentleman, 
 who gave us a very friendly reception. The colonel, who has 
 been many years engaged in the working of mines in the neigh- 
 bourhood, listened with great attention to the improvements I 
 suggested for obtaining the metal from the ore. 
 From Cacha to Chiacupi, twelve miles. 
 
 The country becomes more pleasant, fertile, and populous. 
 We passed the broadest arm of the river on a Hying bridge, 
 made of basket-work. 
 
 From Chiacupi to Quiquijani, fifteen miles. 
 From Quiquijani to Hurcos, twelve miles. 
 From llurcosto Oropeza, nine miles. 
 
 The road begins gradually to ascend again, and diverge from 
 
 the large river which had accompanied us along the valley from 
 
 Purta, but which now takes another direction towards the south. 
 
 From Oropeza to Cusco, formerly the capital of Peru, and 
 
 the residence of the Incas, twelve miles. 
 
 Cusco, like most of the other large cities of Spanish America, 
 is built in the Gothic style. The population is considerable; 
 but no one could give me an exact statement of the number of 
 inhabitants. A governor and a commander of the regular troops 
 and militia reside here. In the palace of the former, a court of 
 
48 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 appeal decides upon all the law-suits and processes in the 
 province. 
 
 The cathedral is a fine stone building in the modern style, and 
 contains many pictures and rich ornaments. 
 
 Although the mountains in the neighbourhood of Cusco con 
 lain many rich metallic ores, yet only one person, a French mer- 
 chant of the name of Grace, is engaged in mining ; on which he 
 has already spent, without any advantage, in works stfter the 
 Indian method, about 50001. He seemed inclined to adopt our 
 new mode of amalgation ; and if his capital should be sufficient 
 to enable him to put that purpose in execution, he will; no doubt, 
 soon realize a large fortune. 
 
 From Cusco to Zurito, twenty-one miles. 
 
 From Zurito to Limatatnbo, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Limatambo to Carretas, twelve miles. 
 
 The base of argillaceous slate is covered with an affluvial 
 super-stratum, which consists of marble, gypsum, lime-stone, 
 sand, a large quantity of rock-salt, and of fiagments of pophyry, 
 &c. in which pure silver and rich silver ores occur in abundance. 
 There are few instances in Europe of such mountains so gene- 
 rally abounding with the precious metals, or their ores, as in 
 this quarter of the globe. The whole ridge appears to be full 
 of affluvial veins of heavy silver ores, in which pieces of pure 
 silver, solid copper, and lead-ore, occur, intermixed with a great 
 quantity of white silver ore, and capillary vi.gin-silver. Thirty- 
 six miles before we reach GuancaveTica, behind Parcos, lie 
 mountains of weather-beaten argillaceous slate, mixed with sand. 
 The sections of these mountains consist entirely of separate more 
 or less sharp-pointed pyramids of a rlesh-coloured sand-stone. 
 
 The ridge of mountains covered with snow, over which the 
 road to the Pacific Ocean passes, consists of simple sand-stone, 
 through which metallic veins, in some places with quartz or feld- 
 spath, in others with steatite and shoerl, &c. openly appear. 
 On the contrary, the chain of mountains to the north of Gua- 
 manga and Guaucaveiica is said to consist, to the extent of one 
 hundred miles, of simple limestone, and equally abounds with 
 metallic ores, especially in the province of Tarma. 
 
 From Carretas to Carahuasi, eighteen miles. 
 
 We were again obliged to pass a river on a flying-bridge. 
 This river is much more rapid and broad than that mentioned 
 above: near Carahuasi it turns off at an angle towards the 
 east, till it enters the kingdom of Curaquin, and is said to run 
 through a space of three thousand miles. This, however, is 
 doubtful : and the more probable opinion is, that it falls into the 
 Mar anon. 
 
 About sixty miles to the west of Carahuasi some gold mines 
 
DANGEROUS PASSAGE OVER THE CORDILLERAS. 2<3 
 
 ?;rc worked ; and at Carahuasi, two persons extract silver from a 
 horizontal stratum of ore. 
 
 From Avancay to Cochacajas, eighteen miles. 
 
 From Cochacajas to Pincos, eighteen miles. 
 
 Soon after we left this village, and ascended by a zig-zag road 
 for eight miles, on one of the highest shelves of the highest Cor- 
 dilleras ; and descended with the greatest danger on the other 
 side to the river, which we crossed, and arrived at Pincos, after 
 haviug been exposed during seven hours to incessant rain : truly 
 pitiable is the lot of the poor traveller who is obliged, during 
 this season of the year, to pursue his journey by such steep and 
 slippery roads, and over almost impassable mountains. Even the 
 most thoughtless free-thinker, who denies the existence of a 
 Providence, would here be obliged to confess, that an almighty 
 and benignant Power evidently watches over the daring steps of 
 mortals; otherwise, both men and beasts would inevitably perish. 
 
 Sixty miles westward from Pincos, in the province of Al- 
 maray, there are rich veins of gold ore in quartz ; and gold is 
 obtained by washing. Some of the Indians here, notwithstanding 
 the rude unskilful process used by them, obtain monthly as much 
 as is worth from nine to eleven hundred pounds, which they 
 send to Lima in exchange for piastres. In this, as indeed in 
 most of the provinces of the kingdom, rich veins of silver and other 
 metallic ores occur, of which no use is made. 
 
 From Pincos to Andaguaylas, eighteen miles. 
 
 Twenty-one miles beyond the latter place, there is a silver- 
 mine, which was found to yield one hundred marks of silver for 
 every hundred pounds of ore. This mine, however, which is 
 called Santa Maria, has long been full of water. 
 
 From Andaguaylas to Uripa, thirty miles. 
 
 From Uripa to Tambo de Ocros, thirty-six miles. 
 
 Soon after leaving the Uripa, we again climbed to the summit 
 of a vast ridge composed of horizontal strata, and we consumed 
 as much time in the descent towards a rapid river, with a dan- 
 gerous Indian hanging-bridge, which is about one hundred and 
 twenty feet in length, and suspended by badly-made hempen 
 ropes. Here we were obliged to stop till the bridge was pre- 
 pared, and pass the night in a dark mountain cave ; where, be 
 sides suffering from excessive heat, we were so dreadfully stung 
 by musquitoes, that we scarcely knew one another the next 
 morning. 
 
 We had before become acqhainted with this little blood thirsty 
 insect in the province of Tucuinan: its sting is much more pain- 
 ful than that of the European knat; it leaves a caustic fluid, which 
 causes the flesh to swell, if the sufferer scratches the [tart affected ; 
 and the itching lasts more than eight days. 
 
 HELMS.] E 
 
SO TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 The musquitoes are not larger than a flea, but winged, and 
 exactly resembling a young* fly. They are very numerous in all 
 the hot low districts of this country. 
 
 From Ocros to Congallo, eighteen miles. 
 From Congallo to the town of Guamanga, the residence of 
 the governor, eighteen miles. 
 
 In this district, they dig from a horizontal bed silver ore; 
 fifty hundred weight of which are said to yield five hundred marks 
 of silver. The ore, as appears from the specimen of it in my 
 possession, contains some virgin silver. 
 
 But this mine, like most of the rich mines of Peru, is over- 
 flowed. Tbe proprietor, however, endeavours to free it as 
 much as possible from water, by means of common pumps. 
 From Guamanga to Quanta, eighteen miles. 
 From Guai ita to Parcos, thirty miles. 
 From Parcos to Paucara, twelve miles. 
 From Paurarato Guancavelica, twenty-four miles. 
 Behind Guancavelica, the mountains gradually become com- 
 posed of less various materials, and at last consist only of simple 
 sand-stone, with layers of marl, lime-stone, and spath ; or of 
 simple lime-stone : they continue, however, equally rich in gold., 
 silver, quick-silver, rock-salt, &c. 
 
 In short, so much doth rich ores abound here, that the mines, 
 if worked with a moderate industry and knowledge of metallurgy, 
 might yield consideraby more than the quantity necessary for the 
 supply of the whole world; and it is perhaps a fortunate cir- 
 cumstance, that the ignorance of the miners and the oppressive 
 measures of the Spanish government have prevented more from 
 being drawn from this inexhaustible souice than actually has been, 
 obtained, and from general experience appears to be required, 
 as a circulating medium in commerce and for other purposes : 
 otherwise, gold and silver must long ago have been depreciated 
 to an inconvenient degree. Indeed, this effect would be pro- 
 duced by the introduction of the fifty or more millions of piastres, 
 that are annually brought to Europe from the Spanish colonies 
 in America, were it not counterbalanced by the immense expor- 
 tation of silver to China. As none ever finds its way back, it 
 has been conjectured that these treasures are buried by the ava- 
 ricious Chinese. 
 
 The royal mine-town Guancavelica was formerly celebrated' on 
 account of its rich quicksilver-mine. But, as this mine was not 
 worked in a proper and regular manner, the pit fell in ; and they 
 now dig only in places less abounding with ore; which annually 
 yield about til teen hundred cwt. of quicksilver: but owing to the 
 wretched maimer in which the mines and smelting furnaces are 
 conducted, each hundred of quicksilver costs one hundred and 
 
DREADFUL ACCIDENT. 31 
 
 sixty-six piastres. The king sells it to the proprietors of the 
 gold and silver mines at the rate of seventry-lhree piastres ; and 
 annually loses by his traffic to the amount of two hundred thou- 
 sand piastres. 
 
 The vein of cinnabar was eighty Spanish ells in extent ; and 
 the cinnabar was found partly solid and crystallised willi galena, 
 calcareous spath, ponderous spath, quartz, manganese, arsenic, 
 &c. ; partly intersprinkled in a sand-stone of a very line grain, or 
 in lime-stone. 
 
 So long back as two hundred years ago, the mine was worked 
 with great profit by mining companies ; and is said to have been, 
 sunk six hundred fathoms deep. 
 
 A thick stratum of red arsenic and yellow orpiment, which 
 lay contiguous to the mass of quicksilver-ore, was by the igno- 
 rant superintendent taken for cinnabar ; and some hundreds of 
 the workmen perished in the operation of smelting it. For ex- 
 tracting the quicksilver from the cinnibar they employ the ill- 
 contrived old Spanish Ahnadena furnace, which is heated from 
 below with mountain-straw. There are seventy-five such fur- 
 naces here : instead of which I proposed to construct sixteen ou 
 the plan of those of Idria ; but was prevented by the viceroy 
 from executing this purpose. 
 
 From Guancavelica to Cotay, thirty miles. 
 
 The road ascends towards die snow-covered Cordilleras, and in 
 consequence the air is so cold, Unit the traveller may wear furs 
 without any inconvenience. 
 
 Here we again met with large flocks of lamas. The biscache, 
 a small animal resembling in shape the European rabbit, likewise 
 inhabits these mountains : its fur is uncommonly soft and beau- 
 tiful. There are likewise large flocks of the well known Vi- 
 cunna sheep. 
 
 From Cotay to Turpo, eighteen miles. 
 
 We continued to climb over the snowy summits of the highest 
 ridge since we left Potosi. The cold was more intense than 
 yesterday, and affected me more sensibly than the "winters of 
 Germany, although it be still summer here in the month of March. 
 
 From Turpo to Vinnas, twenty-four miles. 
 
 Having passed, amidst severe frost and snow, the highest 
 Cordilleras of this part of the country, we descended by a very 
 steep road to Vinnas, situated in a narrow valley. During this 
 day's journey, we observed extraordinary large flocks of Vicunns 
 sheep, more numerous than had been seen by us in the other 
 cold regions of -South America. 
 
 From Vinnas to .Jangas, eighteen miles. 
 
 During this day's journey we were frequently in the greatest 
 danger, as the path which leads down tire steep side of the 
 
 E 2 
 
$£ TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 mountains towards the river, steering from south to north, is in 
 many places scarcely a quarter of an ell broad; and if the mule 
 make a single false step, both he and his rider are precipitated 
 into the abyss, and dashed to pieces. About an hour after our 
 arrival at the post-house, we learned that one of the king's pack- 
 asses had been thus killed. 
 
 From Jangas to Lunaguana, eighteen miles. 
 The narrow valley through which we travelled to-day has a 
 sandy soil, which produces pomegranates, figs, citrons, orange*, 
 ananas, chirimoyas, grapes, and a variety of other fruits, in 
 abundance. 
 
 From Lunaguana to Cannette, eighteen miies. 
 About a mile and a half from Cannette we at last reached the 
 extremity of the Cordilleras, and entered a sandy plain, through 
 which we continued our journey towards Lima. 
 From Cannette to Asia, eightaen miles. 
 From Asia to Mala, twelve miles. 
 From Mala to Chilca, twelve miles. 
 
 Near Chilca I found the flat valleys, between the sea-shore; 
 and the hills to the westward, with an incrustation of salt above 
 an inch in thickness. This salt, formed by the heat of the sun, 
 and half crystallized, is carried for sale to Lunaguana. 
 From Chilca to Lurin, twenty-one miles. 
 From Lurin to Lima, eighteen miles. 
 
 Total — From Potosi to Lima, one thousand two hundred 
 and fifteen miles. 
 
 Lima, the vapital of Peru, and the residence of the viceroy, 
 lies in a sandy plain, only two miles in breadth, between the 
 Cordilleras and the sea ; which, it is probable, extended for- 
 merly above a mile further inland towards the mountains. This, 
 at least, would seem evident from the sea-sand and shells with 
 which the Hat ground is covered to the extent of two miles,, and 
 from the numerous small hillocks wholly composed of such 
 shells. 
 
 Lima is a large city; but on account of the frequent earth- 
 quakes, the houses are only one story high, and very slightly 
 constructed with planks, laths, and reeds, plastered over with 
 mortar; the flat roofs being covered with small light shingles. On 
 the outside they have, indeed, a mean appearance, but within 
 they are magnificent aud convenient. The streets are very re- 
 gular, straight, broad, clean, and well paved ; and in almost all 
 of them are palaces of the rich nobles ; some of which are built 
 in the modern style of architecture. Alleys shaded with rows of 
 high lime-trees, country-houses, and gardens, embellish the en- 
 virons of the city ; which would certainly be a most charming 
 place of abode were it less subject to disease and earthquakes, 
 
DESTRUCTION OF LIMA, 8CC. BY E A R Til U AK E S. 33 
 
 and if the inhabitants suffered less from tlie excessive heat and 
 swarms of every kind of vermin. 
 
 The whole coast on the South Sea is here subject to frequent 
 earthquakes: one of which about fifty ago years destroyed Lima, 
 and the extensive seaport Callao, the latter of which was over- 
 whelmed by the waves of the raging ocean. The ruins of Callao 
 are still visible; but the citadel, which was on an eminence 
 considerably higher than the city, remains standing. 
 
 The rich commercial city of Ariquipa has likewise been con- 
 verted by earthquakes into a heap of ruins ; on which, however, 
 fresh inhabitants have been tempted to build, on account of its 
 advantageous situation. With regard to earthquakes, the month 
 of October is the most dangerous season. 
 
 The population of Lima was formerly estimated at seventy 
 thousand ; at present, owing to the total decay of trade in Peru, 
 it is said to have decreased one-third, and to have sunk so 
 low as fifty thousand Spaniards, people of colour, and negroes. 
 
 So late as thirty years ago, Lima was one of the richest and 
 most flourishing cities in Spanish America. But since that time 
 the markets have been so overstocked with European goods, that 
 the capitals of most of the commercial houses became invested 
 in piece and other goods, and all the ready money by degrees 
 emigrated to Cadiz ; which necessarily occasioned an excessive 
 iall in the value of European articles of merchandize. A pair 
 of French silk-stockings, which then cost forty piastres, may be 
 now purchased for six ; and in like manner all European goods 
 have sunk to one third of their former price, and even lower* 
 Thus the merchant gradually lost the capital which he had risked 
 in trade, and was totally ruined. The same is said to be the 
 ease in all the other commercial cities of the Spanish colonies in 
 South America. The consequent scarcity of money caused an 
 almost total stoppage in the working of the mines ; and it seemed 
 as if this source of wealth in Peru would be wholly dried up. 
 To prevent this, the viceroy, La Croix, an intelligent, disin- 
 terested, and generally beloved Netherlander, had requested of 
 the king to scud over to Peru skilful German miners and mine- 
 ralogists, possessed of the requisite talents and knowledge ; and in 
 the mean time erected, at the expence of the proprietors of the 
 mines, a supreme tribunal of the urines, on the plan of a similar 
 tribunal in Mexico. On my arrival in Peru, however, [ found 
 that the members who composed this supreme court were entirely 
 destitute of mineralogical knowledge : and the Peruvian board of 
 mines has not yet expended a single penny for promoting the 
 working of any of the numerous mines under their jurisdiction. 
 Of this the proprietors loudly complain; but their complaints 
 ur£ uo where attended to. Government not only leaves them tu 
 
34 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 themselves without any support, hut likewise depresses them by 
 vexatious processes and chicanery, and by executions on the 
 slightest refusal; by which many have been driven from their homes. 
 The sub-delegates, or judges, in the mining, districts, are more 
 especially the greatest villains, who enrich themselves by their 
 unjust acts of tyranny, and continually accuse the subjects of se- 
 dition and rebellion ; while the viceroy, who resides in the ca- 
 pital, and is a stranger to the extensive region committed to his 
 care, gives himself little trouble about the burthens and oppres- 
 sions under which the people groan. 
 
 I staid only three weeks at Lima, during which time I had 
 several private interviews with the viceroy ; w ho, at the desire 
 of the governor of Guancavelica, ordered me to proceed to 
 that place, as director of the royal quicksilver works, for the 
 purpose of introducing the Idrian, instead of the ill-contrived 
 and wasteful Almadena furnaces. Having received my commis- 
 sion and written instructions, I accordingly left the capital, and 
 arrived at Guancavelica on the 6th of May, 1790, accompanied 
 by my family and five German miners. The sudden transition 
 from the hot climate of Lima to the cold mountainous regions, 
 threw my wife, servants, and miners, into an intermittent fever, 
 from which my wife did not recover till seven months after, by 
 a change of place and air. 
 
 I soon discovered that, in procuring me this commission, M. 
 de Tagle, the governor (an old Creole) who, by pretended pa- 
 triotic projects, had amassed a fortune of a million of piastres, 
 had no other end in view but to derive a profit from furnishing 
 the necessary building materials, for which he received more than 
 four times their value. I accordingly protested against these 
 nefarious proceedings, and began to make my own bricks, which 
 cost no more than half a piastre per hundred, though the go- 
 vernor's workmen had charged L 2o piastres for the same quantity. 
 The governor, however, still counteracted my plans for saving the 
 king's money, by endeavouring to force useless labourers and over- 
 seers upon me. These attempts I resolutely resisted : and on my 
 threatening to return again immediately to Lima, he at length suf- 
 fered me to go on in my own way, and the erecting of the furnaces 
 proceeded with unremitted diligence : but before I could finish 
 them, the governor, having persuaded the viceroy that the Idrian 
 furnaces, though they would cost twice as much as the old ones, 
 were wholly unfit for the intended purpose, procured an order 
 to suspend the work. 1 easily proved the untruth of these ma- 
 licious representations, and the governor was in consequence 
 recalled to Lima, to give an account of his conduct; as it ap- 
 peared that during the three years of his administration only from 
 13 to 14 thousand cwt. of quicksilver had been produced, at m 
 
VILLANOUS CONDUCT OF A SPANTSM GOVERNOR. 35 
 
 expence of 166 piastres per cwt.; though his predecessor had 
 furnished annually 2000 cwts., at from 99 to 100 piastres per 
 cwt. I could not, however, get the suspension taken off. 
 
 1 then proposed to. the viceroy plans for erecting machinery 
 for pounding and washing the ore, which yield only 1-4 per cent, 
 of quicksilver; and proved that 1() of my Idrian furnaces would 
 thus produce as much as the 15 old ones. These plans were 
 rejected by the viceroy, on account of the expence, which I es- 
 timated at 100,000 piastres, though the king annually loses above 
 200,000 by bad management, and an unnecessary number of of- 
 ficers, and the excessive consuption of fuel, which is very scarce 
 and dear. 
 
 An order was soon after sent to me to proceed to the province 
 of Tarma, as superintendent of the celebrated mines of Pasco. 
 This was a fortunate circumstance, a change of air being neces- 
 sary for the re-establishment of my health, as vexation at the 
 unjust treatment I had met with had thrown me into a violent 
 fever, which during four weeks endangered my life. 
 
 The province of Guancavelica contains many extraordinary 
 rich strata and veins of gold, silver, copper, and lead ores, the 
 greatest part of which, however, lie quite neglected, or the pits 
 are not sunk to a sufficient depth. Some of the ores yield from 
 9 to 10 marks, and others <22 marks of silver in every 50 cwt. 
 
 On the 14th of January 1791, I left Guancavelica, and pro- 
 ceeded to Guando, eighteen miles. 
 
