CHAP. XXI.

AMERICAN MINES.

tire year 1790, which was a real calamity to themining-interests in South America . The super-intendant of that day removed the pillars whichhad been left by the excavators of the galleries tosupport the roof. By the superincumbent pres-sure the roof fell in, and the passages becameblocked up. “ The master miners,” says Hum-boldt , “accused the intendant of having removedthe pillars to ingratiate himself with the court ofMadrid , by procuring in a very few years a greatquantity of mercury. The intendant on his partaffirmed that he had acted altogether with theconsent of the master miners, who thought thepillars might be replaced by heaps of rubbish.”This calamity is only noticed to show how difficultit must have been for the government of Spain tohave directed the important affairs of their veryremote possessions, and must form an apology formany instances of their mismanagement, if anyother apology be needed than the infinitely worsemanagement which has been adopted since thosecountries have had the task of self-government in-flicted on them by their applauded liberators.

Whilst the increase of silver was advancing inPeru, that of gold was also going on in SouthAmerica , in the countries to the north and southof that viceroyalty. In Chili both the Spaniards Chili,and their dependent Indians, with the unconqueredArucanians to the south of the river Biobio, weresedulously employed in washing for gold in those