of the sun, he was still unaware that it was silver, and that his feet were treading upon treasures worth many millions. However, he piled up a heap of these "stones," to enable him to find the place again, in case it should be desirable.

Porras, another member of the party, discovered the great vein of the mine, "San Jose;" and Savedra found the "Descubridora," "Niza" and "Esperanza."

After the discoverers met again at the camp, exchanging the specimens each had collected, Keyes was half ashamed to produce his piece of coal; but Caugalla, the fifth of the party, who had considerable more intelligence and practical knowledge in mining matters than the others, recognized at once the richness of these stones, and all went directly to the place at which these specimens had been found.

After a short investigation, during which Caugalla discovered the mines "Flor del Desierto" and " Merceditas," which belong to the same group, he was convinced of the importance of the discovery, and declared he wanted to keep these veins for himself; but his companions resisted his exclusive pretensions, and forced him, by their number, to yield.

The almost absolute possession of these riches, which had no other claimants but his few companions, tempted him, after his monopolizing schemes had failed, to try to persuade his companions to divide the treasures among themselves, without delivering to Gana and the Baron their respective shares. He succeeded in persuading one of them, with whom he went to Calama, the nearest town, to denounce* the mines for themselves. The others decided to follow the more honorable path of communicating the great discovery to Gana.

The two former arrived in Calama, and offered the "barra,"-one twenty-fourth part, of each of these mines for two hundred dollars, without finding purchasers.

The news of the fabulous riches spread quickly, and brought people from all parts of the west-coast to the place of discovery. But though many exploring associations were formed, no transaction was legally made, on account of the wavering dispositions of the capitalists, who did not believe in the importance of the business, partly be

* The technical expression for the first step of taking possession of a mine, by announcing its existence and position to the competent authority.

cause only in exceptional cases silver is found in abundance on the surface, and was thought consequently to be exhausted in a short time, and partly on account of the distance (150 miles) of the mineral dis trict from the coast, and the hardships to be undergone by the rudeness and rigor of the climate, and the difficulties and expenses of transporting, either provision up, or the produce of the mines down to the coast. This state of things however lasted only a short time. The quick succession. of new and startling discoveries, induced a gentleman by the name of Don Nicolas Naranjo, to buy from Caugalla seven "barras " for $15,000, which he sold again for $60,000.

The journey from Autofagasta to Caracoles is made either on horseback, or in a coach; and is at present comparatively easy, provided one does not leave the common track. Formerly it was otherwise; not alone on account of the difficulty of carrying along water and food, for man and beast, but also on account of the high prices paid for the necessary outfit, purchased in Autofagasta.

When I undertook my first journey to Caracoles, everything was already more moderate. For instance, I paid for a couple of boiled eggs only $1.80, in one of the station houses on the road, and for a boiled hen,- "cazuela,' -$30. Even these moderate prices, I found, six months later, considerably lowered, and a traveler may reach Caracoles at present, for from $60 to $80, according to the wants of his stomach. The quenching of thirst, particularly, has different prices in the desert, according to the difference of the liquids employed. After the opening of the first and second railroad the prices will be still more lowered..

-Another difficulty to overcome, consists in the great changes of temperature, which during the short space of twenty-four hours, may vary from 50 to 60 degrees Farenheit. The changes, combined with bad food and worse water, produce malignant dysenteries and inflammations, especially of the lungs, which prove often fatal in a few days. The effect of these changes is, in summer and winter, the same, viz.: suffocating heat in the daytime and shivering cold at night, though the absolute degree of temperature may be more extreme one side in summer, and on the other in winter.

The road to Caracoles lies in an old

river bed, ascending from the coast, with an average grade of from two and a half to three per cent. By ocular evidence one is often unable to distinguish whether the road ascends or lies on a level plain. It is only by reading the barometer that one is aware of it.

This river bed is perfectly dry. Though no record of running water exists, nevertheless the action of it seems so recent, that, even the small ripple in the, at present hard alluvial sand, is perfectly visible, and one is induced to think that water must have been running only a few weeks ago.

When the stream was in its glorious state of power, it was, on an average, from two to three hundred feet wide, its boisterous waves breaking through all obstacles, even through rocks, and forming at the convex sides of its bends, perpendicular banks— in one place, near Mantos Blancos, more than a hundred feet high.

The place where it broke through the coast range must have been a grand sight. There the waters rolled from a height of about two thousand feet, through a chasm, with a grade of from six to seven per cent., filling the narrow sea beach with the débris of their devastations.

The banks of this gorge are from two hundred to five hundred feet high, and overhanging rocks, many hundred tons in weight, undermined by the restless, pre-historic waters, threaten the traveler with instantaneous destruction, and have hung thus, who knows, for how many thousand years.

The profile of the country between Autofagasta and Caracoles shows us that there must have existed two large lakes. The first filled the trough-like plain around the above-mentioned saltpeter establishment, named the "Salar;" the second extended from Salinas to Montenegro. The greater part of their waters broke through the coast range, and through the gorge near Salinas. The rest disappeared by evaporation and filtration, depositing the saltpeter, held until then in a lixivial state.

up, one can easily recognize the vicinity of the place by the number of dead mules lying scattered about.

The prevalence of light over shade is a striking peculiarity of the desert. A strong eye is required to look freely around, when traveling on a mule's back. Everything glitters and sparkles in the sunshine, from the heavens to the grounds,—even every stone, which throws a small, but almost black shadow. I have traveled for miles over chalcedonies; and in some places amethysts are found, and beautiful small, detached rock crystals.