 Immediately after leaving Guando, we descended into a deep 
 valley towards Iscuchaca ; near which place we crossed the broad 
 and rapid river Anguiacu, over a neat stone bridge. 
 From Guando to Acostambo, eighteen miles. 
 From Acostambo to Guaiucachi, eighteen miles. 
 From Guaiucachi to Guanjaia, six miles. 
 The valley becomes broader, and is uncommonly pleasant and 
 fertile. On each side of the river are many towns and villages 
 inhabited by Spaniards, Indians, and Creoles. Guanjaia con- 
 tains a parish church, a chapel, and well-built houses, belong- 
 ing to the rich landholders of the district; and its markets are 
 abundantly supplied. 
 
 From Guanjaia to Matuguasi, fifteen miles. 
 From Matuguasi to Gauxa, fifteen miles. 
 Gauxa is a small town with two churches and well-built houses. 
 Here the sub-delegate resides, whose jurisdiction extends as far 
 as Gauiucacbi. 
 
 From Gauxa to Tarma, twenty-four miles. 
 Tarma is the capital of a government of the same name, is 
 situated in a deep narrow valley, and inhabited chiefly by Creoles, 
 Mestizos, and Indians. The adjoining district is very fertile, 
 
36 TRAVEL* IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 but the climate unhealthy ; as the surrounding high mountains 
 prevent a free circulation of air. Near this place are two quick- 
 silver-mines, one of which was dug into an iron-spath vein of 
 five ells, with solid and volatilised cinnabar; both, however, 
 were yet only a few fathoms deep. Here likewise two veins with 
 iintimony and white silver-ore are worked ; and in several pits 
 they dug native salt-petre of an excellent quality. 
 
 From Tarma to Palcainayo, fifteen miles. 
 
 From Palcamayo to Reyes, eighteen miles. 
 
 From this place to Pasco, they have no other fuel but a kind 
 of peat, with which the high mountains are covered a foot deep. 
 
 From Reyes to Carhuamayo, fifteen miles. 
 
 About a mile from Reyes, to the west of the mountains, begin.-- 
 a large lake fourteen miles in length. 
 
 From Carhumavo to Pasco, fifteen miles. 
 
 Pasco is only a small town, where the sub-delegate and the 
 officers who superintend the refining-house, and collect the king's 
 duties, and some wealthy proprietors of mines, reside. Most of 
 the other proprietors live at their mines on the great silver moun- 
 tain Jauricocha, distant about six miles from Pasco. 
 
 Jauricocha contains a prodigious mass of ore (half a mile 
 Jong, equally broad, but in depth only fifteen fathoms), of fine 
 porous brown iron-stone, which is throughout interspersed with 
 pure silver. This iron-stone itself contains, indeed, at most 
 nine marks of silver in every fifty hundred weight: of which, 
 however, the unskilful Indian metallurgist gains from the smelt- 
 ing- furnace only from four to seven marks. But a friable white 
 metallic argil in the middle of the mass of ore, about one- 
 quarter of an ell in thickness, yields from two hundred to one 
 thousand marks of fine silver in every fifty hundred weight. 
 Wherever the miner hits upon this immense vein, he finds ores 
 containing more or less of silver. This has induced a number of 
 needy and ignorant adventurer* to perforate the mass of ore with 
 innumerable holes, without order or regulation: so that it is 
 wonderful that the v. h ile nunc had not lpng ago fallen in. which 
 will probably be tlu; ease in less than forty years: single pits 
 frequently tumble in and kill the workmen; but such accidents 
 excite very little attention. 
 
 Above two hundred private proprietors and workers of mines 
 have their pits on this mountain, and annually extract about two 
 hundred thousand marks of silver. 
 
 After 1 had spent two months in examining into the state of 
 the mines and smelting-houses, I sent a long report to the vice- 
 roy, in which I pointed out all the defects I had observed, and 
 proposed what I thought the best means for rendering them more 
 productive, and the working of them permanently advantageous, 
 
REMARKS ON BUENOS AYRES AND PERU. 57 
 
 both to the private proprietors and adventurers, ant! to the king's 
 treasury. But neither here nor at Bellavista, in the province 
 of Cajatambo, a hundred and thirty-five miles from Lima, was 
 I able to effect any thing. 
 
 The viceroy absolutely refused any pecuniary assistance from 
 the funds appropriated to the improvement of the mines; and 
 would not approve of the plan for raising the necessary supplies 
 by a loan. All I could obtain was a commendatory epistle in 
 praise of my zeal. 1 therefore resolved to remain no longer in 
 Peru — a laud morally and physically pernicious to me; — where 
 J had sacrificed my health to the conscientious discharge of duty; 
 having been obliged, in the execution of the most dangerous 
 and laborious commissions, to act not only as a director of the 
 smelting-houses, but likewise as carpenter, smith, and mason ; 
 and where i had endeavoured by every means to dispel the in- 
 credible ignorance and barbarism prevailing in the mint and min- 
 ing departments, by erecting laboratories, and reading lectures 
 with suitable experiments. 
 
 But the overseers and officers of the mines, whose want 
 of skill and malpractices I exposed, counteracted with all 
 their might the royal commissioners, by secret cabals and the 
 basest calumnies. In writing and in conversation they decried 
 the Germans as arch-heretics, German Jews, and cheats; as 
 men, in short, who, it was to be feared, would corrupt the mo- 
 rals of the honest miners and overseers ; and tried every means 
 to render them suspicious to the proprietors of the mines, fear- 
 ing lest, by listening to our instructions, they might be induced 
 to examine too narrowly into the conduct of their ignorant and 
 dishonest servants. 
 
 They even excited the Indian labourers against us, by insi- 
 nuating that the foreigners had come solely for the purpose of 
 working the mines by machinery, and would thus deprive them 
 of the means of subsistence. In this opposition they were en- 
 couraged and joined by a numerous band of merchants in the 
 principal cities ; as I had spoken loudly against the enormous 
 usury of from 30 to 40 per cent, by which they oppressed the 
 workers of the mines, and made every effort to put a stop to their 
 rapacity. 
 
 IJei'ore I take a final leave of South America, I shall, for the 
 information of my readers, give a few general observations rela- 
 tive to Buenos Ayres and Peru. 
 
 The gold and silver mines are the chief source of riches in 
 this country. The inland trade of the provinces is inconsiderable, 
 on account of the want of culture, and the thinness of the popu- 
 lation ; and the foreign commerce is of the passive kind, being 
 almost entirely in the hands of Europeans. 
 
 HELMS.] F 
 
38 
 
 TRAVELS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 Almost all the mines in Peru were first opened by deserters 
 from the army and navy, sailors, and other vagabonds; and eon- 
 tinned to be worked without observance of the mine-laws and 
 regulations, as if merely for the sake of plunder ; and most of 
 them are even at present in this wretched condition. 
 
 Iu 1789, three million live hundred and seventy thousand 
 piastres in silver, and seven hundred and sixty-six thousand seven 
 hundred and sixty-eight piastres in gold, wer coined at the royal 
 mint of Lima; and in the year 1790, five hundred and thirty- 
 four thousand marks of silver, and six thousand and thirty-eight 
 marks of gold. Of these sums above one half was the produce 
 of the mines of Gnalgayoc and Pasco. The mines of Guanta- 
 jaya, in the government of Ariquipa, three hundred miles from 
 Lima, and six from the sea-port Iquique, annually yield thirty- 
 eight thousand marks of silver ; but might yield a considerable 
 greater quantity, if it were not situated in the dry burning sandy 
 desert on the sea-shore. Fresh water must be fetched from a 
 distance of from twenty to thirty miles ; and a common drink ing- 
 glass full is sometimes sold at the rate of a piastre. The ores 
 there dug out are for the most part rich horn ores; and sometimes 
 they meet with large lumps of pure silver. 
 
 If Peru, Chili, and Buenos Ayres, possessed the same ad- 
 vantages as the more populous and industrious kingdom of Mex- 
 ico, where royal and private banks are established for the sup- 
 port and furthering of the mines, and advancing money to the 
 workers of them, and where, as it is less distant from the mother 
 country, a stricter obedience is paid to the laws, and a better 
 system of policy and economy prevails — Peru (where every 
 thing still remains in a state of chaotic confusion) might alone 
 furnish annually a four times greater quantity of gold and silver 
 than Mexico, which abounds less with these precious metals. 
 But this is very far from being the case. 
 
 From authentic registers transmitted to the governors of the 
 different provinces, it appears that from the 1st of January to 
 the 31st of December, 1790, they coined in the royal mint* 
 
 At Mexico 
 At Lima 
 At Potosi 
 
 At St. Jatio 
 
 Total 
 
 In Gold 
 Piastres. 
 
 In Silver 
 Piastres. 
 
 Total 
 Piastres. 
 
 62 ,044 
 821,168 
 299,816 
 721,754 
 
 17,435,644 
 
 4,341,071 
 
 3,983,176 
 
 146,1S2 
 
 18,063,688 
 
 5,162,239 
 
 4,283,022 
 
 867,886 
 
 2,470,812 
 
 2,5906,023128,376,835 
 
ACCOUNT OF MONEY COINED. 
 
 39 
 
 The same in English money, reckoning the piastres at 3s. Id. 
 Places. 
 
 Gold. 
 
 
 /. 
 
 S. (1. 
 
 Mexico 
 
 11 2,5'2 1 
 
 11 
 
 Lima 
 
 1 If, 125 
 
 13 8 
 
 Potosi 
 
 53,723 
 
 8 2 
 
 St. Jago 
 
 129,314 
 
 5 2 
 
 Silver. 
 
 /. 
 i, 12.5,886 
 772,775 
 7!3,G52 7 4 
 2<3,131 19 8 
 
 Total. 
 
 d. /. s. 
 
 4 4 3,23(3,410 15 
 4 . 
 
 7 
 
 Total 
 
 M 2,687 3 0H,636,495 15 9 5,079,132 18 
 
 d. 
 
 4 
 919,901 3 1 
 767,371 15 6 
 155,lo6 4 10 
 
 If to these sums we add the gold and silver fabricated into 
 various utensils for churches, convents, and private persons; 
 and the sums clandestinely exported by the merchants without 
 being coined, which is supposed to amount to a third, or even 
 to one half of the whole, we may venture to estimate the annual 
 produce at about nine millions sterling. 
 
 When the silver has been melted and refined at the royal mint, 
 the following duties are deducted: 
 
 One half per cent, cobos, or old established duty to the king. 
 
 Six per cent, real diesmo, or the king's tythe. 
 
 Six per cent, derechos de fundicion, or to defray the expence 
 of melting and reiining, for one bar of two hundred marks. 
 
 On every mark of silver, one real de la Plata for the salaries, 
 &c of the royal tribunal of the mines. 
 
 As soon as the silver is melted, stamped, and proved, eight 
 piastres, five reals, and thirteen marvedis de Plata, is, according 
 to the regulations of the mint, paid for each mark. 
 
 Gold only pays four per cent, duty ; and after deducting the 
 expence of melting and proving it, the royal treasury allows six- 
 teen piastres for it, if it be of the fineness of twenty-two carats. 
 
 The physicians having certified that, from the deranged state 
 of my health, I could not without the most imminent danger of 
 my life continue to act as commissioner of the mines of the 
 Cordilleras, the viceroy reluctantly gave me permission to return 
 to Europe. Accordingly on the 25th December, 1792, I sailed 
 from Callao, the port of Lima, in lat. 12° 3' S. and long. 298° 
 30', on board a register-ship ; which proceeded to Europe by 
 Cape Horn. 
 
 On the 28th of May, 1793, I safely arrived at Cadiz, and 
 immediately set out for Madrid; where, after spending seven 
 months in tedious solicitations to have the terms of my agree- 
 ment fulfilled, 1 at last obtained, as a reward for my services, a 
 email pension for life, 
 
 F 2 
 
[ 40 ] 
 
 APPENDIX ; 
 
 Containing Particulars, methodically arranged, of the various 
 Countries belonging to Spain in South jhnerica, compiled 
 and translated by the English Editor, from the latest and 
 best Authorities*. 
 
 OPANISH America is divided into four vice-royalties, of 
 unequal dimensions, viz. 
 
 That of Mexico, or New Spain, comprehending New Gallicia, 
 New Biscay, New Navarre, New Leon, New Mexico, the 
 
 oridas, and the two Callifornias. 
 
 That of New Grenada, comprehending Terra Firma, Panama, 
 Veraguay, and the province ot Quito. 
 
 That of Lima, comprehending Peru and Chili. 
 
 And that of la Plata, comprehending Paraguay, Tucuman, and 
 a part of the former Peru. 
 
 Between the 40th deg. of N. Iat. and the 50th deer, of S. hit. 
 he these kingdoms of Mexico, New Grenada, .Lima, and La 
 Plata. They extend more than 6,000 geographical miles in 
 length, and are from 60 to 900 miles in breadth. The popula- 
 tion has been estimated at about five millions of Spaniards and 
 people of various colours, and about as many Negroes and -wild 
 Indians. 
 
 In order to facilitate the administration of justice, the pro- 
 vinces are divided into awlicencies, which arc again subdivided 
 into partidos. They arc also divided into military districts, which 
 are under the authority of captains-general, governors, and com- 
 manders. 
 
 The viceroys maintain a splendid court, though their power is 
 extremely limited, from the authority possessed by the judges, 
 and from their not being permitted to interfere with the colonial 
 treasures, or the military or marine forces. 
 
 The military department is much neglected in all the Spanish 
 possessions; the militia being found sufficient to keep the Indians 
 iu subjection: and the marine is confined to ten corvettes, or 
 armed galleons, stationed along a coast extending from nine to 
 twelve thousand miles! 
 
 All colonial affairs are finally referred to the Council of the 
 Indies, which holds its sittings at Madrid, and of which the 
 minister of the Indies is the perpetual president. 
 
 The inhabitants of these immense territories have, during three 
 
 * See the conclusion of the preface. 
 
GENERAL PARTICULARS. 41 
 
 centuries, groaned under the severest despotism, so that com- 
 merce has been injured, agriculture neglected, and the exertions 
 of industry paralyzed, and in a great measure rendered abortive. 
 Galleons, and afterwards register-ships, were exclusively per- 
 mitted to carry out European merchandize to the colonies, and 
 in return brought back the gold and silver drawn from the mines 
 of the new world, which the indolent Spaniards saw with per- 
 fect apathy go to enrich the surrounding commercial nations. 
 
 Spain did not, however, succeed in her projects of monopoly, 
 as the other European nations, winch were prohibited by the 
 most severe laws from entering any of her colonial ports, never- 
 theless contrived, with a boldness and perseverance equal to the 
 importance of the object they had in view, to supply these coun- 
 tries with every article of which they might stand in need. In 
 particular our own merchants, as well as those of Holland, era- 
 ployed by turns, gold and the force of arms, to counteract the 
 vigilance of the Spanish guarda costas, stationed along the 
 coast, to prevent such contraband traffic. The idea was indeed 
 equally absurd and impolitic, to endeavour to shut out the one 
 half of the world from all connection with the other. 
 
 From these and other circumstances, no advantage has hitherto 
 been derived from the precious metals, either by America herself 
 or the mother country; since the former is not permitted to ex- 
 change her gold and silver for those commodities of which she 
 may stand in need, and the latter is at no pains to supply those 
 wants. 
 
 L\\ 1778, Galvez, at that time minister of American affairs, 
 endeavoured to produce some changes in their absent colonial 
 system. Under his administration, thirteen principal ports in 
 Old Spain were successively permitted to engage in a free trade 
 with the colonies. But this minister still wished to prevent, as 
 far as possible, other nations from a participation in the benefits 
 to be derived from this trade, which was the reason why he only 
 rendered a very few of the American ports free, and established a 
 most rigorous system of police, in order to prevent the introduc- 
 tion of contraband commodities. We are informed by M. Bom- 
 going, in his view of Spain, that this liberty was not extended 
 to the Spanish colonies in general till 1783. 
 
 However paradoxical it may appear, several Spaniards affirm, 
 that those prohibitory measures have tended rather to increase 
 than diminish this illicit commerce; but the best informed mer- 
 cantile men assert, on the contrary, that since this period, the 
 manufactures of Old Spain have been greatly improved and mul- 
 tiplied : the linens of Navarre and Arragon, the cloths of Se- 
 govia, the silks of Valencia, besides various other articles, render 
 the Spanish commerce less dependant on foreign importations. 
 
40. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 During 1778, the first year after the establishment of those 
 new regulations, the following number of vessels were freighted 
 for South America, from seven of the principal ports of Spain. 
 
 The subjoined tables shew at one view the value <. • their car- 
 goes in British money, and the proportion between the exports 
 of Spanish produce, and that furnished by other states. 
 
 PORTS. 
 
 Value of 
 Spanish 
 Product:. 
 
 £ I 
 
 Value of 
 Foreign 
 
 Produce. 
 
 Du'ics 
 Paid. 
 
 63 
 
 332,701 
 
 25 
 
 69,691 
 
 23 
 
 163,290 
 
 34 
 
 85,637 
 
 13 
 
 19,128 
 
 3 
 
 5,299 
 j 
 
 9 
 
 30,165 1 
 
 /. 
 
 From Cadiz 
 
 — — Corunna - - 
 
 Barcelona 
 
 Malaga - - 
 
 St. Andero 
 
 — — Alicant - - 
 
 St. Croiv, 
 
 in Tenet iffe 
 
 Total | 170 | 105,911 | 1,156,924 
 
 92 .',.543 
 66,h2f< 
 52.513 
 12.927 
 99.807 
 2,308 
 
 j 66 
 7 
 
 I 8 
 3 
 
 7 
 
 /. 
 ,926 
 
 18* 
 384 
 618 
 
 32S 
 
 735 
 ,841 
 
 Table shewing the amount of the imports into Spain fiom 
 South America, in 1778: 
 
 PORTS. 
 
 Value of the 
 Cargoes. 
 
 Amount of 
 the Duties. 
 
 To Cadiz 
 
 . Corunna 
 
 —— Barcelona 
 — - Malaga ■ 
 
 St. A udero 
 
 Alicant - - - -- 
 
 St. Croix, in 
 
 Tenerirtc 
 
 /. s. 
 
 860,257 2 
 
 683,328 6 
 
 107,713 15 
 
 24,745 14 
 
 114,852 9 
 
 29,895 13 
 
 43,164 4 
 
 /. 
 
 24,388 
 
 43,386 
 
 1,931 
 
 119 
 
 1,680 
 
 7 
 10 
 
 \r> 
 
 15 
 
 6 
 
 2,779 18 
 
 Total | 13511,863,957 3 | 74,286 11 
 
 From 1778 to 1788, the number of free ports in the mother 
 country, had been increased from seven to twelve. The expor- 
 tation of Spanish merchandize had also, during the same, period, 
 been more than quintupled, the exports of foreign products in 
 Spanish bottoms more than tripled, and the imports from Ame- 
 rica in return augmented by more than nine tenths. 
 
 The following table given in M. Bourgoing's account of Spain, 
 exhibits at one view the amount of the Spanish exports and im- 
 ports to and from South America during 1783: 
 
GENERAL PARTICULARS. 
 
 4S 
 
 PORTS. 
 
 Value of Spanish 
 Produce. 
 
 Value of Foreign 
 Produce. 
 
 Value of Colonial 
 Imports. 
 
 Senile 
 
 Cadi/. ■ 
 
 Malaga - - 
 
 Barcelona • 
 
 ( 'oiuniia - - ■ ■ 
 
 St. Sebastian 
 
 Attacks of Tortusa 
 at. Andero - - - — 
 
 Ojjoii --- 
 
 Alicaut 
 
 Palma 
 
 Canaries - 
 
 Total 
 
 95,275 
 
 2,281,1310 
 
 318 801 
 
 742,209 
 
 249,838 
 
 9,113 
 
 21,609 
 
 127,1:71 
 
 1,544 
 13,564 
 14,971 
 55,264 
 
 /. s. 
 
 14,342 4 
 
 3,038,345 13 
 
 33,683 17 
 
 52,082 18 
 
 79,488 7. 
 
 360 2 
 
 281,948 15 
 
 28,299 16 
 
 815 
 
 32,990 12 
 
 7. 3,930.576 1 | 3,562,357 4 | 
 
 3,249 5 
 
 18,382,895 16 
 
 296,738 2 
 
 886,162 8 
 
 2,040,639 14 
 
 283,888 5 
 
 6,230 17 
 
 657,398 2 
 
 16,052 5 
 
 15,877 1.5 
 
 6,852 2 
 
 71,585 l g 
 
 22,667,320 9 
 
 From the preceding table it appears that the total value of the 
 imports from South America, during 1788, amounted 
 
 to ,£.22,607,320 9 
 
 And the total of the exports to . . 7,493,933 5 
 
 So that the imports exceed the exports by £. 15,173,387 4 
 
 In 1788, the duties on the exports and imports amounted 
 to 1,386,423 14 
 
 Whereas in 1778 they produced . 169,032 5 
 
 Surplus in 1788 .... .£.1,217,391 9 
 From various authorities, it appears certain, that Spain has, 
 since J 788, exported to South America more wines, fruits, and 
 manufactured productions, than formerly; it is equally certain, 
 that she has also since imported a greater quantity of tobacco, 
 sugar, coffee, and other commodities from her American pos- 
 sessions, though these arc still far from having obtained that de- 
 gree of perfection of which they are susceptible ; that, in short, 
 the intercourse between the mother country and her colonies has 
 become much greater than at any former period. Previous to 
 1778, twelve or fifteen vessels only were engaged in the colonial 
 trade, and these never performed more than one voyage in the 
 course of three years; but in 1791, eighty-nine ships cleared 
 out from different Spanish ports for South America. 
 
