that country which Mr. Gregory promised they would do in the streets here,―relieving the traffic on the streets, and not interfering to the extent which might be supposed with the ordinary conveyances. He mentioned that in Boston accidents sometimes arose from frost-a source of danger which would seldom exist to the same extent in this country; and recommended that care be taken that curves and heavy gradients should not exist together. Nothing could surpass the comfort with which the traveller goes along, sitting in one of these passenger cars, which proceeds at a speed of eight miles an hour, without a jar or irregular motion. He may read his newspaper or converse with his opposite neighbour, without disturbance, and arrive at the end of his journey refreshed, instead of being shaken and wearied as in an omnibus. The shopkeepers of Philadelphia were at first averse to the innovation, but now they are its greatest supporters.

MR. DAVIDSON said that in New York the system of Street Railways had been in operation for seventeen years, and he never heard of a single accident having occurred. He could testify to the comfort of travelling in these conveyances, as compared with driving in an omnibus. The rails had been laid down in streets in New York four or five times more crowded than any of the streets of Glasgow, and had occasioned no inconvenience.

The PRESIDENT remarked, that so far as his own observation of this system of railways extended, it confirmed the views of Mr. Gregory. He had occasion, at one period, to see a great deal of traffic in this way, in carriages which went one by one, stopping at various stations, and affording the utmost comfort and convenience to passengers. On the line to which he referred all sorts of strange machines were placed, till it was found necessary to obtain an act prohibiting such vehicles from coming upon the line. However, it appeared that in the present scheme, sufficient provision would be made for the regulation of the traffic. It was only reasonable that the heavy traffic on the streets should give way to the passenger carriages.

February 27, 1861.-PROFESSOR W. J. MACQUORN RANKINE, the President, in the Chair.

Notes of a Journey across the Cordilleras of the Andes from the Coast of the Pacific Ocean to Chquisaca, via Oruro, Potosi, &c. By MATHIE HAMILTON, M.D., formerly Medical Officer to the London, Potosi, and Peruvian Mining Company, &c.

DR. HAMILTON was invited by Don Joaquin de Achavel, a native of Chquisaca, and a merchant of eminence, to accompany him to the interior of the continent, on a visit to various places in Bolivia; and being desirous to observe some of the phenomena presented in that extraordinary region, little known to Englishmen, he accepted the invitation. They started from Tacna on the 24th of August, 1827, accompanied by five servants, or guides, and 24 mules. The pass across the Cordilleras begins about six leagues from Tacna, and 2,000 feet above the level of the ocean. They began to climb the mountain on the second morning, and in the evening reached the crest of the Andes. It was by this pass that Generals Alvarez and Santa Cruz, with the patriotic army, 7,000 in number, invaded Bolivia in 1823.

"When on the crest of the Cordilleras, 15,000 feet above the ocean, a grand spectacle burst on us; for the snow-capped Tacora, whose summit is 19,000 feet above the sea, was now apparently within a few minutes' walk, though its base was more than a mile from us, so deceptive are snowy peaks to vision in those lofty regions, when the atmosphere is brilliantly clear, as it was this evening. We moved a little downward towards Tacora, and on the plateau on its southern front fixed our tent for that night.

"Tacora is an extinct or a dormant volcano, and is a truncated cone of large size. Though its crater has not been looked into, yet, judging from the circumference and form of the mountain, the crater seems to have been very great; many blocks of lava are strewn about the base of the mountain, and on the eastern limb there is an accumulation of sulphur, which, if in another locality, might be of use.

"Vegetation is dead here in August, but we obtained a few stunted shrubs from a rocky ravine, which afforded us a fire outside the tent, thus saving our charcoal. The night was calm, and the atmosphere so clear that the heavenly bodies shone beautifully, and appeared as if nearer the earth than when observed through the medium of air more dense and obscure; but the cold was terrible, so as to preclude stripping our clothes during sleep. The mules had not anything to eat, and

were conducted a long way to drink; water being carried for our supper, which, on the journey, consisted of soup made of mutton, or flesh of llamas, and potatoes, with aji (spice of the coast); breakfast was of the same; but both night and morning we had tea first, it being taken while the cook was at work with the food, of which we partook twice only every twenty-four hours.

"We passed numerous small cones, consisting apparently of red porphyry; and, judging from their appearance, they are relics of volcanic action, which has been there exhibited to an extent unparalleled in modern times. The altitude of these little sugar-loaf-shaped hills is only from about 50 to 200 feet above the ridge along which we travelled to Colpa. It appears from the cuttings in the canal of Ochozuma, which is near Tacora, that the rocks in that region are mostly porphyry, granite, and gneiss; but red porphyry is most abundant. The volcano of Paucarani, on the ridge of the Cordilleras, is not far south from Colpa, and being higher than Tacora, it must be at least 20,000 feet above the ocean. At present it is the nearest to Arica of the volcanoes which are in active or visible operation. Paucarani throws out steam and sulphureous vapour, and masses of sulphur appear at its base."