Near the above-mentioned water-pool is to be found the only representative of the vegetable kingdom of which the desert can boast. It is a coarse specimen of the class Graminea, but so unlike a living plant that only close investigation enables us to recognize it as such. It grows in bunches, which, thickly covered with dust, are easily mistaken for lumps of dry mud; and even after verifying the fact that we have to deal with a living plant, it looks to us like a clumsy imitation of such, or, rather, like a mud-covered vegetable petrifaction.

The limited space of this paper forces me to abandon the idea of explaining the gradual disappearance of the once powerful waters, by which these regions were doomed to desolation and barrenness. I must, therefore, postpone these explanations, based upon personal investigation and analogies, for another opportunity.

The formation of Caracoles is jurassic. The silver veins, of which over eight thousand have been found in less than three years, cover an area of four hundred and fifty square miles, and were, probably, formed when porphyry broke through. Silver is found in combination with chlorine, sulphur, bromine and iodine. Native silver appears, up to this date,* in small needles, but not solid, as in Chañarcillo, on account of the lesser depth of the Caracoles mines. The ore is in both places very similar. It is, therefore, not improbable that in time. both mineral districts will be found to be only one, of dimensions without parallel in history.

The mineral district, called First, Second, Third and Fourth Caracoles, begins some minutes north from the tropic of Capricorn, and goes towards the south for about forty

*All numerical statements refer to the be

five miles, with an average breadth of ten miles. This vast area is furrowed by a perfect network of silver veins, which frequently intersect each other, though the general direction coincides, more or less, with the magnetic meridian. These veins are from one foot to fifteen meters broad, and when they intersect each other, rich deposits are formed, which amount, in most cases,' to a fortune.

The First Caracoles and the so-called "Isla" are, up to the present day, the most important portions of the mineral district. The mines in the former are the deepest, and produce the greatest quantity of silver, but in the latter the quality of the silver is superior. It is a generally accepted opinion among competent miners that not a single mine of the Isla will be found to be worthless after having been properly worked.

The average amount of silver, technically called ley comun," is the amount of marks on the "cajou "-one mark being equal to 1⁄2 lb. of silver and the cajou being equal to three tons of ore. For instance, in saying "A mine has a hundred marks on the cajou" means that three tons of its ore contain fifty pounds of silver.

It would lead too far to give detailed descriptions of all the mines; I shall therefore confine myself to some statements only. The "Deseada," "Niza," "Esperanza,' "Flor del Desierto," had in December, 1872, from 160 to 200 marks "ley," but the abundance of ore compensated for the lesser richness. The " Deseada," alone, exported in the above-mentioned month, 21,000 pounds of silver. The "San Juan," in the Second Caracoles sold in the same month ore to the amount of $60,000. The San Jose," had 150 pounds, the San Juan," 250 pounds, and the "Monitora," 682 pounds of silver, in three tons of ore. These statements refer all to the

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same month.

By way of comparison I may add, that silver ores of three pounds in three tons, in Cerro de Pasco, in Peru, are worked with profit; whereas, only those of 35 pounds of silver, in the same amount of

The

ore, can be worked in Caracoles. opening of the first railway will bring this amount so far down that a "ley" of 15 pounds will be profitable; and many thousand tons of ore of that description lie as refuse, in large piles around the entrance to the mines, and represent the sum of many millions of dollars.

Since the time I left Caracoles many new and rich discoveries have been made, but I prefer to state only what I know by reliable information, corroborated by ocular inspection. I shall add only that the registered products of the mines which are regularly worked, amounted to 1,500,000 marks, equal to 750,000 pounds of silver during the year 1873.

Considering this year has been unfavorable for all mining transactions, on account of the great stringency of the money-market, it is evident that the produce would have been considerably higher under favorable circumstances. My private opinion is, that for many years to come, the supply of silver from the desert of Atacama, will be proved to be immense; and that enormous fortunes will be made by rich speculators. I say rich speculators, because every man knowing the business of mining, must know, that only in exceptional cases, transactions of this kind will be profitable to small capitalists, as they are unable to push the work for want of means; but, nevertheless, many of these exceptions have occurred in Caracoles.

Though more than twenty millions of dollars are invested already in these mines, Caracoles wants, first of all, more capital; and secondly,—and this is a still more important point than the first,-it wants the industry and energy of foreigners, to become the great mining center of the whole world.

Since the first transaction was concluded, innumerable others have been made. Two towns have sprung into existence, viz.: Autofagasta with 12,000, and Caracoles with 8,000 inhabitants-besides some smaller places, but no chart in existence shows their position. Two railways from the coast to the mineral district are in construction, of which, the one beginning at Autofagasta must be finished soon. Α large establishment for amalgamation has. been built; but the ore is so abundant that another establishment will be built near the river Loa, only 16 miles distant from the mines; and nevertheless, 40,000 cwt. of rich ore, are shipped monthly to England,

and see if we can get hold of something more substantial than shell-fish. Our friends will need refreshment on their return; so every man to his own task."

"I am ready," answered Harbert. "All right!" rejoined the sailor. "We'll make it work. Let us be methodical. We are tired, cold and hungry. The first thing is to find shelter, fire and food. The forest furnishes wood; the nests give us eggs; and now what we want is a house." Very well," answered Harbert; "I will look for a grotto in these rocks, and I can't

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