 It is not easy to ascertain the exact quantity of gold and silver 
 drawn by Spain from the mines in her American colonics. 
 Part of these metals is converted into current coin at Lima, 
 Santa-Fe, Carthagcna, and especially in Mexico, but a part 
 also is sent under the form of ingots, either clandestinely or le- 
 gally, to the mother country. Some judgment might be formed 
 of the quantity of precious metals obtained from the mines, 
 by the duties levied on their produce ; but these have greatly 
 fluctuated, nor have they been at all times uniform in every part 
 
44 APPENDIX. 
 
 of Spanish America. The duty at first levied was one fifth, hut 
 this was, in some cases, afterwards reduced to one tenth, and in 
 others to one twentieth. 
 
 Ju 1552, Charles V. added to this duty If per cent, to defray 
 the ex pence of coinage, &c; at a later period, the duty of one 
 fifth was reduced in Peru and Mexico, to one tenth. 
 
 According to the latest assessments, the duty on silver is 1 1 1 
 per cent, and on gold 3 per cent. From these data, it might, 
 therefore, be supposed that a pretty accurate estimate could be 
 formed of the annual product- of die mines ; but the amount of 
 these duties being frequently confounded in the custom-house 
 accounts, with those on quicksilver, paper, Sec. ihey afford no 
 just criterion on the subject. 
 
 The most accurate information respecting this matter is, per- 
 haps, to be found iu the statement given by M. Helms, which 
 makes the produce almost five millions, in 1790, nearly 
 three of which were in Mexico. 
 
 In 1791, Spanish as well as foreign merchants, received per- 
 mission to import Negro slaves and hardware, and to export the 
 productions of La Plata. This encouragement has contributed 
 greatly to the advancement of agriculture, and the increase of 
 population. The pasture-grounds support millions of oxen, horses, 
 sheep, and swine. Such numbers of horned cattle are reared, 
 that in the year 1792, 825,609 ox hides were shipped lor Spain 
 alone. There is an abundance of salt in that province; and no 
 want of convenient places where boats and ships may take in 
 a cargo of salted flesh for exportation. The Rio de la Plata, 
 the Uraguay, Parana, and other smaller streams, afford great ad- 
 vantages in this respect. 
 
 In 1796, there arrived 3.5 loaded ships at Buenos Ayres from 
 Cadiz; twenty-two from Barcelona, Malaga, and Alsaquez; nine 
 from Corunna; five from St. Audero ; one from Vigo; and one 
 from Gijon. The value of that part of the cargoes which con- 
 sisted of Spanish productions, amounted to 1,705,866 American 
 dollars. The value of the following manufactures, Sec. which 
 were imported in the above ships, amounted to 1,148,078; and 
 the sum total of both, to 2,853,944 piastres. On the other hand, 
 there sailed from Buenos Ayres twenty-six ships for Cadiz ; ten 
 for Barcelona, Malaga, and Alicant; eleven for Corunna; and 
 four for St. Andero. These carried coined and uncoined gold 
 of the value of 1,425,701 piastres. The value of the silver 
 exported amounted to nearly 2,556,304, and that of the other 
 productions of the province to 1,076,877 piastres. The value 
 of all the exports consequently amounted to 5,058,882. The 
 goods exported consisted of 874,593 raw ox hides ; 43,752 horse 
 hides ; 24,436 skins of a finer sort ; 46,800 arrobes of melted 
 
L.\ PLATA. 45 
 
 fallow; 771 arrobes of Vicimna wool ; 22(54 arrobes of com- 
 mon wool ; -and 29 1 arrobes of the wool of the Guanaco, or 
 camel sheep ; 1 1,S90 goose wings ; 4.5 1 ,000 ox horns ; 3223 cwt. 
 of copper; 4 cwt. tin; 254! tanned hides; 222 dozen of manu- 
 factured sheep skins ; 2128 cwt. of salted beef ; and 185 cwt. of 
 salted pork. 
 
 The increase of trade in the province of La Plata clearly ap- 
 pears from a comparative statement of the imports and exports 
 of 179") and 17y(i. In this latter year there were imported 
 938,481 piastres worth of goods from Spain; 760,361 piastres 
 worth from the Havannah ; and 50,154 piastres worth from 
 Lima, more than in the year immediately preceding. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE VICEROYALTY OF LA PLATA. 
 
 Thi 
 
 IS portion of South America may be said to consist of 
 four distinct and grand divisions, viz. the audiency of Charcas, 
 or the detached provinces adjoining Peru; the government of 
 I'an/guai/ proper; that of Buenos Ayres; and Tucuman, with 
 New Ghili, or the provinces of Chili which lie to the east of 
 the Andes, and do not belong to the presidency of St. Jago. 
 
 In the greater part of this viceroyalty the subdivisions con- 
 stantly undergo changes ; for new colonies are suddenly founded, 
 and ancient ones are frequently abandoned. 
 
 CHARCAS; OR, SOUTHERN PERU. 
 
 This audiency is, according to some authors, divided into 
 several huge provinces or governments, of which the following 
 are the principal : 
 
 Moxos. This province is very extensive: it joins to the 
 south with that of Sania-Cruz de la Sierra, and the lands of the 
 Chiquito Indians : to the east it borders on Brasil. It is up- 
 wards of 450 miles long from north to south ; and nearly 600 
 broad from east to west. The air is hot and moist, on account 
 of the rivers and vast forests which the country contains. This 
 province is fertile, and abounds in plants, grain, and fruits, which 
 require much heat to bring them to perfection: such, for example, 
 as maize, sugar-canes, yucas (a plant which is made into bread 
 in almost every part of America, and which by many Europeans 
 is prefcred to that of wheat,) rice, the plutunos, which the fn- 
 dians consider as their best aliment, and green ajos, a species 
 of green pear. They obtain abundant harvests of cotton and 
 cocoa-nuts, the pulp of which is so tender and rich, that the 
 chocolate which is made from it is of a better taste, and more 
 
 HELMS.] t; 
 
46 APPENDIX. 
 
 nourishing than any er kind. In the forests are found, guauv- 
 cum-wood, cinnamon, and a tree called nutria., from which a 
 medicinal oil is acquired, which is highly esteemed for its virtue in 
 bracing the stomach. The country also produces quinquina, or 
 Peruvian bark, cedar-wood, and almond-trees, which are differ- 
 ent from those of Europe ; besides vanilla, and a quantity of 
 wax. Many wild animals are to be met with, particularly tigers, 
 bears, and hogs. The rivers swarm with fish. 
 
 Santa-Cruz de la Sierra- This province is bounded 
 on the north by that of Moxos ; to the east by the Chiquito In- 
 dians; and to the west by that of Mizque. It is a country in- 
 tersected by hills, and its climate, though hot, is not so moist 
 as that of Moxos. It produces a sort of palm wood, which is 
 so hard that it is used for making balconies, and other purpose* 
 which require great strength. There is another species of it, 
 called motaqui, the large leaves of which are used as thatch for 
 houses, while the small ones are eaten as a sallad by the poorer 
 sort of people. From the body of the tree a flour is obtained, 
 which the people make into very pleasant cakes, and eat as bread. 
 This province abounds with all sorts of birds, as well as with 
 tigers, bears, and hogs. The soil produces rice, maize, sugar- 
 canes, &c. and the bees afford quantities of wax. 
 
 About sixty miles to the south of the capital are four hordes 
 of Indians, who are on friendly terms with the Spaniards, and 
 supply them with wax, cotton, and maize. There are other 
 Indians to the east of the river of Paraguay, who are such bar- 
 barians that they eat their prisoners. These people have a cus- 
 tom of going to the river at midnight to bathe; and whatever 
 may be the weather, their women also bathe in the open air as 
 soon as they have lain in ; when, on returning from their ablu- 
 tions, they roll themselves on a heap of sand, which they keep iu 
 their houses for that purpose. 
 
 The new Santa-Cruz tie la Sierra (for the old town, which 
 was more towards the south, is destroyed,) is » large city, well 
 peopled, and lias a governor and a bishop: the latter, however, 
 resides at MUque Pocona. 
 
 The cruelty which characterized the first Spanish colonists, 
 gave rise to a shocking degree of anarchy, which has ever since 
 prevailed through those countries. Muratori thus describes their 
 conduct: " Some Spanish merchants," says he, " who had es- 
 tablished themselves on the other side of the Peruvian mountains, 
 and particularly those of Santa-Cruz de la Sierra, formed amongst 
 them a kind of union or company, the object of which was to make 
 slaves of the Indians, and sell them. They entered the Indian 
 territory, particularly the country of the Chiquitos, with arms 
 w ihcir hands, travelled to the distance of a hundred and twentv 
 
LA PLATA. 47 
 
 miles, all the way chasing the savages, as hunters do their prey ; 
 and if the spoil which they made on the lands of their enemies 
 were not equal to their wishes, they suddenly fell upon the neigh- 
 bouring hordes, with whom they were at peace, put them without 
 mercy to the sword, or burned alive in their cabins all who at- 
 tempted to resist them, while the rest were taken as slaves. To 
 give the colour of justice to their barbarous attacks, they always 
 pretended to have received some injury. On returning they sold 
 their slaves for any price to men who conducted them in chains 
 to Peru, and gained a considerable profit by selling them again. 
 This trade produced several thousand piastres per annum to those 
 who were concerned in it." 
 
 CnucjUiSACA. This province is the first which bore the 
 name of Chaco, a name which may be said to have afterwards 
 performed a journey ; as it gradually extended to the southward, 
 and now comprises the low countries and plains between Para- 
 guay and Pilcomayo. 
 
 La Plata, or Chuquisaca, the capital, was first called La 
 Plata, on account of a famous silver mine, which was in the 
 mountain of Porco, near the city in question, and from which 
 the incas derived immense sums. The nobility of this place are 
 the most distinguished of any in Peru, and they still retain many 
 privileges. The number of the inhabitants is about 14,000, 
 ■amongst whom are many Spaniards. This city is the residence 
 of an archbishop, whose authority extends over the whole vice- 
 royalty. 
 
 Potosi. This corregidory* contains the famous silver mines 
 which have been so often mentioned. These mines afforded, be- 
 tween the years 1 545 and 1 648, the enormous sum of 80,000,000 
 of pounds sterling; and they are still far from exhaustion. The 
 metal continues to be abundant, though the most accessible part 
 has been taken away, and the Spaniards will not give tliemaelves 
 die trouble to sink these mines very deep, because there are in 
 Peru, and even in the vicinity of Potosi, many others which 
 can be more easily worked. 
 
 The city or town of Potosi contains, according to Helms, 
 100,000 souls, inclusive of slaves ; but other writers state the 
 numbers at not more than 50,000. We ought, however, to pre- 
 fer the testimony of Helms, because he resided many years in 
 that country. Potosi is the seat of the administration of the 
 mines, and the tribunals that relate thereto : it is the centre of a very 
 considerablecommerce, which is conveyed by the river Pilcomayo. 
 
 * A cerregidery is a district, which is governed by a Spanish magistrate, 
 called a Curreguhr, His otlice combines the duties of a deputy governor, 
 and a justice of -the peace. 
 
 G 2 
 
48 APPENDIX. 
 
 The following corregidories are situated to the north of PotoM 
 and Chuquisaca. 
 
 Sicasica. This corregidory, which takes it? same from 
 the capital, joins, to the north and north-east, with the province 
 of Larecaja, in the bishopric of La Paz '. it is one of the largest 
 corregidories in the viceroyalty. All sorts of cattle are bred in 
 it ; and it produces every kind of fruit, as well as sugar-canes, 
 cocoa, and good wine. The bark of this district is as good as 
 that of Loxa. Its forests afford several valuable sorts of wood, 
 and it is said to contain two rich gold mines. The inhabitants 
 make the wool of their sheep into various kinds of shifts. 
 
 Oucao. This corregidory, the capita! of which bears the 
 same name, joins on the north with that of Sicasica. It is 
 subject to storms. A quantity of gunpowder is made in it, and 
 it formerly contained some excellent mines of gold and silver, 
 which have been much degraded by inundations. This province 
 extends fifty-four miles from east to west, and twenty from north 
 to south. Its mines still produce annually about ftOO bars of 
 silver, which weigh about eight ounces a- piece. 
 
 Jamparaes. This corregidory produces fruits, yams, barley, 
 wheat, maize, &c. which are sent to the cities of La Plata and 
 Potosi. It has a considerable salt-mine, and the country fur- 
 nishes wine and sugar. Amongst several wild birds which it 
 contains, there is one called the r.urpfhtar. as it perforates the 
 trees with its beak, and builds its nests in the holes. 
 
 Miscjtje. This corregidory joins to the south with that of 
 Jamparaes. Its production consists of maize, pulse, Migar-canes, 
 and wine, and its forests afford cedars, bark, £k.c. It also ha»> 
 a silver mine. 
 
 Cayata. This corregidory, which bears the same name as 
 the capital, borders to the east on that of Jamparaes. It is I OS 
 miles long from east to west, by 13* in breadth, from north to 
 south. Its temperature is very variable. In its valleys wheat 
 and maize are grown, and cattle of every Kind are reared. It 
 contains two mines of gold, three of silver, one of copper, one 
 of lead, and one of tin. The forests furnish different sorts ot 
 wood, and a number of parroquets harbour in the trees: they 
 also abound in bees, whose honey is well known by the name of 
 the Charcas kind. 
 
 Cochabamba. This corregidory, the capital of which is 
 Oropesa, borders to the south on that of Cayata ; and to the 
 west on that of Sicasica. It is 120 miles Long, by Q(> broad; 
 and is called, with propriety, the granary of Peru: for it pro- 
 duces vast quantities of grain and seeds. The fruits of the \;;lky 
 of Arqua are much celebrated. In the higher parts they breed 
 
LA PLATA. 49 
 
 sheep and horned cattle. Formerly much gold was derived 
 from this district, and verv lucrative veins are still met with. 
 
 C.\ rang as. This corregidorv, the capital of which is Tar 11- 
 paca, contiguous to the laguna, or lake, called das Auliagas, 
 is JOB miles long, by <j)0 in breadth. A number of cattle and 
 hogs are reared 111 it, as well as Peruvian sheep. It has silver 
 mines, which are well worked, and in which lumps of massive 
 silver are found, that, according to Ulloa, often weigh 75lbs. 
 and upwards each. 
 
 Pa hi a. This corregidorv likewise bears the name of its 
 capital : it borders to the north on that of Sicasica ; and to the 
 west on that of Carangas. The people rear Peruvian sheep and 
 lamas. It contains salt mines, saline lakes, and hot springs. 
 There are worked iu it a mine of silver, one of tin, and one of 
 lead. 
 
 Pilaya AND Paspaya. The capital of this corregidorv is 
 ■called Cinti. It abounds in fruits and wine ; and they male 
 from the grapes a very celebrated sort of brandy. 
 
 Tom in A. This corregidorv bears the same name as its ca- 
 pital, and is 72 miles iu length, by 210 in circumference; but 
 one part of it is occupied by Indians. Its climate is very hot, 
 particularly in the vallies. It abounds in fruits, and plantations 
 of sugar-canes, the latter of which are said to last thirty years. 
 
 There are also quantities of cattle and horses. In a village 
 called Olopo, a district of Tomina, the natives are so little and 
 deformed, that they seem like pigmies. They are also much 
 afflicted with ruptures. 
 
 Poroo. The corregidorv so called, whose capital is Talve- 
 vara de Puna, is 180 miles long, and .120, broad. The inha- 
 bitants rear great numbers of cattle, sheep, and guanacos. There 
 are hot springs ; and the principal revenues arise from the pro- 
 duce of two gold mines, one silver mine, and one of copper. A 
 single miner some years ago found in the district of Tomaheur, 
 a lump of metal worth 3,000,000 of dollars*. 
 
 Atacama. The capital of this corregidorv bears the name 
 of .S7. Francois d'Atac.ama. It is bounded on the north by the 
 province of Arica ; on the south by Chili ; and on the west by 
 the South Sea. It abounds in fruits and seeds ; and the moun- 
 tains produce ostriches and numbers of Peruvian sheep. There 
 
 * In commerce, the Spaniards give the name of piastre, to the common 
 Spanish dollar: though there is a coin of the same kind, which circulates iu 
 Portugal and Spain under the name of piastre, and which is something in- 
 terior in value. The piastre of ttaly passes tor five shillings sterling, that of 
 Spain for three shillings and seven-pence. If we estimate the value of this 
 lump, according to tl^u* sJJjX! of three shillings and seven pence, its amount 
 will be 537,500/, ! 
 
Sb APTENDIX. 
 
 are also two silver mines, two of gold, one of copper, and one 
 of lead, as well as some hot springs, and a lake, the water of 
 which is as salt as that of the sea. Talc and alum are also found 
 here. 
 
 LspBft. This correddory, whose capita! is of the same name, 
 borders to the east on that of Atacama. It is 180 miles long, 
 by ("i0 in breadth; and it affords an excellent kind of bark, and a 
 sort of millet. There are also numbers of ostriches, partridges, 
 and Peruvian sheep ; and in the plains are found salt, salt-petre, 
 and sulphur. It also contains mines of red and white copper, 
 the strata of which are intermixed with gold and silver, iron and 
 loadstone. The silver mine is very abundant. 
 
 Chi cas. Tarija is the capital of this place. Its soil pro- 
 duces a quantity of corn, oil, grapes, and other fruits. 
 
 PARAGUAY. 
 
 As the subdivisions of this great province are very imperfectly 
 inown, we shall describe them in a more general manner than 
 we have done the places preceding. 
 
 JNatukf. of the Country. Paraguay takes its name from 
 the great river Paraguay, as the province called Rio de la Plata 
 does from the lower part of the same river, that takes, a little 
 above Buenos Ayres, this name, which is equivalent to that of 
 the- river of silver. It was so called by the Spaniards who fust 
 proceeded up it, probably because they found some spangles of 
 silver mixed amongst the sand. Several geographers have asserted, 
 that there are mines of gold and silver in the environs of the river ; 
 but it would be difficult to prove what they have advanced. It 
 is, however, certain, that Paraguay produces neither iron nor 
 copper. The Jesuits have declared this to be the case; and 
 their assertion is confirmed by Helms. 
 
 The upper part of the country, which lies along the rivers of 
 Paraguay, Pilcomayo, and Vermejo, consists of fine plains,watered 
 by a great number of rivulets, agreeable hills, and thick forests ; 
 but the lower part contains a series of barren or swampy countries, 
 in which there are saline plains. To the cast of Parana, the 
 ground is hilly. 
 
 Vegetable Productions. Without mentioning either 
 the maize, which the Indians, who have submitted to the Spa- 
 niards, use generally for making bread, or the manioc ami yuca, 
 roots from which they prepare another sort of bread, which is 
 very useful for travellers, as it will keep a long while, all the 
 sorts of grain and pulse which the Spaniards have introduced in 
 Paraguay grow with astonishing success. There are, indeed, 
 but wry few vines, either because the soil is not fit for them, or 
 
LA PLATA. 51 
 
 perhaps because the missionaries have prevented thein from being 
 generally introduced, in order to check, the outrages which ge- 
 nerally follow the use of wine. Instead of this liquor, the In- 
 dians drink, at their festivals, a kind of beer, which is nothing 
 more than water in which they have left to ferment for two or 
 three days some maize flour, the seed of which has been steeped 
 m water, and allowed to germinate, after which it is dried and 
 ground. This liquor is capable of inebriating the drinker: it is 
 called chica or ciccia ; and the Indians think that nothing can be 
 more delicious. It is said, that the chica is move agreeable' to 
 the palate than cyder, and more light and wholesome than the 
 beer of Europe; that it increases the animal spirits, and induces 
 pinguefaction. 
 
 There may be seen at Paraguay, particularly in all the isles, 
 a multitude of birds of various kinds, amongst which are par- 
 roquets; they do great injury to the maize-fields of die Indians, 
 as they are particularly fond of that sort of grain. 
 
