Ch. X. SOUTH AMERICA. 453 



in it: but after no long stay, like the other gold of 

 these countries, goes away to Lima; yet these circu- 

 lations, however temporary, preserve it from that de- 

 cay which other parts have felt. A large quantity 

 of this gold is carried to Santa Fé or Carthagena, S9 

 that Quito sees very little of it. 



In the district of the town of Zaruma, within 

 the jurisdiction of Loxa, are several gold mines work- 

 ed ; and though of no great fineness, being only be- 

 twixt sixteen and eighteen carats, they are so rich, 

 that, when refined to twenty carats, they prove more 

 advantageous to the miners than those where the gold 

 is naturally of that fineness, but less abundant. An- 

 ciently it was usual to work veins ; but the inhabi- 

 tants are now so indolent, that most of them are ne- 

 glected. These ores are worked with quicksilver; and 

 all the mines here are Caxa mines. Of the same kind 

 also are other gold mines within the jurisdiction of 

 the government of Jaen Bracamoros, which, about 

 eighty or a hundred years ago, yielded great quantities 

 of metal. But the Indians of those parts, encouraged 

 by the success of their brethren of Macas, having 

 revolted, the situation of them was entirely forgotten; 

 and no care has since been taken to search after them. 

 The gold extracted from these mines, though not so 

 fine as that of Popayan, far exceeded the Zaruma 

 gold. The Indians still extract some small quanti- 

 ties, when absolute necessity drives them to this re- 

 source for paying the tribute. In order to this, they 

 go to some brook or river, and there wait till it over- 

 flows its bank, then wash the sands till they have 

 procured a sufficient quantity to answer their present 

 necessity ; then they immediately leave off, not think- 

 ing it worth while to fatigue themselves any longer 

 about it. Several mines discovered all over this pro- 

 vince, have undergone the same fate. One of these 

 w^s in the jurisdiction of the tov^n of Latacunga, 



G g 3 near 



