Page:A history of Chile.djvu/442

396 A HISTORY OF CHILE port towns to the mines, a new impetus was given the industr}', and the ports of Antofagasta, Chanaral, Cal- dera, Taltal, and other northern places, exported an- nually minerals and metals to the value of several mil- lions of dollars. The rich mines of Caracoles, discovered in 1870, are ten thousand feet above the sea, situated on the slope of the Andes. There are over four thousand of the mines registered. The most valuable product is a chlo- ride of silver and mercury, which contains over sixty per cent of silver, and two of mercurj^ These mines together with the nitrate of soda deposits in this dis- trict, have made the port of Antofagasta an important place. To the north of Antofagasta are the great nitrate and guano fields, the principal ports for shipment being Iquique, Pisagua, Taltal, Caleta Buena, Junin, Toco- pilla, and Puerto Olivia. Thus it will be seen that this long, rocky, rainless coast line, extending along the Pacific for a distance of seven hundred miles, is one of the richest districts in the world. The whole country is a vast mine of minerals. Perhaps the Ta- marugal Pampa, which contains the nitrate deposits, will not always be the source of wealth that it is at present, but at least for some years to come the vil- lages and oficinas will thrive, the ports will present a lively appearance and nitrate kings and the Chilean government will grow rich. Each ofici7ia, or mining camp, in these boundless deserts must be furnished with distilled or transported water. Nothing is grown, save in the oasis of Pica and in a few places where pits are dug down to mois- ture, or in some of the great gorges. The workmen live in corrugated iron huts around each oficina, and with their women and children constitute a little village