 ^ Paraguay produces, according to the missionaries, all the spe- 
 cies of trees which are known in Europe. In some parts mav 
 be seen the famous Brazil-tree, though it is much more com- 
 mon in the vast and fine country after which it is named: there 
 also grow, in almost every direction, an inconceivable number 
 of those shrubs which bear cotton, and which form one of the 
 principal sources of opulence in tins part of the country. Sugar- 
 canes grow spontaneously in moist places, but the Iudiaus do not 
 make any use of them. 
 
 A tree which is much esteemed, and which abounds in Para- 
 guay, is that from which is derived the liquor called dragon's 
 blood. There are several other useful resins ; and it is not un- 
 common to meet in the woods with w ild cinnamon, which is som> - 
 times sold in Europe for that of Ceylon. Rhubarb, vanilla, and 
 chochineal, are also amongst the natural productions of this 
 country. 
 
 Paraguay also produces several singular fruits, which the mis- 
 sionaries have but vaguely described. One of these resembles a 
 bunch of grapes, but each grape or pip of which is nearly as 
 small as a pepper-corn. This fruit, which is called itfibegue, 
 has a very agreeable taste and smell. Each grape of the bunch 
 contains only a single seed, which is as small as that of millet, 
 and which, when cracked in the mouth, is more pungent than 
 pepper. The fruit just described is generally eaten after dinner, 
 or even after other meals ; and according to the quantity taken 
 into the stomach, an easy and gentle evacuation is produced in a 
 certain length of time. 
 
 The pigna, another fruit of this country, bears some resem- 
 blance to the pine-apple : on which account the name oi' pine 
 
52 APPENDIX. 
 
 has been given to the tree which produces it. The figure of the 
 pigna, however, approaches more towards that of the artichoke ; 
 its yellow pulp is like that of the quince, but is much superior 
 to it both in smell and taste. 
 
 The ten, or herb of Paraguay, so celebrated in South America, 
 is the leaf of a species of ilex, about the size of a middling pear- 
 tree. Its taste is similar to that of the mallow; and its shape is 
 nearly like the leaf of the orange-tree : it also bears some resem- 
 blance to the cocoa of Peru, whither much of it is conveyed, 
 but particularly to the parts which contain the mines, where it 
 i;; consumed by the labourers. The Spaniards think it to be the 
 more necessary, because the wines in those parts of the country 
 are prejudicial to health. It is conveyed in a dry state, and almost 
 reduced to a powder, and it is drunk as an infusion. 
 
 The great harvest of this herb takes place near new Pil/arica, 
 which is contiguous to the mountains of Maracayu, situated to 
 tlie east of Paraguay, in about '20 cleg. 2.3 min. S. lat. This 
 canton is much esteemed for the culture of the tree, but it is 
 found in the marshy vallies which separate the mountains, and 
 not on those elevations themselves. 
 
 Of this plant there are sent to Peru alone about 100,000 par- 
 cels, called arrobes, each weighing Gjlbs. of 1(3 oz. to the pound; 
 and the price of the arrobe is equal to twenty-eight French livres, 
 or l/. 3s. Ad. sterling; which makes the total value of this mer- 
 chandize sent to Peru, 1 lfl,f>(it)/. 13s. Ad. 
 
 The Indians who reside in the provinces of Uraguay and Pa- 
 rana, under the government of the Jesuits, have sown seeds of 
 this tree, and transplanted them to Maracayu, where they have 
 not degenerated ; they resemble those of the ivy. 
 
 The people boast of innumerable virtues which this tree pos- 
 sesses : it is certainly apperient and diuretic ; but tfie other qua- 
 lities attributed to it are doubtful. The Chapetons, or European 
 Spaniards, do not make much use of this drink ; but the Creoh s 
 are passionately fond of it, in so much that they never travel 
 without a supply of the herb: they never fail to drink an infusion 
 of it at every meal, preferring it to all sorts of food, and never 
 eating till they have taken this favourite beverage. Instead, how- 
 ever, of drinking it separately, as we drink tea in Europe, they 
 put the plant in a calabash, mounted with silver, which they can 
 mate. They add sugar to it, and pour on it hot water, which 
 they drink oft' directly without waiting for a maceration, because 
 the liquor would then become as black as ink. In order not to 
 swallow the fragments of the plant which swim at the surface, 
 they use a silver pipe, the top of which is perforated into a 
 number of small holes, through which they suck the liquor 
 without drawing in the plant. A whole party is suppliid with 
 
 5 
 
LA PLATA. 53 
 
 the tea by handing round the same pipe and bowl from one to 
 another, and filling up the vessel with water as fast as it is drunk 
 out. The repugnance of Europeans to drink after all sorts of 
 peoplej in a country where siphilitic diseases are very prevalent, 
 has caused the introduction of small glass pipes, which had begun 
 to get into use at Lima in the lime of Frezier. 
 
 " The commerce carried on in this herb from Paraguay," says 
 the author just mentioned, u takes place at Santa Pe, where i\ 
 arrives by the river La Plata, as well as in waggons. There are," 
 he observes, " two sorts, one called 1 erVQ dc Pahs, and the 
 other, which is liner and of a superior quality, is denominated 
 Jlicr/ja dc Ca/ui/ii. This last is grown on the lands of the 
 Jesuits. There are every year sent from Paraguay to Peru, up- 
 wards of 50,000 arrobes,' or l,250,000lbs. of both sorts, of 
 which one third is of the Camini kind, without reckoning about 
 25,000 arrobes of that growth at Palos, which is sent to Chili." 
 Animals. The animals peculiar to the whole of Spanish 
 America, are all to be met with in Paraguay. The Jaguars, 
 Couguars, and other wild beasts and serpents, seldom hurt those 
 who attack them : much more injurious, however, are the ants 
 and apes; for the former, which are more numerous in Para- 
 guay than any where else, devour the tender plants of all sorts, 
 and prevent them from coming to perfection; while the apes 
 ravage the country, rob the trees of their friut, and commit ex- 
 tensive depredations in the corn-fields. Some of these animals 
 are almost as big as men, and several of the hordes of ludiaus 
 kill and eat them, not merely without repugnance, but with 
 pleasure. 
 
 The inhabitants of Paraguay are said to possess an excellent 
 antidote against the bite of serpents, in a plant which, for this 
 reason, is called viper-grass .- its virtue is so great, that, on being 
 macerated while green, and applied to the bitten part, it effects 
 a rapid cure. The water in which this herb, whether green or 
 dry, has been infused, is not less salutary. The only account 
 w hich we have of this plant has been given by the missionaries ; 
 and it is much to be regretted that they have furnished us with 
 no other particulars of it than above-mentioned. 
 
 Towns. The state of the towns in Paraguay is but little 
 known. Jssumion, in English Assumption, is the capital of 
 the province ; it is situated 840 miles from Buenos Ayres, ou 
 the river of Paraguay. Though the residence of a bishop and a 
 governor, it is but thinly inhabited. 
 
 Nkemoucou is a pretty town, situated, according to M. 
 d'Azzara, in 25 deg. 52 min. 24 sec. S. lat. and <)<J miles from 
 the town of Assumption. Courouguati, another town men- 
 tioned by d'Azzara, is 108 miles E. N. E. of Assumption. 
 HELMS.] H 
 
54 APPENDIX. 
 
 OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE JESUITS IN PARAGUAY. 
 
 Thf. first enterprises of the missionaries, who penetrated to 
 the then unknown centre of South America, were limited to 
 simple excursions. They converted, from time to time, a few 
 Indians; but there were no great number of Christians, and 
 there was not a single church in Paraguay built to the honour 
 of the true Cod. The principal and almost unique advantage 
 then derived from their labours, was that of the baptism of a 
 few infants in a dying condition ; they, however, drew from 
 amongst the infidels such adults as embraced the faith, and in- 
 duced them to reside on the lands occupied by the Christians. 
 
 Between the years 1 680 and 10*90, these fathers represented 
 to the court of Spain, that the slow success of their missions 
 ou"ht to be attributed to the scandal which the immorality of the 
 Spaniards had excited, and to the hatred with which their inso- 
 lence had inspired the Indians wherever they had shewn them- 
 selves. They insinuated that, without this obstacle, the empire 
 of Christianity would be, by their efforts, extended to the most 
 unknown parts of America ; and that all those countries might 
 be brought under the dominion of his Catholic Majesty, without 
 expence or effusion of blood. It must be clear, that this opinion 
 of the Jesuits was rational ; for how could savage people be 
 civilized, who were courageous and intelligent, when they were 
 subjected to the avidity of a few unprincipled merchants, who 
 went amongst them for the purposes of plunder ? The outrages 
 committed towards the Indians by those adventurers have been 
 recently proved by Mackenzie, and other well-informed travellers. 
 The demand of the Jesuits was just and reasonable, and it 
 was attended with success. The theatre on which they were to 
 appear, was pointed out to them; and they had a carte blanche 
 for the whole extent of the territory. The governors of the ad- 
 jacent provinces were forbidden to interrupt them, and they w ere 
 commanded not to let any Spaniard enter theif districts without 
 the permission of the fathers. 
 
 At first they collected a very small number of families on the 
 banks of the Craguay ; afterwards they penetrated into the country 
 called Guayra, where they established themselves in the vicinity 
 of the great river Parana, and on the banks of the smaller ones 
 of Tibagi and Guichay. The Portuguese of St. Paid, in IJra- 
 sil, destroyed this rising republic ; and the missionaries saved 
 themselves, with about 12,000 Indians; when they retreated, with 
 much discernment, to the part where Parana and the Uraguay t 
 on forming two opposite bends, approach each other with their 
 
LA. PLATA. 55 
 
 respective streams. San Ignncio and Loreto were their two first 
 poblacions or towns. Here they laid those slight foundations 
 on which they raised an edifice that astonished the whole world, 
 and which added so much glory to their society as to excite the 
 envy and jealousy of other powers. 
 
 The Jesuits laboured with so much incessant zeal, and such 
 judicious policy, that they softened the manners of the most 
 aavage nations ; caused those hordes most inclined to a wander- 
 ing life to settle; and brought under their government those who 
 had long resisted the arms of the Spaniards and Portuguese. 
 They gained thousands of families over to their religion, and those 
 soon induced others to follow their example, by representing the 
 tranquillity which they enjoyed under the influence of those holy 
 fathers. The Guaranis were the most numerous and most pow- 
 erful of the converted nations ; and theirs became the predominant 
 language. 
 
 We have not room to detail all the means which were employed 
 to subjugate so completely the body and mind of so many indi- 
 viduals. The Jesuits omitted nothing that could insure the suc- 
 cess of their mission; while they made every effort to increase 
 the number of their adherents, so as to form a strong and well 
 regulated society. The Indians, who were convinced of their 
 better condition by being able to subsist by agriculture, lodged 
 in a more salubrious manner, more properly clothed, cured of 
 their diseases, and governed with a mild degree of strictness, 
 exhibited such obedience and submission as resembled adoration; 
 and this striking success had been obtained by the Jesuits with- 
 out violence, or even constraint. It is added, that they caused 
 the Indians to be instructed in the military art ; that they accus- 
 tomed them to the most exact discipline; and that the army 
 which they could form amounted to 60,000 well equipped men. 
 These, however, are the exaggerations dictated by envy. The 
 Indians resided in the towns and villages, where they devoted 
 themselves to agriculture and manufactures ; and many of them 
 even aspired to the liberal arts. Nothing, in short, could equal 
 the obedience of the inhabitants of this province, except their 
 content. 
 
 Several writers have treated these very Jesuits with much seve- 
 rity, by accusing them of ambition, pride, and abuse of power, 
 for having caused to be whipped before them not only persons of 
 both sexes, but even the magistrates, whom the Indians had 
 chosen from amongst themselves, and suffering persons of the 
 highest condition in their districts to kiss the ends of their gar- 
 ments, which they considered as an honour. The Jesuits were 
 also said, by their enemies, to possess immense property; that 
 •Jl the manufactures belonged to them ; that the natural produo 
 
 u 2 
 
^6 AFPCNTHX. 
 
 tions of the country were brought to them ; and that the trea- 
 sures annual]}' transmitted to the superior proved, that their zeal 
 for religion was not the only motive for the missions. 
 
 The fathers, however, contented themselves with a mild re- 
 futation of such calumnies. They merely asked, where were th« 
 pit tended gold mines which afforded them such riches f how it 
 could be possible to conceal so much gold ? and whether any 
 missionary was ever seen in an equipage proper for a rich man ? 
 On the contrary, when tiny travelled from one country to ano- 
 ther, they never had any thing but a pair of bags, or a small box, 
 which held their linen and provisions. And finally, whether, 
 ?fter their 'death, any of them were found to possess gold, silver, 
 bills of credit, or other property of value ? 
 
 Hence it appears, that a just political economy was the 
 only source of the prosperity of the religious colonies, lor 
 a long time the Indians were accustomed to send to the 
 towns of the Spaniards whatever overplus they had of cotton, 
 tobacco, tea, hides, &c. and all these effects were placed in the 
 hands of the procurator-general of the Jesuit missionaries. 
 This officer sold or exchanged them to as much advantage as. 
 possible, and after giving an exact account of the produce, and 
 deducting the duties or tribute, he employed the remainder in 
 purchasing articles of utility or necessity for the Indians, with- 
 out retaining any thing for himself. 
 
 The Indians belonging to the missions were free people, who 
 were placed under the protection of the king of Spain, and 
 who agreed to pay an annual tribute of a dollar per head. The 
 king had granted them certain privileges, in virtue of which 
 all the women, the men below twenty years of age, and above 
 fifty} as well as those who had lately embraced Christianity, were 
 exempted from the payment of the tribute ; but, on the other 
 hand, they were obliged, in time of war, to join the Spanish 
 armies, to arm themselves at their own expence, and to work at 
 the fortifications. They rendered great services to Spain in the 
 war against the Portuguese. 
 
 Notwithstanding such sacred compacts, the monarch* of Eu- 
 rope made no scruple to treat these Christian people like a horde 
 of wild beasts. In 1757 f a part of the territory of the missions 
 was ceded by Spain to the court of Portugal, in exchange Hor 
 Santo Sacramento, in order that the limits of the possessions of 
 the kingdoms might be better denned. It is asserted, that the 
 Jesuits refused to submit to this division, or to suffer themselves 
 to be transferred from one master to another without their own 
 consent. The Indians, according to the accounts in the Londou 
 Gazette, took up arms, but were easily defeated with great 
 slaughter by the European troops who were sent to subdue them. 
 
 J 
 
LA PLATA. 57 
 
 The suddenness of this defeat proves, that they had neither 
 union amongst themselves, nor chiefs to direct them, and con- 
 sequently that the Jesuits were not concerned in their operation. 
 In 17^7, these fathers were driven from America, by order of 
 the king, and their unfortunate converts degraded to the same 
 footing as the other indigenous inhabitants of the country. 
 
 It is verv evident that the hatred of a few Spaniards towards 
 the Indians belonging to the missions was so great, that, as Fa- 
 ther Aguilar states in his justificatory memoir, " they wished to 
 force those Indians to submit, not merely to the king of Spain, 
 but also to every Spaniard individually, as well as to the valets 
 and slaves of the Spanish subjects; and if a Spaniard of a mon- 
 grel breed, or even more degraded than that, saw an Indian who 
 did not humble, himself before him, or submit to his caprices, 
 he became exasperated against him, and abused him in the most 
 virulent manner for his want of respect." 
 
 Hence the self-called French philosophers, by declaiming 
 against the Jesuit missionaries, made a common cause with the 
 tyrants of Paraguay, at the very time when they were preaching 
 up the necessity of giving freedom to the negroes in the An- 
 tilles. Ten years afterwards these same philosophers, with 
 Voltaire at their head, distributed their flattery and adoration 
 to the monarchs who divided Poland. 
 
 OF THE MANN KltS OF THE ABIPONS, AND SOME OTHER 
 SAVAGE NATIONS. 
 
 The Abipons inhabit the province of Buenos Ayres. We 
 shall give a sketch of their manners, as it is in some degree 
 connected with what has been said of the missions. 
 
 This warlike tribe consists of about 5000 souls: they inhabit 
 a part of the country called Yapizlaga, between the 28th and 
 30th degree of latitude, on the banks of the river of La Plata. 
 They breed horses, and train up wild ones. Their arms are 
 lances, about three or four yards long, and arrows which are 
 sometimes pointed with iron. Their warlike spirit has rendered 
 mem formidable to the Spaniards; and the missionaries have 
 had but little success amongst them. The blood of this nation 
 is tolerably pure; and the women are not much browner than 
 the Spanish females. The features of the men are regular ; 
 and the aquiline nose is very common amongst them. They 
 have a custom of tearing the hair away from the forehead so 
 as to appear bald, which has acquired them the name of Cal- 
 legas amongst the Spaniards. They also tear out the beard, 
 ami mark the forehead and temples with scars by way of orna- 
 ments, They are very cleanly, and frequently bathe : they are 
 
58 APPENDIX. 
 
 not anthropophagi, as has been said of some of their neighbours; 
 but they have a voracity which is common with all savage 
 people. They said to the missionaries, " if you wish us to 
 remain aniongst you, you must give us plenty to eat; for zee 
 resemble the beasts, which eat at all hours, and are not. like 
 you, who eat but little and at certain periods? in fact, the 
 Indians regulate themselves in this respect not by the clock, but 
 by their appetite, which is always increasing. 
 
 Polygamy does not appear to be a general practice among 
 them ; but some of the women adopt the barbarous custom of 
 killing their children after having suckled them, in order to be- 
 stow all their attention upon their husbands. The common age 
 at which they marry is from twenty to twenty-five years. The 
 girls are. bought from their parents at the price of four horses, 
 and a few clothes made of pieces of cloth of different colours, 
 so that they resemble in some degree a Turkey carpet. 
 
 It has been asserted, that they have no idea of a Supreme 
 Being, but that they are much in dread of a certain daemon, or 
 evil spirit ; and that they have amongst thorn magicians, called 
 Kiiet, to whom they attribute the power of appeasing this 
 disturber. But it is probable that this evil spirit is considered 
 by them as the Supreme Being, to whom they ©nly pay a sort 
 of worship when they think him angry*. The Abipous generally 
 bury their dead under the shade of a tree ; and when a chief or 
 warrior dies, they kill his horses on his grave. Some time 
 afterwards they dig up his remains, and convey them to a more 
 secret and distant place. 
 
 Their opinion of another life is evident by the care which 
 they take, on burying their dead, to inter with them provisions, 
 and a bow and arrows, in order that they may procure them- 
 selves a subsistence in the other world; and that hunger may not 
 induce them to return to this, to torment the living. 
 
 The Mocobs and the Tobas, to the north-west of the Abipons, 
 speak nearly the same idiom ; but the language of the Guarani- 
 ans is the most extensive. 
 
 The caciques of this people are nothing more than chiefs in 
 case of war, and judges in time of peace: their power is very 
 limited. The little republics, or hordes of Indians, disperse 
 with the same facility as they collect together. Each man being 
 bis own master, they separate as soon as they are discontented 
 with the cacique, and place themselves under another; and when 
 they quit any place, they have so little to leave behiud them, that 
 they easily, and in a short time, repair their loss. 
 
 If we may believe some of the ancient missionaries, there 
 are amongst the caciques magicians, who render their authority 
 respected by the sorcery which they employ in secret against 
 
LA PLATA, 59 
 
 those with whom they are disc- on tented. If they were to punish 
 them publicly by the regular means of justice, they would defeat 
 their own object; and hence these impostors make the people 
 believe, that tigers and tempests are under their command, to 
 devour or destroy whoever refuses to obey them. The people 
 believe them with the more readiness, because it is not unusual 
 to see those whom the cacique has threatened, waste away and 
 perish, doubtlessly because poison has been administered to 
 them in secret. 
 
 The Manacicas, who are more industrious and richer tlian 
 the other tribes of Paraguay, live under a government whose 
 customs resemble, in a striking manner, those of the islanders 
 of the Pacific Ocean. The cacique amongst them possesses 
 the sovereign authority; his lands are cultivated, and his houses 
 built at the expence of the public. His table is always covered 
 with the best produce of the country, and is supplied free of 
 expence. No considerable undertaking can be ventured on 
 without his permission ; he punishes severely those who are 
 guiltv of any offence, and ill treats with impunity, and accord- 
 ing to his caprice, those with whom he is discontented. The 
 women are in the same manner submitted to the will of the 
 principal wife of the cacique. All the individuals of the horde 
 pay him a tithe of the produce of their hunting and lishing; 
 and they can neither catch animals nor fish without his permis- 
 sion. His authority is, besides, not merely absolute, but here- 
 ditary: as soon as the eldest son is at an age to command, his 
 father makes over his authority to him with much ceremony; 
 and this voluntary renunciation only increases the love and re- 
 spect of the people for their old master. 
 
