WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 605 



Chapter CI [94] (98) 



Continuing the Description of the Provinces of El Collao, Belonging 

 to the District of Cuzco ; and of the Rich Gold Mines of Caravaya, 

 Which Belong to That of the Circuit Court of La Plata. 



1613. From the village of Ayaviri in the Province of Cabana and 

 Cabanilla, another road starts more to the E. for PotosI and other 

 upland provinces. This is called the Omasuyo road and runs E. of 

 the great Lake of Titicaca ; and at the village of Asillo the road 

 branches off to the E. which goes to the Province of Caravaya, where 

 there are very rich mines or washings of loose nugget gold of high 

 quality ; its chief villages are Sandia, Para, and others. 



In this Province of Caravaya there are two Spanish towns estab- 

 lished, besides other mining camps. The chief town is San Juan 

 del Oro, which is the usual residence of the Corregidor appointed 

 by the Viceroy for the dispensing of justice, for wise administration, 

 and for supervision of the mines ; the town of Santiago de Buena- 

 vista is 22 leagues farther E. The Viceroy appoints also in this 

 province a Paymaster (Contador) and a Treasurer, each with a 

 salary of 500 gold pesos, and an Alcalde Mayor for the mines with 

 a salary of 250 gold mine pesos. This province and the mines of 

 Caravaya are 30 leagues E. of El Collao, and over 60 from Cuzco. 



1614. The way they get the gold in this province is to dig out for 

 the washing a large amount of that earth ; they make large reservoirs 

 of water which they call cochas, and in connection with them, they 

 have some contraptions (artificios) set on mats where the water 

 is held back ; and when they have everything ready, they open the 

 reservoir or cocha, and the water, rushing out with great force and 

 violence, carries away all the earth that has been dug up in front 

 of it, and the gold, being heavier, goes to the bottom. That is the 

 way they get the gold in this province, and it is of the highest and 

 finest quality to be found in the Indies. 



Through this province, which is all paved with gold, runs the 

 Rio de Inambari, in which they wash and take out quantities of 

 alluvial i8-carat gold; the miners and the other people who live 

 there, to provide themselves with supplies and all else necessary for 

 the mines, go out to the village of Asillo, and by another road to 

 that of Huancane, which is 15 leagues S. of Asillo; in these two 

 villages they exchange and buy practically all the gold taken from 

 the Caravaya mines. 



1615. On the W. this province is bounded by that of Asillo and 

 Azangaro, which is in the wide territory of El Collao. All the villages 



