the silver ores from the Caracoles mines on the way to San Pedro de Atacama (see p. 172). To the port thus established was given the name La ‘Chimba, soon afterwards changed to Antofagasta. Early growth was largely due to Chilean enter- prise, so much so indeed that Bolivia recognized the right of the Chileans to exercise the privileges of the clectorate and to hold office in municipal affairs. The future of the port was early determined by the construction of the railway laid from this point because of the easy gradient and low altitude (about 1800 feet) by which the Coast Range could here be crossed. By 1877 the line had reached Salinas, and it was projected to the plateau. But the nitrate war intervened, and construction to Oruro was not completed until 1892. Once this had been established Antofagasta entered a far broader sphere than Iquique. I[quique is a nitrate port pure and simple. Antofagasta ships tin and silver for the mines of southern Bolivia and borax for Ascotan as well as nitrate. Development of the nitrate zone south of the Loa is a com- paratively late enterprise; sudden cxpansion began there in 1900,
The port of Antofagasta is now being supplemented by Mejillones. Antofagasta has a very poor natural harbor. Vessels must anchor in the open roadstead and discharge by lighter to the eight small moles. Congestion is not infrequent, and exposure to the heavy southwest gales may entail further annoying delay. Mejillones, on the other hand, has a splendid harbor protected by high hills from the westerly gales. Now that the railroad has been carried there, Mejillones is begin- ning to grow. In 1905 it numbered not more than a score of persons; now there are 6000.
Besides the problems connected with food and transporta- tion the nitrate oficinas must also face the question of labor supply. Labor comes chiefly from the south and is notably migratory. The oficinas provide an outlet for the people of the irrigated valleys during times of drought. Dry years are now invariably followed by a wave of migration to the north.
Conditions in the nitrate market exercise a reciprocal effect on labor. No better illustration of this can be found than in