 The mythology of the Manacicas seems to possess some traits 
 of similarity with that of the Taitkms. They admit three Su- 
 preme Beings, one of whom is a goddess, who, according to 
 their doctrine, is the wife of the first, and the mother of the 
 second : they call the latter Urasana, and the goddess is named 
 Quipoci. These deities are said to shew themselves from time 
 to time in dreadful forms to the Indians, who assemble on cer- 
 tain occasions in the hall of the cacique to drink and dance. 
 Their arrival is announced by a great noise, and as soon as they 
 appear, the people cease their diversions, and put forth shouts 
 of joy. The gods then address them with an exhortation to eat 
 and drink well, and promise them an abundance of fish, game, 
 and other valuable property: they then, to do honour to the 
 feast, demand something to drink, and empty the goblet which 
 is presented to them, with a quickness which would confer credit 
 on the deities of Valhalla itself. It may easily be guessed that 
 the priests or Maponos are behind the curtain. 
 
GO AtTLNDIX. 
 
 These jugglers also act as oraeles : they announce scarcity or 
 abundance, storms or fine weather ; they often excite wars, and 
 never fail to demand for their gods a portion of the. spoil. 
 
 The Manacicas believe that the human soul is immortal, and 
 that, on leaving the body, it is carried to heaven by the Ma- 
 ponos, to live eternally in joy and pleasure. As soon as an 
 Indian dies, the Mapono disappears for a certain time, during 
 which, he states, that he is employed in conducting the soul of 
 the deceased to the regions of felicity; his journey is always con- 
 ceived to be very difficult, as he has to pass through thick forests, 
 and over rude and steep mountains; he has also to cross a great 
 river, on which is a wooden bridge, guarded night and day by 
 the god Tatutiso. This divinity is not a bad resemblance of 
 Charon : his employment is, to purify the souls of all the spots 
 that they have received while alive. If a priest, who brings a 
 soul, be not properly respectful towards this deity, he preci- 
 pitates him into the river, and leaves him to drown. At length 
 the soul arrives at Paradise ; but the Paradise of the Indians is 
 only a poor one, for its pleasures are not very attractive. There 
 is nothing to be. found in it but a kind of gum, with honey and 
 fish, on which the Indian souls are fed. The Mapono, on his 
 return, relates a thousand other absurdities concerning his jour- 
 ney, and never fails to get well paid for his trouble. 
 
 The small-pox commits as many ravages among the Indian 
 hordes, as the plague docs amongst us, where it is brought front 
 the Levant. As soon as the Indians perceive that any one is 
 attacked with this contagious disease, which generally proves 
 mortal in Paraguay, they abandon their habitations, and retire 
 in haste into the woods, after putting near the sick person pro- 
 visions sufficient to last him three or four days, and from time 
 to time somebody returns to renew the supply, till the patient 
 be either dead or cured. 
 
 Father (iaetan Cattaneo has described the manner in which 
 father Ximenes saw the Indians fight with a jaguar, or American 
 tiggr. This missionary was travelling with three Indians, when 
 ihev obserwd the tiger enter .a small wood Of coppice, and re- 
 solved to go and kill it. The father concealed himself in a place 
 from which he could observe, without danger, all that passed. 
 The Indians, who were accustomed to this kind of hunting and 
 combat, arranged themselves as follows: two of them were 
 aimed with lances, and the third, who carried a musket, placed 
 himself between the others; they then advanced all abreast, and 
 walked round the coppice till they saw the tiger, when the man 
 with the gun fired, and shot the animal in the head. Father 
 Ximenes asserts, that, at the same instant when the ball v. as 
 tired, he saw the tiger traustixed by the two lances ; for as soon 
 
LA PLATA. 61 
 
 as the boast Felt itself wounded, it darted forwards upon the 
 person who h^d shot it. Tlie two other Indians having a pre- 
 sentiment of what would happen, held their lances ready to stop 
 die animal in its course; in fact, they pierced it in the Hanks 
 with admirable skilly and in an instant held it suspended in the 
 air. 
 
 PROVINCE OF BUENOS AYRES. 
 
 This province, which is sometimes called after the Rio de 
 La Plata, comprises a vasl space o» territory on the hanks of the 
 great river of La Plata. The eastern part is crossed by the 
 Uraguay, and it contains a number of mountains, particularly in 
 the interior: the other part is an immense plain, which extends 
 to the bases of the Andes, and is in many parts impregnated 
 with salt and nitre. 
 
 Rivers. The river La Plata is formed by the junction of 
 several large streams, among which the Parana is by far the 
 largest, on which account the natives give this name to the ag- 
 gregate rivers. The name of La Plata was bestowed on it by 
 the Spaniards. 
 
 The Parana proceeds from the environs of' Villa del Carmen 
 to the north of Rio de Janeiro, and is greatly augmented in its 
 course by a number of other streams. It flows through a moun- 
 tainous country, and after reaching the large plains, receives from 
 the north the Paraguay, which originates in a plain called Cam- 
 pos-Paresis; and which, during the rainy season, forms the lake 
 of Xaraves. The Paraguay, before it disembogues itself into 
 the Parana, receives the Pilcoinayo, a large river, which has 
 its source near Potosi, and by which the inland navigation from 
 the mines is carried on. 
 
 The Plata also receives the Vennego and the Salado, from 
 the side of the Andes, and the Uraguay from the side of Bra- 
 zil. In breadth, it equals that of the .Amazons, and is navigable 
 by vessels even to the distance of 400 leagues from its mouth. 
 The great cataract of Parana is situated in the 454th degree of 
 latitude, not far from the city of Guayra; but this cataract, ac- 
 cording to the account of Dobrizhaser, ought rather to be term- 
 ed a long rapid river, since the water, for the space of twelve 
 leagues, falls over rocks of a very singular and frightful form. 
 
 Besides the great river just described, it is necessary to men- 
 tion the Uraguay, a river which surpasses either the Rhine or 
 the Elbe. 
 
 At its mouth the eye can scarcely perceive both the banks at 
 one time, and at 200 leagues higher up it requires an hour to 
 cross it. it is .'nil of fish, and is frequented b) sea-wolves; its 
 
 HELMS.] 1 
 
62 
 
 APPENDIX- 
 
 bed is interspersed with rocks, and its course is interrupted by 
 several rapids. The rivers to the west of La Plata, mostly 
 lose themselves in the marshes or sandy plains. 
 
 YVjnds. The west wind is here called the Pampero, be- 
 cause it passes over a plain 000 leagues long, which is denomi- 
 nated Las Pampas, and inhabited by hordes of migratory In- 
 dians, known in that country by the name of Pampas. This 
 plain extends from Buenos Ayres to the confines of Chili : it 
 is perfectly level, anci covered with verj high grass. The Pam- 
 pero not meeting with any thing in its course to cheek it im- 
 petuosity, acquires additional strength, till, by running straight 
 along the channel of the river of La Plata, it blows will 
 fury, that ships, in order to withstand it, are obliged to throw 
 out all their anchors, and strengthen their cables with strong 
 chains of iron. Their approach is indicated by violent thunder 
 and lightning. 
 
 Climate. The winter begins in June, when it rains much, 
 and the thunder and lightning are so violent, that nothing but 
 custom can prevent one from being terrified at such a period. 
 The great heat of summer is tempered in these regions by a 
 breeze, which is felt towards noon. 
 
 Productions. In the plains there is a scarcity of wood; 
 but to counteract this want, there is a vast extent of land lit for 
 the purposes of agriculture. The soil is sandy, with a mixture 
 ol black mould. The nature of the mountains on the upper 
 Uraguay, is not known. Helms asserts, that a silver mine has 
 been discovered in them : they produce an abundance of medi- 
 cinal plants, but no precise description has been given of them. 
 On the side of Monte-Video and Buenos Ayres, all sorts of 
 fruits are obtained, and particularly the durasno, a very delicate 
 fruit, the tree of which is nearly similar to the European peach- 
 tree, except that its trunk is much larger. The trees which 
 produce this fruit are so numerous in the province in question, 
 that they afford the only wood that is used for fuel; notwith- 
 standing which, no diminution is apparent amongst them. The 
 oxen and horses are found in such numbers, that they require 
 only to be taken by means of a noose, as is clone by the Cos- 
 sacks of the Don, and the peasants of some parts of Italy. 
 There are also wild birds and animals of every species, and 
 particularly jaguars, which are larger here than any where else. 
 The animal called here hormiguero, which lives upon nothing 
 but ants, is quite common in the Pampas: it has a very long 
 and pointed muzzle. 
 
 WlLD Oxen. The number of wild oxen here is so great, 
 that every year 100,000 are killed solely for the sake of their 
 hides. About twenty hunters on horseback proceed to the spots 
 
 4 
 
LA PLATA. G.*> 
 
 where these animals ars known to herd, having in their hands a 
 long .stick, shod with iron, very sharp, with which they strike 
 the ox that they pursue on one of the hind legs, and they make 
 the blow so adroitly, that they almost always cut the sinews in 
 two above the joint. The animal soon afterwards fails, and 
 cannot rise again. The hunters, instead of slopping, pursue 
 the other oxen at full gallop, with the reins loose, striking in 
 the same; manner all which they overtake; thus eighteen or 
 twenty men will with ease fell ? or 800 oxen in one hour. 
 When they are tired of the exercise, they dismount to rest, and 
 afterwards, without danger, knock on the head the oxen which 
 they have wounded. After taking the skin, and sometimes the 
 tongue and suet, they leave the rest for the birds of prey. 
 
 Wild Does. These animals have descended from some 
 of the domestic kinds that have gone astray, and have multiplied 
 to an excessive degree in the countries near Buenos Ayres. 
 They live under ground, in holes, which may be easily disco- 
 vered by the quantity of bones heaped round them. It may be 
 with propriety supposed, that some time or another, when the 
 wild oxen are destroyed, so that the dogs cannot obtain them, 
 they will fall upon men. One of the governors of Buenos 
 Ayres thought this subject so well worth his attention, that he 
 sent some soldiers to destroy the wild dogs, and they killed a great 
 number of them with their muskets. But on their return, they 
 were insulted by the children of the town, who are very insolent; 
 they called them mataperros, which means, dog-killers: whence 
 it has happened that the men, disheartened by a false shame. 
 have never returned to that kind of hunting. 
 
 Horsks. The horses of Buenos Ayres are excellent ; they 
 possess all the spirit of the Spanish horses, from which they 
 have descended, have an uncommonly safe foot, and are sur- 
 prisingly agile. Their walk is so quick, and their steps so long, 
 that at this pace they equal the trotting of the horses in Trance. 
 Their step consists in raising exactly, and at the samo instant, 
 the fore and hind foot, and instead of putting the latter at the 
 spot where they had just rested the opposite fore foot, they carry 
 it much farther, which renders their motion nearly double as 
 rapid as that of horses in general, while it is much more easy 
 for the rider. They are not distinguishable for their beauty, but 
 their lightness, gentleness, courage, and regularity, may be 
 boasted of. The inhabitants make no provisions, either of liar 
 or straw, for the support of these animals, the mildness of the 
 climate allowing them to graze in the fields all the year round. 
 
 1 3 
 
6*4 APPENDIX. 
 
 TOWNS. 
 
 BUENOS Ayres, the capital of the whole province of the 
 river La Plata, is situated 210 miles from its mouth, in ()<) deg. 
 10 min. W. Ion. and 34 deg. 3.3 min. S. hit. Its site is very 
 handsome. From the north side may be seen the river, the 
 width of which is beyond the reach of the eye. The environs 
 consist of nothing but extensive and beautiful fields, always 
 covered with verdure. 
 
 The port of Buenos Ay res is always exposed to the winds, 
 on account of which vessels cannot approach very near to the 
 town; while the boats or small craft which go to it, are obliged 
 to make a detour, and enter a stream which empties itself into 
 the main river; the water in this is two or three fathoms deep; 
 but when the tide has ebbed in the great river, the branch in 
 question cannot be entered. 
 
 Buenos Ayres is the residence of a viceroy and a bishop. It- 
 is supposed to contain 3000 houses and 40,000 inhabitants*. 
 This city is now the grand emporium of all the commerce ot 
 the provinces of Peru ; and the goods are conveyed thither in 
 waggons drawn by horses. The conductors travel in caravans, 
 on account of the Pampas Indians, who are very troublesome 
 to travellers. This city is watered by Several large rivers, all 
 of which empty themselves into that of La Plata. It has a fine 
 square surrounded with superb buildings, and a fortress on the 
 river, which is the residence of the governor. The streets are 
 perfectly regular, with foot-paths on each side. 
 
 The immense country which constitutes the province of I3uenos 
 Ayres, was formerly subject to the vice roy of Peru ; but in 1 77S, 
 it was erected into a separate government, which includes the 
 greater part of the couutry adjacent to Peru. 
 
 Formerly the citizens of Buenos Ayres had no country-houses ; 
 and except peaches, none of the liner sorts of fruits were pro- 
 duced there. At present, there are few persons of opulence but 
 have villas, and cultivate in their gardens all kinds of fruit, cu- 
 linary plants, and flowers. The houses are in general not very 
 high ; but most of them are built in a light and beautiful 
 manner. 
 
 At Buenos Ayres, the men as well as the women dress after 
 the Spanish mode, and all the fashions are brought thither from 
 the mother country. The ladies in Buenos Ayres are reckoned 
 the most agreeable and handsome of all South America. 
 
 * Sir Home l'opham, in ins circular iottcr to the British merchants, 
 estimates the number ol* inhabitants at 70,ouu, <iud fcielnis at only i-'j ot 
 30,00* i 
 
LA PLATA. Oj 
 
 Until the year 1747> no regular post was established either in 
 Buenos Ayres, or the whole province of Tucunaan, notwith- 
 standing the great intercourse and trade with the neighbouring 
 provinces: but, in 1748, the Viceroy Don Andonaegui insti- 
 tuted regular posts. 
 
 Buenos Ayres is well supplied with provisions ; of fresh meat 
 in particular there is so great an abundance, that it is frequently 
 distributed gratis to the poor. The river water is rather muddy, 
 but it soon becomes clear and drinkable, by being kept in large 
 tubs of earthen vessels. Of iish, too, there is great abundance. 
 Neither in the district of Buenos Ayres, nor in Tucuman, 
 does any snow ever fall : sometimes it freezes a little, so as to 
 cover the water with a thin coating of ice, which is collected 
 and preserved with great care, for the purpose of cooling their 
 liquors. 
 
 That the climate of Buenos Ayres is very salubrious, appears 
 from the proportion of the births to the deaths; and conse- 
 quently the city has not been improperly named. In June, July. 
 August, and September, however, fogs arise from the river, 
 which affect the lungs and breast. The vehement winds too, 
 which blow from the pampas, or plains, and are therefore 
 called Pamperos, prove very troublesome to the inhabitants. 
 
 Monte-Video. This is a town on the river of La Plata, 
 about sixty miles from its mouth. It has a large and convenient 
 harbour, and the climate is mild and agreeable. The markets 
 are plentifully supplied with iish and meat at a very cheap rate. 
 Its principal trade is in leather, ft is 150 miles from Buenos 
 Ayres, to which you may pass by land or water, and in 34. (leg. 
 ob min. 9. sec. S. latitude. 
 
 San-Sacramento. This is a town opposite Buenos Ayres: 
 it was founded by the Portuguese, about ninety miles from 
 Monte-Video, and was ceded to Spain in 1778. 
 
 Santa-Fl - is a middling-sized town, about C40 miles from 
 Buenos Ayres. 
 
 Manners of the Spaniards. Don Pernetti has given 
 a curious picture of the Spaniards of Monte- Video. To sleep, 
 talk, smoke a segar, and ride on horseback, are the occupations 
 in which they pass tlnee-fourths of the day. The great abun- 
 dance of provisions gives facility to their idleness, besides which, 
 there are amongst them many persons of property, so that they 
 all appear anxious to live in style, and have nothing to do. 
 
 The women during the whole of the morning sit on stools in 
 their entrance halls, having under their feet, first, a cane mat, 
 and over that a piece of the stuff made by tin; Indians, or a 
 tiger's skin. They amuse the ru selves with playing on a guitar. 
 
U& APPENDIX. 
 
 or some similar instrument, which they accompany with their 
 voice, while the negresses prepare the dinner. 
 
 In these countries jealousy does not disturb either sex. The 
 men publicly acknowledge their illegitimate children, who be- 
 come the heirs of their fathers. There is no shame attached to 
 bastardy; because the laws so far authorize promiscuous inter- 
 course, as to grant to the children which result from it the title 
 of gentlefolks. 
 
 The women, though covered by a veil in public places, live 
 at home with as much freedom, to say the least of it, as females 
 do in France; they receive company as they do in France; and 
 do not suffer themselves to be pressed to dance, sing, or play 
 on the harp, guitar, or mandoline. In this respect they are 
 much more complaisant than French women, if we may credit 
 the assertion of Don Pernetti. When they are not occupied in 
 dancing, they sit continually on the stools already mentioned, 
 which they sometimes place outside the door. The men are 
 not allowed to sit among them, unless they are invited, and such 
 a favour is considered as a great familiarity. 
 
 At Monte- Video, a lively and very lascivious dance is much 
 practised ; it is called ralenda, and the negroes, as well as the 
 mulattoes, whose constitutions are sanguine, are excessively fond 
 of it. This dance was introduced into America by the negroes 
 tvho were imported from the kingdom of Ardra, on the coast 
 of Guinea, and the Spaniards have adopted it in all their esta- 
 blishments. It is, however, so indecent as to shock and astonish 
 those who are not in the habit of seeing it performed. The 
 accounts which have been given of this licentious recreation are 
 so different from what is conceived in Europe, that a particular 
 detail of them would resemble a story of La Fontaine, rather 
 than a matter of fact. 
 
 The common people, in which are included the mulattoes and 
 negroes, wear, instead of a cloak, a piece of stuff, in stripes 
 of different colours, which appears like a sack, having only a 
 hole at top for the admission of the head ; it hangs over the 
 anus down to the wrist, and reaches, both before and behind, 
 down to the calf of the leg; it is fringed all round at the bottom. 
 The men of every class wear it when they ride on horseback, 
 and find it much more convenient than the common cloak. The 
 governor shewed one of these habiliments to Messrs. Bougain- 
 ville, Pernetti, &C. which was embroidered with gold and silver, 
 and had cost him upwards of 300 piastres. The same dresses 
 are made at Chili, in such a style as to cost 2000; and it is 
 from that country that they have been imported at Monte- Video.. 
 This dress is known by the name of poncho or chony: it secures 
 the wearer from rain, is not ruffled by the wind, and not only 
 
LA PLATA. 67 
 
 serves him for a coverlet at night, but also for a carpet when he 
 rests in the Holds. 
 
 PROVINCE OF TUCUMAN. 
 
 Tins province extends along the Andes, opposite to Chili, 
 which it separates from Paraguay and Buenos Ayres. It is 
 
 situated between the 3d and '24th parallel of S. latitude. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE ROIL, MOUNTAINS, AND RIVERS. 
 
 The ramifications of the Andes extend along the northern 
 part of this province, in consequence of which its climate is 
 very cold. The southern part i> nothing but a vast plain; and 
 it appears that the whole of Tucuman is formed of low grounds: 
 for several rivers, when they reach it, not being able to pass 
 onwards to the sea, form lakes in different parts. This country 
 bears a strong resemblance to Tartarv and Little Bucharia. The 
 two principal rivers of Tucuman are the Rio Salado, which, 
 alter passing through a swampy country, joins the river of La 
 Plata and the Rio Dolce, which empties itself into the lake of 
 Porongas. The valley of Palcipas, which runs between two 
 branches of the Andes, gives passage to a considerable river, 
 which empties itself into a lake : all the rivers of the province 
 of Cordova run into sandy plains, except the Tercero, which 
 empties itself into La Plata. 
 
 Climate. The climate of Tucuman is in winter very cold 
 and dry. The spring is announced by violent rains; and the 
 heat of summer is great and sudden. This temperature, which 
 is natural in a country surrounded by high mountains, is not 
 agreeable, but the people are accustomed to it, and Tucuman 
 is considered to be an uncommonly salubrious country. The 
 environs of the lakes and marshes ought, however, to be ex- 
 cepted. 
 
 PRODUCTIONS. In the parts where the plains are fertilized 
 by rivers, the country is covered with excellent pasturage, and 
 every year they afford an abundant produce of oxen, sheep, 
 ^tags, and other cattle. Game is so abundant, that it is met 
 with at almost every step, and the animals are frequently taken 
 by the hand. Pigeons and partridges are uncommonly nume- 
 rous, though it must be admitted, that they are not so good as 
 those of Europe. Maize, vines, cotton, and indigo, are cul- 
 tivated with great success; and the forests between the Rio 
 Dolce and the Salade contain immense quantities of bees. 
 
 There are said to be; in Tucuman two mines of gold, one of 
 silver, two of copper, and two of lead; the people manufacture 
 
68 
 
 APPKNDIX. 
 
 a quantity of woollen and cotton stuffs ; and a fine mine of rock 
 salt has lately been discovered. 
 
