BRITISH ENTERPRISE-118 RESULTS AND REWARD IN SOUTH AMERICA.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 16, 20 September 1845, Page 3

BRITISH E NTERPRISE-118 RESULTS AND REWARD IN SOUTH AMERICA.

To be compared with those in our British Colonies. (From the Colonial Mayazine.J singular fact, that a ship is at .this xn& : . meiif aflo-it on salt wafer, at an elevation of 18,01)0 fcei ,ibove tlie level of the sea, and there i ay r, jng on u lucrative traific, 19 so iutle known, - ih -I vie mseit the iullowjii" brief, mention of it, as likely to be lead with some uiteiest.]

In the year 1825, the firm of Rimdell and Bridge, (of London), having; entered upon arrangements for the put chase of the gold mines of Tipauni, and the emerald mines on the river Illuinani, in Upper Pet ii, sent a gentleman, Mr. Page, as their agent, lo complete ihe acquisition of the pioperty. Tne speculation as regarded the gold mines, was tolerably successful, but the emeralds found at lllnmani, proved of inferior quality generally. These mines are situated on the borders of the great Salt water lake of Chuqueta, which is 248 miles in length, and nearly J5O miles in bieadth, and IS,OOO feet above tlie level of the sea on the Cordillera of the Andes ; its depth, in many parts, is such that it cannot be sounded, and the peculinr blue colour of it waters resembles that of the sea. There are tnher mining ebtablisnments in the same vicinity as the Tipauni and lllumani, belonging to two English gentlemen, (Gtneial OBrien, ami John Hegg, Ksq ) who are also part owners of those above named. Those of most importance are the Copper mines of Coiocora, and the famous silver mines of Salcedo, at Puno. The only vegetable, production found in this pait of these high regions, aie a sinnll red potatoe, called " Chusina," aud a few plants, one of which aflords a seed; called " Quinaue," much need by the aborigines as an article of food ; but on the" eastern side of the lake, at a place called Copacavana, and in several of the rallies, of Bolivia, there is found an abundance of Indian corn, barley, potatoes and fruits. The difficulty of procuring 1 provisions for the considerable number of Indians emplo)ed on the urines, suggested the idea of building a vessel for the purpose of communicating with the opposite shore of the great lake ; and Mr. Page, Mr. Begg, aud General O'Biien, determined to enter upon the attempt, Mr. Page undertaking to superintend the construction of a brig of ICO tons He proceeded in the first place to the port of Aiica, where he procured • the necessary iron work, rigging, sails, &c. &c , from a condemned ship, which he there met with and purchased. These materials he transported, at vast tiouble and expense, to the mouth of the river Apolobamba, wheie he found timber, (roble)of vary line quality, closely resembling English oak. At the spot where this river falls into the lake Mr. Page established his dockyard, having? engaged a few carpenters and shipwrights at Arica, ami at the end of two y*»ars labour and perseverance, the brig "Julia" was launched on the waters of the great lake of Chnquita.* The brig subsequently became the property of agentleman residing at La Pazj she is chiefly engaged in fulfilling the oiiginal objects of her construction, transporting agricultural products, &c, from the valleys of the Bolivia, to the mining districts of Puna and Lampas, whereby 6he yields to her owner an amount of profit exceeding anything of her size in an; tta.de, or any part of the known world. General O'Biien, when on his way from Lima to Buenos Ayies, sailed in her over the lake, and was nearly lost on the island of Titicaca in a severe gale ; she was commanded by a Swede, and in every way well served, except that her anchors were not of sufficient weight, owing to the difficulty of conveying over the mountain lange of the Andes, such as her size required. Mr. Begg wa6 the fiist person who projected the application of steam power to the navigation of the West coast of South America, and in 1827 caused a steamer to be built, called the "Telica," which was sent round Cape Horn, but was unfortunately blown upat Paita. The undertakings of these gentlemen weresuith as hadalwajb been deemed impracticable ; they canied steam engines over the Andes, they cut an adit of 2,000 wris through the metallic mountains of Lacaycota, they formed a canal (from the waters of the mines), intersected by nine locks, by means wheieof the ore is raised, in flat-bottomed iron boats, moie Ilian one bundled feet, to a lailroad that conveys it to their mills, (trapiches?. Most of these details have been commnncicated by a gentleman who was present when General Gamarra, President of Peru, effected his escape from Genpial Salavat re, when only a few hundred yards in advance of his pursueis, by embarking hurriedly on board the brig "Julia," and crossing the lake of Chnquita. Thus hate our biave and enterprising countnmen ovei«*ome, hitherto insurmountable difficulties, and have opened a field of almost interminable wealth, not merely for themselves, but to the world; of these three gentlemen, two are still living to see the results and reap the rewards of their zeal and industry ; Mr. Page hay ing occasion to go to Arequipa, at a time when the Minister of Bolivia was to make his public entry into that city, while walking with H.M.s Consul, Mr. Cumpton. under a balcony in which were fourteen ladies and gentlemen — the structnre gave way, and with its fall, killed Mr. Page, and three oiher persons; Mr. Compton escaping with some severe bruues.