PART III.
MINERALOGY,
ENUMERATION OF THE MINES OF DIFFERENT METALS IN THE VICE-ROYALTY OF PERU.
IN the intendency of Lima, with its dependency of Guarochiri, there are four mines of gold; one hundred and thirty- one of silver; one of quicksilver; and four of copper; all of which were worked in 1791, when this enumeration was taken. Seventy silver mines had then, for various reasons, been abandoned.
In the intendency of Tarma, with its dependencies of Pasco and Huallanca, two hundred and twenty-seven mines of silver were wrought, and twenty-one were in a negle6led state. There were, besides, two lead mines, which yielded an abundant supply of that metal.
In the intendency of Truxillo, with its dependency of Chota, of three gold mines two were worked. One hundred and thirty-four silver mines were also worked; and no less than one hundred and sixty-one abandoned.
In the intendency of Huamanga, with its dependency of Lucanos, sixty mines of gold, one hundred and two of silver, and one of quicksilver, were wrought. Of the first of these metals, three mines had been abandoned; and of the second, sixty-three.
In the intendency of Cuzco, with its dependency of Curahuasi, the only mines which had been discovered at that time were of silver. They were nineteen in number, and were all of them successfully wrought.
In the intendency of Arequipa, with its dependency of Caylloma, one mine of gold, and seventy-one of silver were wrought. Of the former metal four mines had been abandoned; and of the latter, twenty-eight.
In the intendency of Guantajaya, with its dependency of Tacna, one mine of gold, and twenty of silver, were wrought; at the same time that no less a number than nineteen of the former metal had been abandoned. Thirty mines of silver were in the latter state.
In the intendency of Huancavelica, with its dependencies of Castrovirreyna and Lircay, one mine of gold, eighty of silver, two of quicksilver, and ten of lead, were worked. Two of gold, and two hundred and fifteen of silver, were in an abandoned state. The multiplicity of unserviceable silver mines may be accounted for by the abundance of water, in the distridts in which they are situated, having gained on them from time to time, so as at length to have choked them completely.
From the above statement it results, that in the eight intendencies into which the viceroyalty of Peru is divided, there were, in the year 1791, sixty-nine serviceable mines of gold, seven hundred and eighty-four of silver, four of quicksilver, four of copper, and twelve of lead; at the same time that twenty-nine gold, and five hundred and eighty-eight silver mines had, by various accidents and casualties, been rendered unserviceable. In this statement the mines contained in the kingdom of Quito, and in the viceroyalty of Ayres, although these domains may be considered as constituting a part of the Peruvian territory, are not comprehended.
During a space of ten years, from the commencement of 1780 to the end of 1789, the above mines yielded thirty-five thousand three hundred and fifty-nine marks of gold, twenty-two carats fine; and three millions seven hundred and thirty-nine thousand seven hundred and sixty-three marks of silver[1]. In the year 1790, the silver mines yielded four hundred and twelve thousand one hundred and seventeen marks of that metal; being an excess of thirty-eight thousand one hundred and forty-seven marks over the average produce of the ten antecedent years.
It would appear that the mines of Mexico are much more productive than those of Peru, since in the above year of 1790, which was far from being reckoned one of the best, five thousand and twenty-four marks of gold, and two millions one hundred and seventy-nine thousand four hundred and fifty-five marks of silver, the produce of the mines, were coined in the Royal Mint of Mexico. The proportion of silver was consequently in the ratio of more than five to one greater than that afforded by the Peruvian mines.
- ↑ The mark of gold being estimated at a hundred and twenty-five piastres, and that of silver at eight piastres, the total amount, in sterling money, of the produce of the mines, during the above ten years, will be found to have been of the value of 7,703,545l.