 Towns. The principal towns in this province are the Salta 
 of Tucuman, which is the residence of a governor, and is 
 situated in <> very fertile vallej ; Jujui, Rioja, San-Fernando, 
 Saint-Jacques de l'Esterro, San-Miguel, and Cordova, the 
 last of which is the residence of a bishop, and the best town 
 in die province. The fathers of the company of Jesus had 
 a celebrated university at Cordova, where the young Spaniards 
 of South America were sent to be instructed in the sciences. 
 There are several other colonies of Spaniards dispersed through 
 the immense plains of Tuciunan, which take the name ol 
 towns, though the inhabitants are not numerous. It is said 
 that they are from 150 to l&O miles distant from each, other; 
 and the roads which lead to them, are so difficult and barren as 
 sometimes to require twenty days to travel from one to the other ; 
 and even the environs of the towns are said to be so irregular or 
 uneven, that a corregidor belonging to one of them, who was 
 riding in his carnage, had one of his eyes knocked out by the 
 branch of a tree, which entered the coach window. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE VICEROYALTY OF CHILI. 
 
 r v 
 
 J- HE following description relates to what is commonly called 
 the kingdom of Chili; which is Chili proper, that lies to tin- 
 west of Andes, as well as Nezc Chili, and the province of 
 Cnyo, to the east of those mountains. 
 
 It has already been observed, that Cnyo and New Chili are 
 dependant on the viceroy alty of La Plata; while the presidency 
 of St. J ago only includes Chili proper. But the judiciary and 
 ecclesiastical division of tho.se places is very different from those 
 of the oilier governments and vice-royalties. 
 
 Situation and Extent. Chili proper lies on the 
 shore of the Pacific Ocean, between the <23d and 4.'ith deg. 
 of S. hit. and the 304th and 308th deg. of Ion. to the east of the 
 first meridian of the isle of Ferro. Its length from north to 
 south is between 1500 and 1650 miles; and its width from cast 
 to west about 240 miles, which comprises the chain of the 
 Andes. It is bounded to the west by the Pacific Ocean ; to 
 the north by Peru ; to the east by Tucuman ; and to the south 
 by the countries of Magellan. It is separated from all these 
 regions by the Andes. 
 
 r lhe province of Cuyo lies between Chili and Tucunnin, 
 
CHILI. (>i\ 
 
 from the 30th to 85th parallel of latitude. New Chili extends 
 indefinitely to the south of the province of Cuyo, towards the 
 Pampas of Buenos Avivs, and the deserts of Patagonia. 
 
 Cm matk. This kingdom is one of the first in all America, 
 Its climate is tempt rate and salubrious; its soil is fertile, and 
 it always has a clear sky. Its seasons are regular; the spring, 
 for example, commences in September; the summer, iu 
 December; the autumn in March, and the winter in June. 
 At the commencement of the spring there are abundant falls 
 of rain, but seldom or ever in the other seasons. The summer 
 is serene, and passes without storms or tempests. The want of 
 rain does no injury to the country : for the moisture that is 
 absorbed from the heavy falls in spring, and the abundance of 
 dew which descends every night in summer, are sufficient for 
 fructification. The summer season iu these parts would be 
 insuppoi tably hot, if the air were not cooled by the wind which 
 blows from the sea, as well as by that which comes from the 
 Andes, the summits of which are always covered with snow. 
 The cold of winter is very moderate, insomuch that snow is 
 scarcely ever known to fall in the maritime provinces ; and it 
 is not seen once in live years in those which are contiguous to 
 the Andes. 
 
 Mctals. There are in Chili mines of every metal, semi- 
 metal, and mineral, which has hitherto been discovered ; and 
 gold in particular abounds there ; but it is only dug for iu the 
 provinces belonging to the Spaniards. There are two ways 
 of obtaining the gold from the mine, which are either by 
 breaking the rocks that contain it, with iron crows, or washing 
 the sand which is conveyed by the currents of the rivers. The 
 first method is preferable, because it is most advantageous, but 
 it is very expensive ; for, besides the fatigue experienced by the 
 workmen, it requires several machines, and a particular kind of 
 mill, to reduce to powder the metallic fragments. 
 
 The other manner of obtaining gold is generally adopted by 
 those who have not sufficient property to establish the apparatus 
 already mentioned ; they therefore put the sand in a kind of horn 
 bowl, which they call porunna, in which they wash it well, and 
 collect the particles of gold that have subsided by their weight. 
 But as they do not use mercury, tiny lose more than half 
 of the valuable metal. The profit is, nevertheless, very 
 considerable. 
 
 Some silver mines have also been discovered in this country ; 
 
 but as they require much greater fatigue and expenee than the 
 
 gold mines, they are little attended to. The following is the 
 
 gross method which the inhabitants employ for separating this 
 
 HELMS.] K 
 
70 APPENDIX. 
 
 metal from its heterogenous parts. They first reduce the ore 
 to powder by means of a mill, then sift it through a veiy 
 fine wire-sieve, mix it with mercury, salt, and mud, and inclose 
 it in an ox-hido, when they pour water on it for some time; 
 it then forms a mass, which during eight or ten days ismalleated. 
 and trodden under feet twice a day. After these operation* 
 the mass is put in a stone trough, where water is poured upon it, 
 which carries off the ore into pits that are formed under tin- 
 trough ; and here the amalgama of silver and mercury is 
 precipitated in whitish globules. These globes are then taken 
 out, and put in a linen bag, which is srpieezed hard, in order 
 to express the mercury, alter which the workmen give to the 
 mass, which is as soft as dough, such forms as their caprice 
 may dictate. But, as mercury, notwithstanding the pressure, 
 has not entirely been forced from the silver, they throw the 
 mass into a well-heated furnace, w here the mercury is volatilized, 
 and the silver remains pure, white, and solid. 
 
 The copper-rnines in this country are as abundant as those of 
 gold, with which, indeed, tiny are often mixed; but the 
 people only work those that are very rich in ore. They adopt 
 the following methods to obtain the copper: — At first they 
 dig a deep ditch, which they pave with a mixture of plaister and 
 calcined bones, which resists heat to such a degree, that there 
 are no cracks in it through which the metal can escape. On 
 each side of the ditch, which is square, are built four walls, 
 which, at the surface of the ground, close in the form of an 
 arch, and make a kind of an oven. A hole or door is left at the 
 top by which to put in the metal, and observe the state of its 
 fusion ; some small apertures are also left to give vent to the 
 smoke. The fire is then blown to a great heat by bellows, 
 \\ orked by water. The furnace is heated for several days before 
 the metal is put in, and even then large logs of wood are added 
 to it. At length, when the copper is in a complete state of 
 fusion, a door is opened at the bottom of the furnace, from 
 which it issues, like a torrent of lire, and tills the trenches that 
 have been made for its reception. 
 
 iron, though abundant in this country, is not explored. 
 
 Quadrupeds. The guanaco, chilbueque, guernul, and 
 the Peruvian sheep, are species of animals which very much 
 resemble each other, and may be considered as belonging to 
 the genus of the camel, from which they differ by not having 
 the hump. The chilibueque is an animal between the guanaco 
 and the European sheep. Its head, neck, and tail, are like tho<e 
 of the guanaco, and the rest like the sheep, except that the 
 animal is altogether about twice as big : hence the Indians call it 
 chilibueque, which means Chili sheep, in order to distinguish 
 
CIIILT. 71 
 
 it from the lama, or sheep of Peru. The chilibueque is a 
 domestic animal, which is held in much esteem- by the Indians ; 
 and in their religious ceremonies and treaties of peace, they 
 sacrifice it as a token of friendship. Its flesh is as good as that 
 of common sheep, and its wool is excellent. This animal 
 is of four colours, v:z. white, grey, black, and ash colour ; 
 but it does not increase much, on account of the difficulty of 
 conception on the part of the female, which is obliged to be 
 kept up before she will receive the male. 
 
 The guemul is, in form and shape, like a chilibueque, with 
 the exception of its tail, which resembles that of a stag: it is 
 wilder than the guanaco, and almost always herds on the steepest 
 parts of the Andes. 
 
 The Peruvian sheep lives in the most temperate parts of the 
 country, but particularly in the provinces of Copiapo and 
 Coquimbo. It must necessarily be very prolific, for notwith- 
 standing the continual massacre to which it is subjected, it is al- 
 ways to be found in great numbers. 
 
 The viscague is of the size and almost the same figure as a 
 large rabbit, except that its legs are shorter : its hair is soft, 
 and of a grey and black colour, while its tail, which resembles 
 that of a fox, is furnished with hair so hard and sharp that 
 they seem like bristles. 
 
 There is another animal called chiitnn, which is also about 
 the size of a rabbit, but in figure it resembles a little dog. 
 This animal enters the houses in the country, eats whatever 
 it finds, and roves about amongst the dogs, which do 
 not disturb it any more than their masters ; in fact, tin; people 
 respect and fear it, though it does no harm, either with its 
 teeth or its claws. The circumstance which places it in security 
 is, that it has a little bladder at the root of the tail near the anus, 
 which contains an excessively foetid liquor, that it darts towards 
 those wlio attack it; and the smell of it is so contagious that 
 it renders a chamber uninhabitable for ever, if a drop happens 
 to fall in it. 
 
 The arda is a species of field mouse, though of the size of 
 a cat, and is only found in the province of Copiapo. This 
 animal is tolerably docile, and is covered with a thick ash- 
 coloured wool, as delicate as the finest cotton. 
 
 TOCOGRAPHY OV THE PROVINCES AND TOWNS. 
 
 Gopiapo. This corregidory, the principal town of which 
 is Saint Francois de la Sclva, borders on that of Atacama, in 
 Pern, :i\id to the north and west it is limited by the Pacific 
 K Z 
 
72 APPENDIX. 
 
 Ocean. Its length is 180 miles from north to south; audits 
 breadth between 60 and 00 miles from east to west. There is 
 but little rain in this district, nevertheless it produces all sorts of 
 corn and fruits of the finest quality. Its climate is always mild, 
 and it contains many mines of copper, sulphur, loadstone, gold, 
 silver, and lapis lazuli. There is a shrub which grows on the 
 banks of the rivers in this country called paraxabolo, and 
 which, when reduced by heat, answers the purpose of wax for 
 scaling bottles. A quantity of huge pels is caught on the coast, 
 and the chief articles of exportation are nitre and sulphur, the 
 latter of which is so good, that it requires no purification. 
 
 CoQuiMTiO. This corregidory borders to the east, on that of 
 Tucuman; to the south, on that of Quillota ; and to the wist, 
 on the Pacific Ocean. It is €40 miles Ion"', by 120 broad, 
 from east to west. There are bred in it numbers of guanacos 
 and Peruvian sheep ; and its vegetable productions are wine, 
 corn, and excellent oil. It contains many mines of gold, silver, 
 copper, lead, mercury, lime, and salt; and those of copper 
 supply Spain with the metal from which its artillery is cast. 
 The country also affords excellent horses, and ox-hides, with 
 which a considerable commerce is carried on at Lima. 
 
 The capital of Coquimbo, which is also called Serena, is 
 three quarters of a mile from the sea, and its climate is that of 
 a continual spring. All its streets are even, and its houses are 
 ornamented with beautiful gardens and walks of myrtle trees. 
 Its port is commodious and much frequented : it is 45 miles 
 from the city of Conception, and 1/4 from Saint J ago, in '24 
 deg. 54 min. S. lat. 
 
 Cuyo. This is a great corregidory, the capital of which is 
 Mendoza. In the eastern parts of Chili, it is called Trasmon- 
 tano : it is bounded to the east by Pampas; to the north 
 by Pioxa in Tucuman ; on the south by the territories of 
 the Puelch Indians and other savages ; and on the west by 
 the Andes. This province is extremely fertile, and h< sides 
 abundance of fruits, it also affords much corn, wine and 
 brandy. The wine is sent to Buenos Ayres and Monte-Video; 
 its colour is like that of a mixture of rhubarb and senna, and its 
 taste is similar to that composition ; but it probably acquires 
 both these qualities from the goat's skins, in which it is conveyed; 
 and scarcely any other kind is drank in all Paraguay. It is a 
 good stomachic. This country abounds in all sorts of cattle, 
 besides Peruvian sheep, and the Re ha Americana, or Magel- 
 lanic ostriches. The tfesh of the wild boar and the he-mule of 
 these parts is excellent, and all other kinds of provision are 
 uncommonly cheap 1 . There are also silver, copper, and gold 
 mines. The inhabitants are wry adroit at hunting, and parti- 
 
CHILI. 73 
 
 cularly in chasing ostriches, the exercise of which renders them 
 so agile, that they can keep up with a horse at a gallop. 
 
 QlHLLOTA. The capital from which this corregidory takes 
 its name, is culled St. Martin dc. la Coucha. It is situated 
 ahout 27 miles from Valparayso, and is bounded to the north 
 by Coqiritribo. ft is lb miles from north to south, and fr> 
 from east to west. It produces wine, corn, cattle, and 
 abundant mines of gold and copper. The inhabitants arc. 
 employed m making ropes for ships, as well as soda aud soap, 
 which are articles of commerce. 
 
 V \ LPARAYSO. The soil of this town is but ordinary in point 
 of fertility, as it consists mostly o ous hillocks, which 
 
 rise one above the other like the steps of a terrace. The vallies 
 and plains between these rows of sleep hills produce excellent 
 fruits, particularly the Quillota apples. 
 
 Valparayso, which is a port, and a good town for trade, is 
 90 miles from Saint Jago, die capital of Chili. This central 
 position renders it the principal medium of commerce for the 
 whole vicerovalty. There are exported annually for Lima nearly 
 15,000 tons of wheat, either in grain or flour-; aud a considerable 
 quantity of ropes, salt-fish, and. fruits. The merchants of 
 Valparaiso receive in exchange sugar, tobacco, indigo, and 
 spirituous liquors. 
 
 The houses of Valparayso only consist of ground floors, on 
 account of the frequent earthquakes. Their walls are con- 
 structed of mud plastered with mortar, hut they are convenient, 
 appropriate to the climate, and in general well furnished. The 
 batteries at the port are mounted with seventy pieces of cannon; 
 but Captain Vancouver asserts, that three frigates would beat 
 them to atoms. 
 
 Aconcagua'. This corregidory, the capital of which is 
 St. Felipe el Ileal, borders to the north, on a part of that of 
 Quillota; and to the south on the jurisdiction of Saint Jago. 
 Jt produces a quantity of corn. Some barracks have been 
 built on the mountains, through which a road leads to Mcndoza, 
 and these edifices serve as a shelter to travellers, who are supplied 
 at them with biscuits and salt beef. In consequence of this 
 regulation couriers pass to and from Saint Jago at all seasons 
 of the year. 
 
 Melipilla. This jurisdiction, the chief place of which is 
 Logr'ono, bonk is to the east on that of Saint Jago, and is 
 limited to the west b\ the sea. It is not very extensive. Its 
 prductions are corn, wine, and cattle; aud an abundance of 
 li^-h is caught on thecoa t. 
 
 Bacangua. This is a corregidory, the chief place of which 
 i> Sa/ita-Cruz de Triana; but it is sometimes called Bacangua. 
 
74 APPENDIX 
 
 It borders on that of St. Jago, and reaches as far as the sea. It is 
 120 miles from east to west, and 39 from north to south. It is 
 well watered, abounds in fruit and fish, and contains some mines 
 of gold and rock salt, as well as some medicinal baths, which 
 are beneficial for various disea 
 
 Saint Ja«T6, or more properly San Yago. This is a 
 coxregidofy, which is 78 miles long from east to west, and 6 '> 
 broad from north to south. It has many gold mines, but they 
 are only worked in summer, which is in December, January, 
 February, and .Marc!;. About 60 miles from the capital is the 
 great mine of Kempu; and in the vallej called Blanche, they 
 breed silk-worms. At the mountain of Dekurato de Colina 
 there are thirty-four gold mines, at which people work every day ; 
 and the province also contains some mines of copper and tin, 
 three of silver, and one of lead. At Monte-Negro there has 
 lately been discovered a quarry of jasper. Vancouver asserts, 
 that the soil, from Valparaiso to Saint Jago, is a continual 
 ascent, arid that the cold from the mountains is sensibly felt. 
 The climate of Saint Jago is temperate and salubrious; the 
 environs of the town are covered with gardens and vineyards, 
 while the eye extends farther over vast grazing plains, and the 
 interesting perspective is terminated by the summits of the 
 Andes, which are covered with snow. 
 
 Saint Jago, the capital of the whole kingdom of Chili, 
 V situated in 38 deg. 40 min. 11 sec. S. hit. and is <)0 miles 
 from the port of Valparaiso. The town is said to be more than 
 three miles in circumference. The streets intersect each other 
 at right angles, and some of them are tolerably wide, and three 
 quarters of a mile long. Its population is estimated at 30,500 
 souls. Some of the edifices in Saint Jago are worthy of mention, 
 on account of their magnificence, though the rules of archi- 
 tecture have not been exactly observed in their construction ; 
 the principal are, the mint, the new cathedral, and some 
 churches, though there are several splendid houses belonging 
 to individuals. These all consist only of a ground floor, though 
 the apartments are capacious and lofty. This manner of build- 
 ing, which is, as has been observed, adopted from the fear of 
 earthquakes, is probably in the end more convenient, salubrious, 
 and even more magnificent than the European method of building 
 several floors above each oilier. 
 
 Saint Jago is the residence of u captain-general, v\ho is 
 likewise the civil magistrate of the kingdom of Chili; of a 
 bishop who enjoys a large revenue, and a still greater degree of 
 respect, of a supreme tribunal, an university, and a college of 
 nobles. There are twelve monasteries and seven nunneries in 
 this capital. 
 
CHILI. 7*> 
 
 The manner of living at Saint Jago exhibits all the character- 
 istics of gaiety, hospitality, and good nature, which so ad- 
 vantageously distinguish the Spaniards in the New World as well 
 as in Europe. The women there are handsome brunettes, but 
 a gothic dress rather disfigures them. The conversation in the 
 first circles of the towns seems to partake of the simplicity 
 and freedom which prevail in the country parts of Europe. 
 Dancing and music are here, as well as throughout America, 
 the favourite amusements of both sexes. The luxury of dress 
 and equipages is carried to a great height ; but in the furnishing 
 and fitting up the houses, more regard is had to pomp than to 
 neatness and elegance. 
 
 Colcagua. This corregidory, the capital of which is 
 Fernando, is bounded to the east by the Cordeliers or Andes ; 
 to the west by the South Sea; and to the south by the province 
 of Maule. It is I'JIO miles from east to west, and 90 from 
 north to south. It contains mines of gold and copper ; and 
 abounds in cattle, horses, and mules. Hot springs are frequently 
 met with in this country, which are excellent for curing leprosy, 
 wounds, and siplrylitie diseases. 
 
 Ciiillan. This place, though a capital, is a very small 
 and mean looking town : it lies in 36 deg. G mm. S. lat. At 
 a short distance from it there is a volcano, which bears the same 
 name. 
 
 Maule. This province,, the capital of which is Talca, 
 is bounded on the east by the Cordeliers, by the district of Con- 
 ception, from which it is separated by the river Maule ; and 
 on the west by the south sea. It is 138 miles from north to 
 south, and 90 from east to west. It contains many gold mines, 
 but particularly that of Mount Chivato, which is very famous 
 for the quantity of pure metal that it affords. The country 
 furnishes all sorts of corn and cattle in abundance, but par- 
 ticularly goats, the skin of which is made into Moroc o leather, 
 and gives rise to a considerable commerce. A kind of wine, 
 which is much valued, is also produced in this country, as is 
 likewise tobacco. There is also a pitch mine, and a quantity of 
 very white salt is manufactured in these parts. 
 
 Conception. This corregidory extends from the river 
 Maule to that of Biobio, which is its limit, at the inhabited 
 parts of Chili. Its climate is temperate, and the four seasons 
 of the year are distinguished as in Europe, though at inverse 
 periods. The soil is very fertile ; the wheat yields in the pro- 
 portion of sixty grains to one ; the vines are equally abundant, 
 and the fields are covered with cattle. In 17^7, the price of a 
 large ox was eight piastres ; and that of a sheep three quarters 
 of a piastre. The men are very robust, courageous, and adroit 
 
76 APPENDIX. 
 
 at riding, as arc the women : but they are particularly clever at 
 throwing a running-noose over the different animals which they 
 hunt, without ever missing their mark. 
 
 The town of La Conception having been overwhelmed by 
 the sea, in consequence of an earthquake, a new one has been 
 built at some distance from the shore, which is indiscriminately 
 called La Mocha, or New Conception. The inhabitants are 
 about 10,000 in number. It is the residence of an intendant 
 and a military commander, and the authority of these two 
 officers extends over the province of La Conception, which 
 comprises the south of Chili ; but its limits are not precisely 
 known. 
 