On the 27th, the party, on leaving Colpa, resumed their journey, proceeding about due east among numerous small volcanic cones. "The route soon became tortuous and difficult, up and down precipitous rocks, which tested the muscular energies of both men and mules. In some places these animals displayed rare sagacity; for descents were not only very steep, but also zig-zag, and in going down such declivities, my mule, like the others, spread out its forefeet, and drawing together the hind legs, while it kept its tail in motion like a rudder, or as a rope-dancer does a balance-pole, it slid safely down with the rider over parts which, to a traveller uninitiated, might appear impracticable. In such cases the traveller should throw slack the reins, leaning back in the saddle, and hold firm with his knees, leaving the mule to manage itself; for if he attempts to control the animal it may lose its equilibrium, and both tumble to the bottom. In some parts of this day's journey the way was along paths on the sides of mountains cut horizontally, and so narrow as to be occasionally only about twelve inches wide, with a profound abyss on one hand and barriers of rocks on the other. Here I noticed that a mule with the usual cargo of two packages, which walked before mine, did not, while passing the narrowest and most critical points, avail itself of the centre or inner portion of the path for planting its feet, but cautiously moved along the outer margin. The creature seemed to know that had it not done

so the package next the slope of the mountain above it must have been jolted against projecting rocks, causing a loss both of mule and cargo, an accident which has often occurred. Here an hour's work with a pickaxe, a few good marksmen, and plenty of ammunition, would make the position impregnable against any force."

The

Extensive deposits of salt were passed. "It was not dark-coloured, nor striated like the salt which is found lower down in exhaustless quantity on these Andes of the coast, which salt is cut out in solid blocks, and conveyed to Tacna, &c., for culinary purposes. altitude of this salt pool or lake may be about 15,000 feet above the ocean. Fossil or rock-salt is found in enormous quantities along the Western Andes of Southern Peru, throughout many hundred miles from north to south, and at various elevations above the ocean, to more than 15,000 feet of altitude.

"This fossil salt is brought down by Indians to Tacna, and sold for culinary purposes. It is not white and pure like the chloride of sodium which is sold in England; but is of a dark colour, and often striated. The taste is intensely pungent. The quantity presented to observation on the Andes of South Peru is so enormous, that, in my opinion, it precludes the idea of its formation from any other source than that of volcanic or electrical action.

"It is not only the muriate of soda which is found in such immense quantity on these elevated regions, and many thousand feet lower down; between the Andes and the coast, at various elevations above the sea, and especially at the height of about 3,000 feet, various saline deposits are now known to exist,

"In the province of Tarapaca, which adjoins that of Tacna, there are vast deposits of saline substances, including sulphate of soda, or 'glauberite,' a salt of borax, and nitrate of soda, the latter in exhaustless quantity. It is a singular fact that the Spaniards were 300 years on this part of the Peruvian coast, and during that long period were ignorant of the existence of those saline deposits, which, since their discovery in 1826, have enriched many persons both there and in Europe, giving employment to thousands of men and mules, also millions of tons of shipping.

"In 1826 a French gentleman, M. Beck, discovered and wrought the nitrate of soda deposits on the pampa or plain of Tamarugal, in the province of Tarapaca. Messrs. Beck and Smith were the first shippers of nitrate from the hitherto little known port of Iquique, which is in latitude 20° 12′ S. The quantity of the nitrate is so enormous along the locality mentioned as to seem exhaustless, and the demand for it is constant both from Europe and the United States. It is found at

places along the western margin of the pampa above named, in beds or layers from six to eight feet thick. Sulphate of soda is found more in the interior, and higher towards the base of the Andes. The nitrate is obtained at about thirty miles from the ocean, and the breadth of the plain of Tamarugal is about thirty miles more to the base of the Andes.

"At the elevation of about 15,000 feet we saw various troops of vicûnas and guanacas, who seemed to send towards us one of their number, as if to examine, and on his uttering the usual shrill cry or whistle, the others were seen scampering over the rocks.

"Rain never falls on the coast of the Pacific Ocean along many hundred miles, including the province of Tarapaca, which contains immense deposits of various saline substances, especially nitrate of soda. At Iquique, which is the port where the nitrate is shipped, not a drop of fresh water can be obtained from any natural source; for it must be brought from a great distance inland, or imported by sea, or made by distillation from sea-water, which latter method is now adopted at Iquique for the use of people there.

"It was not until after the discovery of the nitrate that distillation was put in operation; for, prior to that epoch, when I first resided at Arica, a boat was weekly sent from thence to Iquique, which is about 100 miles south from Arica. Said boat was loaded with water-grass and vegetables, &c., for persons at Iquique, who shipped silver obtained in the mines of Huantajaya, which, between 1726 and 1826, yielded silver to the value of £15,000,000 sterling, but now these mines, if not totally abandoned, give very little silver.

"With reference to the sterility of the Peruvian coast, it may be noted that the S.S.E. wind, which there prevails, being deprived of its moisture while passing the South American continent, reaches the regions of the Andes so free of humidity, that, blowing over the region on the west coast, it retains it a continuous desert."

On the 31st, the party began to descend the Cordilleras towards the great table-land or plain of Oruro. That day they passed a flock of llamas and alpacas, at least 10,000 in number. Vast numbers of these animals were also seen on the day following. The country about Oruro is sterile and bleak. The city, like Potosi, owed its existence to the silver mines, and, since these were relinquished, it has sunk from 80,000 to 4,000. The travellers spent several days in Oruro, whence they took their departure for Potosi, on the 16th of September. They arrived at Vilcopugio in five days, having seen on the way little else than rugged rocks, snow-covered peaks, and desolate hamlets. They crossed the mountain known as the Pass of the Condor under a snow-storm; and