 Talcaguana is a little town, situated at the shore of the bay 
 of La Conception, which is one of the most convenient har- 
 bours on the coast of Chili. The fortresses of Araucos, Tucapel, 
 and others, were intended as a check to the incursions of the 
 Indians, who are now submissive and peaceable. Our account 
 of this vast and interesting country will terminate with 
 
 Valdivia. This is a corregidory, the capital of which 
 bears the same name. Jt is situated on the bank of a river, 
 and of a fortified eminence. This is considered one of the best 
 places in all America. It has a good and well-defended port; 
 its fields are very fertile ; it furnishes excellent timber for 
 building, and contains a great number of gold mines. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE VICEROYALTY OF PERU. 
 
 A HE viceroyalty of Peru comprehends the audiency of Lima, 
 the province of La Paz, and the presidency of San-Yago. 
 This presidency is, however, separated from the other parts of 
 the viceroyalty, as has already been shewn, by the audiency of 
 Choreas, which belongs to the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres. — 
 The two former occupj the principal part of the ancient Peru. 
 
 This great empire, the foundation of which by the Incas 
 remains enveloped in the obscurity of a series of fables, and 
 of an uncertain tradition, has lost much of its local grandeur 
 since the time when it was stripped, on the north side, of the 
 provinces which form the kingdom of Quito, and afterwards of 
 those which, towards the east, constitute the viceroyalty of 
 Buenos Ayres. Its present extent in length runs, north and 
 south, over a space of from l°/>0 to 1350 miles, from two 
 degrees to nearly twenty-three degrees of south latitude ; and 
 its greatest breadth is from 500 to 360 miles, east and west, 
 
PERU. 77 
 
 i. e. about IS degrees of W. Ion. The river of Guayaquil 
 divides it from the new kingdom of Granada on the north side. 
 The depopulated territory of Atacama separates it from the 
 kingdom of Chili towards the south. Another horrible desert, 
 of more than fifteen hundred miles extent, separates it towards 
 the east from the provinces of Paraguay and Buenos Ayres ; 
 and lastly, the Pacific Ocean washes its western shores. 
 
 A chain of barren and rugged mountains ; several sandy plains, 
 which in a manner reach from one extent of the coast to the 
 other ; and several lakes of many leagues in extent, some of 
 which are situated on the summits of the above chain of moun- 
 tains, occupy a great part of the Peruvian territory. Throughout, 
 the breaks and the vallies, which enjoy the benefit of irrigation, 
 present to the view an extensive range of delightful plains, 
 replete with villages and towns, and the climate of which is 
 highly salubrious. That of the elevated spots of La Sierra is 
 extremely cold. In the pampas, or plains, of Bombou, 
 Fahrenheit's thermometer is constantly at from thirty-four to 
 forty degrees above zero. 
 
 The population of Peru does not much exceed a million 
 of souls, and so far as relates to the original casts, is com- 
 posed of Spaniards, Indians, and Negroes. The secondary 
 species best known, and proceeding from a mixture of these 
 three, are the mulatto, the offspring of the Spaniard and negro 
 woman ; the quarteron, of the mulatto woman and Spaniard ; 
 and the mestizo, of the Spaniard and Indian woman. The 
 final subdivisions which are formed by the successive mixtures, 
 are as many as the different possible combinations of these pri- 
 mitive races. 
 
 The commerce of Peru has been considerably augmented, 
 since it has, by the arrival of the merchant vessels of Spain 
 by Cape Horn, and by the grant of an unrestrained commerce, 
 freed itself from the oppression under which it groaned in the 
 time of the galeons, and of the fairs of Porto-Bello and Pa- 
 nama. Prior to that epoch, the bulky and overgrown capitals 
 circulated through, and were in a manner lost in, a few hands ; 
 and while the little trader tyrannized over the people, by regu- 
 lating, at his own will, the prices of the various productions 
 and commodities, he himself received the law from the monopo- 
 lizing wholesale dealer. The negociations of the capital with 
 the interior were then, in a great measure, dependant on the 
 intelligence and the decisions of the magistrates ; and the com- 
 merce with Spain owed its best security to the circulation of the 
 silver entered in the bills of lading. Commerce, on the other 
 hand, being at this time subdivided into so many smaller branches.. 
 
 HELMS.] L 
 
78 APPENDIX. 
 
 maintains a greater number of merchants ; at the same time 
 that the fortunes which accrue from it are not so numerous. 
 It is necessary that a commercial man should combine his plans 
 skilfully, and extend his speculations, to be enabled to acquire a 
 handsome property. 
 
 The manufactures of this country consist almost entirely of 
 a few friezes, the use of which is in a manner confined to the 
 Indians and negroes. There are besides an inconsiderable 
 number of manufactures of hats, cotton cloths, drinking 
 glasses, &c. which do not, however, occupy much space in the 
 scale of the riches of Peru. Sugar, Vicuna wool, cotton, 
 Peruvian bark, copper, and cocoa (it is to be observed, however, 
 that the two latter articles, as well as a considerable part of 
 the Peruvian bark, are sent hither from Guayaquil, &c), are 
 the only commodities, the produce of our mines excepted, 
 which we export. 
 
 The mines are the principal, it may indeed be said, the only 
 source of the riches of Peru. Notwithstanding the little 
 industry which is employed in working them, and the small help 
 which commerce affords to the miners, 534,000 marks of 
 silver, and 6,380 of gold, were smelted and refined last year 
 (1790) in the royal mint of Lima; and 5/206,900 piastres, in 
 both materials, were coined there. 
 
 From the mines of Gualgayoc, and from that of Pasco, 
 about the one half of the silver which is annnually smelted, 
 coined, and wrought, is extracted. The mine of Guantajaya 
 is abundant in ores and rich metallic veins, but does not yield in 
 proportion, in consequence of the dearness of every necessary, 
 as well for working as for convenience and subsistence. On 
 account also of its distance fom the capital, the benefits which 
 would otherwise arise from it are lost; the ores of thirty marks 
 the caxon*, do not pay themselves ; and the same may be said 
 of the products of the smaller and more superficial veins, which 
 occasionally present themselves, and in which the silver is 
 chiselled out. 
 
 Lima. The audience of Lima is divided into five provinces 
 or districts, viz. Truxillo, Guamanga, Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, 
 and we may add the province of La Paz. 
 
 The province of Lima extends along the coast of the Pacific 
 Ocean, and is subject to the jurisdiction of the viceroy and 
 archbishop of Lima. It is subdivided into several subordinate- 
 districts, among which the principal is Conchucos. This 
 district is 15(j miles in length, by 00 in breadth. It abonnds 
 to, fruits of various kiuds, and also produces luxuriant crops of 
 
 * The caxon contains 6,^50 pounds. 
 
PERU. 79 
 
 wheat, maize, and barley ; but the chief wealth of the inhabit- 
 ants consists in the possession of numerous flocks, of which, 
 the wool constitutes the chief article of their commerce. There 
 are also some mines of very purr gold and silver, as well as of 
 sulphur, in different parts of Conchucos. 
 
 Santar, another of these subordinate divisions, is bounded 
 on the north by Truxillo, and on the west by the South Sea. It 
 is 1°.0 miles in length, and 36 in breadth. Along this part of 
 the coast there are different safe and commodious harbours ; 
 the chief commerce of Santa consists of wool- bearing animals, 
 cotton, and hogs-lard, for which the merchants find a ready 
 market at Lima; there are some sugar-houses and distilleries 
 established in the capital. The climate in this district is rather 
 warm; it abounds with mines containing loadstones. 
 
 Caxatamba, the third subdivision, is I0'2 miles long, and 
 Qd broad; like Santa, it abounds in fruit of every kind ; but the 
 chief dependance of the inhabitants is upon their flocks and 
 herds. Their trade is mostly confined to woollen stuffs, some 
 of which are dyed with the cochineal found in the neighbour- 
 hood. In this district, there are several mines of alum, cop- 
 peras, and silver. 
 
 Guannco, the forth of these subdivisions, is blessed with a 
 mild and salubrious climate and a fertile soil. Here cotton 
 is raised in great abundance, and at the foot of the mountains 
 vast qualities of cocoa, which is sold at Tacma. This district 
 is intersected by two large rivers, which from a junction near 
 the capital, bearing the same name as the district : the pre- 
 serves made here are much esteemed at Lima. 
 
 The district of Tarma is bounded on the north by Guanuco. 
 Here the climate is colder than in any other part of the province 
 of Lima ; of the wool procured from their numerous flocks, 
 the inhabitants manufacture stuffs of different qualities, which 
 constitute the principal staple of their commerce. There are 
 also some productive silver mines in this district. Government 
 has found it necessary to constitute forts at different points, in 
 order to prevent the incursions of the Indnms from the moun- 
 tains. Chancay, or Annedo, which is the last of these sub- 
 divisions, enjojs a considerable diversity of climate, being warm 
 towards the sea, and colder on the side adjoining the mountains. 
 The inhabitants of this district cultivate maize in great abundance, 
 with which they fatten hogs and pigeons in vast numbers for the 
 market of Lima, and which produces to them more than 
 300,000 piastres (53,750 pounds sterling). In this district the 
 land is manured with the dung of a bird, termed huanaco, which 
 inhabits the small islands near the coast, and such is the fertility 
 it gives to the soil, that if a handful of maize be scattered at 
 
 L2 
 
80 APPENDIX. 
 
 random it will produce a two hundred fold. The eotmtry 
 likewise abounds with salt-pits, from which the adjoining 
 provinces are furnished with this necessary article ; it is given to 
 their animals as an antidote against an insect which attacks 
 their livers, so as most frequently to occasion their death. 
 
 In a greater or less degree, the arid mountains of Peru may be 
 considered as an inexhaustible elaboratory of gold and silver. 
 With the exception of the mine of Guantajaya, situated near 
 the port of Iquique, at a distance of two leagues from the sea, 
 the richest mines are comprehended in the most rigid and 
 insalubrious parts of La Sierra, where the absence of plants 
 and shrubs . or, in other words, the infertility itself cf the ccld 
 soil they occupy, is in general a sure indication which leads to 
 their discovery 
 
 As the Indians were ignorant, not only of the invention of 
 money, but likewise of the astonishing powers of hydraulics 
 applied to machinery, and of the secrets of mineralogy, more 
 especially as they refer to chemistry and subterraneous geometry, 
 the metals they extracted were not of a very considerable amount. 
 The last emperor of Peru could not muster for his ransom, the 
 value of a million and a half of piastres in gold and silver; and 
 the plunder of Cusco was not estimated at a greater sum than 
 ten millions. This was a small quantity for so many years of 
 research and accumulation, but immense for the simple and 
 unique process of collecting, among the sands of the rivers, 
 the minute particles of gold that had been swept along by the 
 waters, and the little pure silver that could be dug out of a 
 pit, which, iu many instances, did not exceed a fathom in 
 depth. 
 
 The most moderate computations of the Spanish writers, 
 among whom may be particularly cited Moncada, Navarrete, and 
 Ustariz, fix at nine thousand millions of piastres the sums v\hich 
 Spain received from America during the two hundred and forty- 
 eight years that followed its conquest up to that of 1740. The 
 mine of Potosi alone, during the first ninety years of its being 
 worked, produced 3;);i,oi!J,000 piastres; — a prodigious extrac- 
 tion, which appears more surprising, when it is considered 
 that metallurgy had hitherto been treated, not according to the 
 principles and rules of art, but according to the adoption and 
 practice of an ancient and blind usage. 
 
 As the provinces of La Sierra annexed to Buenos Ay res 
 are the most abundant in mines, and on that account the most 
 populous and steril, it is necessary that the consumers, whose 
 numbers are very considerable, should be supplied with the 
 natural productions of the coast, the only part of the territory 
 of Peru where the lands can be profitably cultivated. Are*- 
 
PERU. 81 
 
 quipa is, by its proximity, the source of these supplies ; aud 
 Cusco administers, by its manufactories, the baizes, and other 
 articles of clothing which the population demands. It ought, 
 however, to be observed, that the augmented introduction of 
 the manufactures of Europe, by the river of La Plata, has 
 latterly occasioned this branch of commerce to decline in a 
 sensible manner ; the camlets, fustians, second cloths, 8tc- 
 imported by this channel, having been sold at little more thau 
 their prime cost, so as to have ruined, by their competition, 
 the baizes and stuffs of the manufacture of the country. 
 
 Lima, which is the capital of the kingdom of Peru, is justly 
 regarded as one of the handsomest, largest, most populous, 
 and richest cities in the world. It is termed by the Spaniards 
 the Queen of Cities, though a commercial spirit docs not pre- 
 vail in it to the same extent as in Mexico and Buenos Ayres ; 
 nor are the inhabitants equally industrious as those of Puebla, 
 ©f Los Angelos, or Quito. M. Humboldt highly extols the 
 genius, the liberal sentiments, and natural gaiety of the inhabit- 
 ants. 
 
 This city is situated nearly six miles from the Pacific Ocean, 
 between the 78th and 79th deg. of W. Ion. and 12 deg. 2 miu. 
 S I sec. S. hit. The port called Callao, is six miles distance from 
 the city, in a plain termed the valley of Rinia, or sometimes the 
 valley of Lima. This valley is intersected by a river of the 
 same name, over which is thrown a beautiful stone bridge 
 consisting of five arches. The city is of a triangular figure, 
 surrounded with brick walls, having 34 bastions ; it is more than 
 two miles in length on the side next the river. The streets are 
 wide, and most of them run in a straight direction. The houses 
 are low, on account of the frequency of earthquakes, but are 
 highly ornamented, and of an elegant appearance ; they have 
 generally gardens adjoining to them. The royal square is 
 extremely handsome, and in the middle is placed a beautiful 
 fountain of bronze, surmounted by an image of Fame, executed 
 in a very good style. This square is from 500 to ()00 feet in 
 length, and is surrounded by superb edifices. 
 
 There is one university in Lima, dedicated to St. Mark; 
 this city is the residence of a viceroy, who is persident of the 
 royal audience ; besides an ecclesiastical tribunal, there is also a 
 supreme tribunal of audience, composed of a president, a fiscal, 
 and two examiners. The climate is here healthy and extremely 
 agreeable, and though no rain falls, the ground is watered by a 
 gentle dew termed gema; a variety of the most delicious fruits 
 abound in the vicinity of Lima ; and, in short, nothing is here 
 wanting which can contribute to the comfort or the luxury of 
 the inhabitants. 
 
82 APPENDIX. 
 
 A treasury is established here for receiving the duty on the 
 produce of the mines, as well as all the taxes paid by the 
 Indians to the king of Spain. 
 
 The trade carried on by the marchants of Lima, is represented 
 by Alcedo to be very extensive ; but this author appears to have 
 overlooked the great decay of this trade, occasioned by the 
 growing prosperity of Buenos Ayres, which is much more 
 conveniently situated for the European commerce. Besides, 
 the government has established at this last place, a magazine 
 for the produce of the mines of Potosi and La Plata ; these are 
 now conveyed thither by the Pilcomayo, and the river La Piata, 
 which is a much shorter, and more secure route, than that of 
 Lima. 
 
 The beauty of the situation, the fertility of the soil, the 
 mildness of the climate, and the riches of the inhabitants of 
 Lima, are not, however, sufficient to compensate for the 
 continual dangers with which they are menaced. In 1747, a 
 dreadful earthquake destroyed three fourths of the city, and 
 entirely demolished the port of Caliao. Never was destruction 
 more complete, since of 30,000 inhabitants, only one escaped 
 to relate the disastrous event. This man happened at the time 
 to be in a fort which overlooked the harbour, when he perceived 
 all the inhabitants, at the same moment, rush out of their houses, 
 in the greatest terror and consternation. The sea, as is common 
 on similar occasions, receded to a great distance from the shore, 
 but almost immediately returned like foaming mountains, and 
 engul plied these unfortunate people. The next moment all 
 became calm and tranquil, but the waves which had destroyed 
 the city, drove a small boat into the place where this man had 
 remained, into which he threw himself and by this means at- 
 tained a place of safety. 
 
 QUITO. 
 
 The province of Quito is perhaps one of the most singular and 
 interesting countries in the universe. The valley of Quito is 
 situated 1460 toises obove the level of the sea, which is higher 
 than the tops of the most elevated mountains of the Pyren- 
 nees. A double range of mountains surround this delightful 
 valley ; though under the equator, an eternal spring reigns in 
 this favoured spot; the trees are perpetually clothed with luxu- 
 riant foliage, and loaded with fruits of every species ; it abounds 
 with animals, the wool of which is employed in the manufacture 
 of stuffs, which form its principal article of commerce with 
 Peru. They likewise manufacture in this city cotton cloth equal 
 in fineness to that which they receive from England. The pro- 
 
PERU. 83 
 
 vince every where abounds with mines of gold, silver, copper, 
 and other metals ; there are also several mines of quicksilver, 
 rubies, amethysts, emeralds, rock crystal, and of beautiful 
 marble of different qualities. 
 
 This kingdom is intersected in all directions by innumerable 
 rivers, of which the principal flow into that of the Amazon, 
 while others pour their waters into the Pacific Ocean; amongst 
 these we remark the river of Emeraldas, the banks of which 
 formerly abounded with emeralds, the precious stone from 
 which its name is derived. 
 
 But this fertile and smiling country is not the abode of safety 
 and tranquillity. " Unfortunate people," says the eloquent 
 Marmontel, when speaking of the inhabitants of Quito, " un- 
 fortunate people ! whom the fertility of this deceitful land has 
 drawn together ; its flowers, its fruits, and its luxuriant harvests, 
 cover an abyss underneath their feet. The fecundity of the 
 soil is produced by the exhalations of a devouring fire ; its 
 increasing fertility forebodes its ruin, and it is in the very bosom 
 of abundance that we behold engulphed its thoughtless and 
 happy possessors." 
 
 The earthquake of the 7th February, 1797, has been justly 
 reckoned one of the most destructive that ever occurred on our 
 globe. A particular description of this event, as well as of 
 the volcanoes of Pichincha and Cotopax, will be found in a 
 subsequent page of the Appendix. 
 
 The labouring classes of the inhabitants of the city of Quito 
 are industrious, and have attained to considerable perfection in 
 many arts and manufactures, particularly in those of woollen 
 and cotton cloths, which they dye blue, and dispose of in the 
 different villages and cities of Peru. The number of the inhabit- 
 ants of this city is estimated at s0,000, of which the majority 
 are mestizes, the offspring of native Indians and Spaniards. It 
 is governed by a president, and in it is held the supreme court 
 of justice : it is likewise a bishop's see. The inequalities of the 
 ground on which it stands are so great, as to render the use of 
 carriages inadmissible. The houses are constructed of brick, 
 and seldom exceed two stories in height. 
 
84 APPENDIX. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS FACTS. 
 
 NATTJRAJL CURIOSITIES OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
 
 iiMONG the natural curiosities in South America may be 
 mentioned those immense quantities of fossile bones, found in 
 the vicinity of Santa-Fe, at 2,370 toises above the level of the 
 sea ; some of which evidently belong to the species of elephant 
 known in Africa while, others appear similar to those discovered 
 near the banks of the Ohio. M. Humboldt speakes of having 
 seen similar bones, which were discovered in the Andes and in 
 Chili; from which fact it may be fairly inferred, that those 
 gigantic animals must have formerly existed from the shores of 
 the Ohio to Patagonia. 
 
 From the researches of M. Humboldt it appears, that petri- 
 factions are extremely rare in the Andes ; even belemnites and 
 ammonites, so common in Europe, are there wholly unknown. 
 Along the shores of Carraccas, this indefatigable naturalist 
 found many shells recently petrified, and resembling those in 
 the neighbouring sea. In the plains of the Oroonoko some 
 trees have also been found petrilied, and converted into a hard 
 stony substance. 
 
 Father Feuillee, describing in his journal the warm springs of 
 Guaucavelica observes, that the inhabitants of this canton set 
 apart those waters which are strongly impregnated with calca- 
 reous particles, to cool, when they deposit a sediment, which, 
 being received into vessels prepared for the purpose, soon 
 acquires the hardness of stone ; and that it is with this stone 
 their houses are constructed. 
 
 But the greatest natural curiosity perhaps in South America, 
 is the skeleton of a quadruped discovered under ground in 
 Paraguay. The form of the head, and the proportions of 
 the body, bear some affinity to those of the sloth, but its length 
 i:s twelve feet, from which, and other circumstances, it should 
 seem to belong to a gigantic species which is probably now 
 extinct. An accurate description of the Megatherium is given 
 by M. Cuvier in the Annals of the Museum of Natural History, 
 bom which it appears, that it is only furnished with molares, 
 but is destitute of incisive or canine teeth. 
 1 
 
MOUNTAINS. S5 
 
 ON THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Next to the extent of the New World, (observes Dr. 
 Robinson) the grandeur of the objects which it presents to view, 
 is most apt to strike the eye of an observer. Nature seems to 
 have carried on her operations upon a larger scale, and with * 
 bolder hand, and to have distinguished the features of this country 
 with a peculiar magnificence. 
 
 The mountains of South America, which may be divided 
 into three kinds, arc much superior in height to those of the 
 other divisions of the globe. 
 
 The great chain of the Andes runs through the whole conti- 
 nent, from north to south ; it arises near the Straits of Magellan, 
 and, following the direction of the Pacific Ocean, crosses the 
 kingdoms of Chili and Peru, seldom receding more than 36 
 miles from the coast. The broadest part of this chain is in the 
 vicinity of Potosi and lake Titicaca ; near Quito, under the 
 equator, the continuation of this range rises to a pr >digious 
 altitude, forming the highest mountains on the surface of the 
 globe. At Popayan, it terminates and divides into several 
 branches, two of which, in particular, are very remarkable; 
 the one runs to the [sthmus of Darien, the other passi 
 tween the Oroonoko and the rivei Madelaine, and approaching 
 the Caribbean Sea, to the east, of the lake Maraeavbo, it pursues 
 the direction of the coast, and appears to stretch, under, the sea, 
 as far as the island of Trinidad. 
 
 Under the second division of mountains in South America, 
 are comprehended those of Brazil, which form rather a cluster 
 than one continued chain. The centre of this cluster appears 
 near Minas-Geracs; from. this point there proceeds one chain 
 towards the north, which terminates at Cape Royne; another 
 pursues a southern direction along the coast from Rio Janeiro 
 to Rio. St. Pedro; lastly, a third chain, that of Matogropo, 
 extends towards the Compos-Paresis, a large reservoir of water, 
 which, during the rainy season, empties itself into the Amazon 
 and La Plata. 
 
 The third division of mountains is composed of those which 
 arise near lake Parima, and form the centre of Guiana. This 
 central point has not hitherto been sufficiently explored; very 
 little also is known of the chain- which appears to stretch east- 
 ward towards Cape North; but some important information 
 has been furnished us by Don Santos, Don Solano, and M. de 
 Humboldt, respecting the chain which extends towards the 
 Oroonoko. This series, according to them, is enteusive, but 
 not very elevated. To the south-west it is lost in an extensive 
 HELMS.] M 
 
86 APPKNDIX. 
 
 plain, where the waters of the Oroonoko and those of the 
 Amazon form communications, particularly with a branch of 
 the river Casiquiari. This circumstance alone may serve to 
 show, that there does not exist one uninterrupted chain to the 
 Andes, as some might be led to infer from one of the letters 
 of Humboldt on this subject. There can, in fact, only be an 
 abrupt descent from one plain to another ; in which way are 
 formed, it should seem, the cataracts of the Oroonoko. 
 
 Thus, it is evident, that the three extensive plains, viz. that 
 through which the Oroonoko flows, that which the Amazon 
 crosses, and that which is watered by La Plata, are in contact 
 with each other. Hence it would not be a difficult undertaking 
 to establish a communication, by means of navigable canals, 
 from the mouth of the Oroonoko to Buenos Ayres. 
 
 To the general view of the configuration of the American 
 mountains, may be added some details, which we owe to the 
 indefatigable labours of several distinguished travellers, par- 
 ticularly Condamine, Bougucr, and Humboldt. 
 
 In the mountainous chain which borders the northern coast of 
 Terra Firma, is situated the lake of Valencia, which particularly 
 attracted the attention of M. Humboldt, by whom we are 
 informed that.it exhibits a similar appearance to the celebrated 
 lake of Geneva, with this difference, that it is embellished 
 with ail the luxuriance of vegetation peculiar to the torrid zone. 
 The height of this range is estimated at from six hundred to 
 eight hundred toises above the level of the sea. The plains, 
 which extend to its base, are from 100 to 2fiO toises. But 
 there are detached mountains, which rise to a prodigious height : 
 for example, the altitude of Sierra Nevada of Merida is c 2,350, 
 and that of the Silla of Carraccas 2,3 H) toises. Their sum- 
 mits are covered with perpetual snows, and from them proceed 
 torrents of hot liquefied substances, sometimes attended with 
 earthquakes. This chain is more precipitous towards the north 
 than to the south ; in the Silla there is a dreadful precipice, 
 upwards of 1,300 toises in height. 
 
 The rocks of this chain are composed or* gneip and micaceous 
 sckis&lS, as in the inferior division of the Andes; these sub- 
 stances are frequently disposed in strata from two to three feet 
 in thickness, and contain large crystals of feldspath ; in the 
 micaceous schistus are often contained red garnets.- as well as 
 other matters 5 and in the gneip of the mountain D'Avila, 
 green garnets are not unfrequeutly found, and sometimes also 
 noduels of granite. Towards the south the chain is partly com- 
 posed of calcareous mountains, which sometimes rise to a 
 greater height than the primitive mountains. In this range we 
 also meet with rocks of veined serpentine bluish steatites, &c. 
 
MOUNTAINS. 87 
 
 The chain of Guiana, or the mountains tow aids Lake Parima, 
 do not rise to the same elevation as the former. According to 
 the estimate of M. Humboldt, the mountain of Duida, near the 
 Emeralds, is 1323 toises in height. This majestic mountain, 
 from which are constantly ejected flames towards the end of 
 the rainy season, surmounts an extensive plain, coveted with 
 palm-trees and ananas. It is wholly composed of gneip, mica- 
 ceous scbistus, slate, and am pinhole. Throughout this chain, 
 granite appears predominant. The rocks reputed primitive and 
 secondary, are here arranged in a very singular order. The mas- 
 ses of talc, or shining mica, with which the chain of Parina 
 abounds, have given rise to the fabulous tradition of El Dorado, 
 or a country of gold. 
 
 On the road to Los Llanos, leading to the Andes of Peru, 
 lie immense deserts, similar to those of Africa; where, incon- 
 sequence of the reflection of the heat from the sand, Reaumur's 
 thermometer usually ascends to 33, or sometimes even to 37 
 deg. in the shade. Throughout an extent of more than 6,000 
 square miles, scarcely a single inequality on the surface of the 
 ground can be perceived. Being wholly destitute of vegetation, 
 during the dry season this sandy plain exhibits the appearance of 
 a vast ocean, and affords only a shelter to crocodiles and ser- 
 pents of different kinds. The traveller, in pursuing his way 
 through this dreary region, has no other guide than the course 
 of the stars, and the trunks of a few decayed trees. 
 
 It was through these deserts that M. Humboldt and Bonp- 
 land pursued their journey to the upper Oroonoko ; but on their 
 way to Quito they went by St. Martha, and ascended the mag- 
 nificent river of Madelaiue, passing by the city of Santa Fe of 
 Bogota, which stands 1360 toises above the level of the sea. 
 From this part of the country, which M. Humboldt describes 
 as a perfect desert, they proceeded to Popayan by the way of 
 Buga, and crossing the delightful valley of Cauca, they visited 
 the mines of Platina, in the mountain of Chaca. 
 
 This indefatigable naturalist likewise visited the basaltic 
 mountains of Julusinto, and the craters of the volcano of Pu- 
 race, which, at that time, ejected, with a dreadful noise, vo- 
 lumes of hydro-sulphureous vapours. The temperature of the 
 vallies lying at the foot of this mountain is said to be extremely 
 mild and delightful ; the range of Reaumer's thermometer being 
 from 17 to 19 deg. This neighbourhood abounds with beautiful 
 porphyry granites, which are generally found in the form of small 
 columns. In the province of* Pasto, which comprehends the 
 environs of Guachucal of Tuguefes, lies an immense frozen and 
 barren plain, almost surrounded with volcanoes, which conti 
 
 M 2 
 
68 APPENDIX. 
 
 nually throw out clouds of smoke so as to darken the surrotnid- 
 ing atmosphere. The unfortunate inhabitants of these deserts 
 have no other food than a species of potatoes, termed by them 
 patates In 1S00 the total failure of this their only crop re- 
 duced them to such a state of wretchedness, as forced them to 
 ascend the mountain?., and to devour the trunks of a small tree 
 or .shrub, named ac impel la ; but as the bears of the Andes feed 
 upon this small tree, the victims of famine were frequently even 
 deprived by these animals of the only resource they had left to 
 prolong their miserable existence. Near the small Indian village 
 of Voisaco, si'uate 1370 toises above the level of the sea, is 
 found, in great abundance, a red porphyiy, with an argillaceous 
 base, inclosing vitreous and corneous feldspath, which pos- 
 sesses all the properties of the serpentine of Montithtel, in 
 Franconia. 
 
 M. Humboldt, who visited the city of Quito in 180'2, 
 describes the effects produced in its vicinity by the, dreadful 
 earthquake which occurred in 1797. " Quito," says this tra- 
 veller, " is a handsome city, but the atmosphere is always cloud} ; 
 the neighbouring mountains are only covered with a scanty ver- 
 dure, and the cold is very considerable. The tremendous earth- 
 quake of February, 1797, which desolated the whole province, 
 and swallowed up from 35 to 40,000 individuals, was also fatal 
 to the inhabitants of this capital. Such was the change pro- 
 duced by it on the temperature of the air, that Reaumur's ther- 
 mometer, which at present fluctuates from 4 to 10 deg. and 
 rarely ascends to 1(5 or 17 deg. constantly stood, previous to 
 that catastrophe, at 15 or 16 deg. Since this period, likewise, 
 the province under consideration lias been constantly subject to 
 more or less violent shocks ; and it is not improbable that all 
 the elevated part of it forms a single volcano. The mountains 
 of Cotopaxi and Pichincha are only small summits, of which 
 the craters form the different funnels, all terminating in the same 
 cavity. The earthquake of 1797 unfortunately affords but too 
 convincing a proof of the justness of this hypothesis, since dur- 
 ing that dreadful occurrence, the earth opened in all directions, 
 and ejected sulphur, water, &c. Notwithstanding the recollec- 
 tion of this afflicting event, and the probability of a recurrence 
 of similar dangers, the inhabitants of Quito are said to he gay, 
 lively, and amiable ; their city is the abode of luxury and vo- 
 luptuousness, and in no other place can there be displayed a 
 more decided taste for amusements of every description." 
 
 During his stay in Quito, M. Humboldt also visited the crater 
 of Pinchincha, which had formerly been examined by Conda- 
 minc. From the sides of this crater rise three pyramidal rocks, 
 from which the snow has been melted by the heat of the vapours 
 continually issuing from the mouth of the volcanoes, in order 
 
MOTJ»TMN9. i§ 
 
 to examine more accurately thr bottom of the crater, M. Hum- 
 boldt ; '' '■■■ posture : and it is impossible, be observes, 
 for imagiii i >n t onceive a more dismal and terrifying picture 
 than | f to his iew. The mouth of the volcano 
 forn ular opening nearh three miles in circumference, 
 of which f! -> lugged and perpendicular sides were covered with 
 sn toward t.;e t p : the interior was of a deep black, and ^o 
 immei e w 9 this gulph, f l at he could distinguish the summits 
 oi several mountains contained within it. Their tops seemed; 
 to be tvi 01 tl ree hundred toises beneath the point where he 
 stood; hence we may judge at what depth their base must be 
 placed. M. Humboldt is o + " opinion that the bottom of this 
 crater is on a i< v 1 with the city of Quite. 
 
 M la Con< a nine during his stay in America, ascended the 
 volcanic 11101 tail of Antisanna to the height of 2470 toises, 
 point M Humboldt was not able to pass; but in the 
 month of .nine 1802, he succeeded in ascending as high up the 
 Chimboraco as SOS i toises. In both cases such was the rarity 
 of the air that the blood gushed from his nose, mouth, and ears. 
 During his short stay upon the latter mountain he was enveloped 
 in a thick mist, which sometimes dispersed for a moment, so as 
 to display to him the frightful abyss beneath his feet. No ani- 
 mated creature, not even the condor, which in Antisanna ho- 
 vered continually over his head, appeared in this alpine region to 
 diversify the dreary scene. From a trigonometrical measure- 
 ment, taken by M. Humboldt, at two different times, the height 
 of the Chimboraco is 3267 toises. This colossal mountain, like 
 all the other high mountains of the Andes, is not composed of 
 granite, but of porphyry, from the base to the summit ; and the. 
 porphyry is 1900 toises in thickness. According to Bonguer, 
 the line beyond which lies perpetual snow, is '2440 toises above 
 the level of the sea. Humboldt has not, so far as we know, 
 given any opinion on this point. The volcano of Cotopaxi, 
 situated to the south-east of Quito, must be at least 18,600 feet 
 in height. The Dcscabcsado is likewise very elevated: but the 
 Andes rest on a very high base, so that estimated separately, 
 they do not equal the Alps in height ; but when measured from 
 the level of the sea, their elevation is infinitely greater. 
 
 The Andes of Ghili appear to be equal in point of altitude 
 to those of Peru : their nature, however, is less known, though 
 from all the information we have been able to collect on this 
 subject, volcanoes seem to be equally numerous in this as in the, 
 former chain of mountains. \ 
 
 MIN F.RALS. 
 All travi 11< rs agree respecting the mineralogical riches ol 
 South America 5 many of the provinces of which abound in 
 
90 APPENDIX. 
 
 extensive mines of native gold. In this country the silver mines 
 are, however, still more numerous and more productive than 
 those of gold, and being more easily wrought, have chiefly en- 
 gaged the attention of the colonists. But it would be here su- 
 perfluous to enter into any details respecting a subject so 
 and ably treated on in the preceding part of this work. 
 
 Mercury, platina, copper, lead, and various other minerals', 
 as will be seen from the account of M. Helms, are likewise 
 common to various parts of South America. 
 
 During the reign of the Incas, among other precious stones, 
 emeralds are said to have abounded on the coast of Manta, and 
 IB the government of Atacama; and it is affirmed that some 
 valuable mines of this precious stone are still known to the In- 
 dians of these parts, but which they conceal, through the dread 
 of being compelled to work them. 
 
 The emeralds found at this day in the sepulchres, are fashioned 
 into circular, cylindrical, conical, and other forms, and are per- 
 forated with great nicety; but what methods were employed by 
 the natives for this purpose, remain unknown. 
 
 TEMPERATURE AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. 
 
 Climate, it is well known, does not wholly depend on the de- 
 gree of latitude in which any place is situated, but on various 
 other causes, such as the greater or less elevation of the ground, 
 the nature of the soil, the proximity of seas and rivers, and the 
 scarcity and abundance of forests, &c. Thus it is that we meet 
 with different zones and climates in the chain of the Andes, so 
 that while winter prevails in the vallies, summer reigns in the 
 more elevated regions. Thus also the rainy and the dry season 
 OCeur at different times, indifferent places, separated only from 
 each other by a few leagues, fn general the countries towards 
 the east of the Andes, are subject to violent rains, while on the 
 contrary those to the west, being sheltered by high mountains, 
 which impede the progress of the clouds, enjoy a dry atmo- 
 sphere, the serenity of which is never disturbed by violent rains, 
 tempests, nor thunder-storms. 
 
 From the relation of different travellers it appears, that in 
 the vicinity of the coast are produced many of the fruits and 
 vegetables peculiar to tropical climates, such as the cabbage 
 palm, the cocoa tree, the cotton tree, the pine-apple, ginger, 
 turmeric, the banana, the sugar-cane, 8cc. ; while in the interior 
 and more temperate regions, and on the borders of the Andes, 
 plants and vegetables of a more hardy nature grow and flourish. 
 
 A country, indeed, of such vast extent as South America, 
 lying on each side of the equator, and possessing a variety of 
 
TEMPERATURE. 91 
 
 soils as well as climates, must necessarily contain many thousand 
 specimens of plants and vegetables, which are either wholly 
 unknown to us, or with which we are as yet very imperfectly 
 acquainted. Hence the number of new species and genera which 
 M. Humboldt, and his able coadjutor, have recently discovered, 
 will not appear surprising when we consider that they traversed 
 the interior of America, from Carraccas to the frontiers of Bean 
 zil, a great portion of which had never before been explored by 
 any botanist. 
 
 Besides many other curious plants, they discovered a new 
 genus of the family of palms, to \vh;ch they have given the 
 name Cerpxylon, from its singular property of affording wax. 
 This plant is only found on the mountains of Quindiu, situated in 
 4° 3d' N. hit. These mountains, we are informed, consist of 
 granite and micaceous schist as. Tropical plants in general do 
 not vegetate at a greater height than 500 toises above the level of 
 the sea; it is singular, therefore, that the wax-pahu is never 
 found below 900, and that it grows in great profusion at 1450 
 toises, where the mean temperature is from 60' to 68 of Kahr. 
 It sometimes also springs up and thrives in regions 1000 toises 
 higher, and iu. a temperature 30 deg. below that in which any 
 other of the same tribe or famil are to be found. 
 
 The wax-palm rises to the prodigious height of 180 feet, and 
 its leaves are twenty feet in length. Another remarkable cir- 
 cumstance in the economy of this tree is, the secreted matter 
 with which its trunk is covered, to the thickness of nearly two 
 inches. This substance, according to the analysis of Vauguelin, 
 consists of two-thirds of rosin, and one of wax. Being ex- 
 tremely inflammable, it is employed by the natives in conjunction 
 with one third of tallow, in the manufacture of candles. 
 
 The cardana aUudora is another large tree, which would 
 appear to be well calculated for ship-building and similar pur- 
 poses; it is chiefly remarkable for the strong smell of garlic 
 which exhales from the leaves, and even the wood when green. 
 A species of wild coffee, cqffea racemosa, grows on the woody 
 mountains in the interior; its berries are employed in the same 
 manner as those of the cultivated species. Various kinds ot 
 pepper abound in these countries; M. Humboldt enumerates 
 not fewer than twenty-four species, and live or six of capsicum, 
 which are held iu great estimation by the natives of Peru. 
 
 Tobacco and julap are also, we are informed, very common, 
 especially the small woods at the foot of the Andes, as well as 
 a variety of beautiful {lowers and shrubs indigenous to the coun- 
 try, and many of which, such as calceolaria^ salvia longijioria, 
 Sec. &c. embellish the gardens and green-houses in Europe. 
 
 The banks of the Oroonoko are covered with almost hiipe- 
 
§2' APPENDIX. 
 
 netrable forests, particularly of the Iievea, lecythis, and the 
 laurus cmnawtoides. 
 
 The forests of Turbaco, near St. Martha, where M. Hum- 
 boldt passed a few weeks, are ornamented with the To/u/jlit, 
 .dnacdrdium, and the Cavmnlhsca of the Peruvian botanist*. 
 In ascending the river Madclaine, he observed, among a pro- 
 fusion of other rare and beautiful plants, the dychotria em 
 of which the roots are "inployed as a substitute for ipecacuanha 
 by the inhabitants $f Carthagena. M. Bonpland, during an ex- 
 cursion which he made to the lorests in the neighbourhood of 
 Jaen, likewise found a profusion of valuable p'^ts, among 
 which may be mentioned a species of the Jacqainia, and one 
 <>f the Oinckcma. This last, which is accui ttely described by 
 Bonpland, he ascertained to be the very cmchjbna delineated by 
 Condamine; it is characterized by the pits or holes at the roots 
 of the large nerves of tiie leaves. Our limits do not, however, 
 permit us to enumerate more particularly the valuable botanical 
 discoveries made by these indefatigable n turalists, in the course 
 of their travels through South America : suffice it here to observe, 
 that every region which they explored, was found by them to 
 abound with a profusion of new and rare vegetables. 
 
 The Editor has been favoured <■</ an eminent Notary Public with a correct 
 Statement of the Monies of Account made use of in Spanish Americu. 
 
 In all the Spanish dominions of North and South America, accounts art 
 kept io pesos of a rentes, subdivided iuto sixteen parts, and also into 34 
 Maruvedis dc Vlatu Msxicanos. 
 
 COINS. 
 
 Of Gold. Do\bloons of 8 eseudos dc oro, with halves and quarters ia 
 the same proportion. 
 
 Of Sjlver. Dollars, or pesosrmejricanos, of 8 nates, with halves, quar- 
 ter*, eighths (or resales), and sixteenths, in the same proportion. 
 
 The value ot' the above coins 'epends on tl e current price of gold and 
 silvi r. When the gold i.s a* 3\. i7s. lOfd. per oz. (the Mini price), the 
 tx u doubloon i» worth 31, 6s. nearly; and v, hen silver is at 5s, 2d. per oi. 
 (the Mint price), the dollar is worth Is. .">*d. nearly. 
 
 1 rom this proportion the value of the above conis may he calculated at 
 any ythei' price. 'I'hus it' iioUl be sold for 4l. per 0/l., say, 
 
 As, Si. lfs. 10*d : -o\. 6s. : : 4l. : 31. ?s. 9'd.— the value of the dou- 
 bloon. 
 
 And if silver ho. at .5s. 4-d. per oz. say, 
 
 As, 5s. kd. : is. • £ I. : : Jt. id. : 4s, 7]d.= the value of the dollar. 
 
 N. B. The Weights end Measures of Spanish America arc the same a 
 mosfi of Old Spain, 
 
 END OF HELMs's TltAVELS. 
 

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