Ch. X. SOUTH ÁMEÍIICA. 457 



work, and at the same time not neglect his phin- 

 tation, lie never was able to get from the mine that 

 immense quantity of silver which its richness seem- 

 ed to promise, if worked in form. All that coun- 

 try is indeed so full of^ mines, that, with an indus- 

 trious turn in the minds of the inhabitants, they 

 "would be found in number and richness to equal 

 those which have' proved the sources of such in- 

 finite wealth to the southern provinces of Peru : 

 b«tjt is far otherwise. This supineness is thought 

 to be owing to the great plenty ; an.d consequently 

 a low rate of all kinds of provisions: for the in- 

 habitants, having all they desire for little or no- 

 thing, cannot be prevailed on to slave in digging 

 the earth for gol^:; whence the inhabitants of the 

 cities and towns ^re hindered from acquiring large 

 fortunes, and consequently increasing them, by un- 

 dertaking to work more mines. Add to this the 

 prejudice, or rather apprehension of the difficulties; 

 which are thought so great, that when a person ex- 

 presses his intention of working in some mine, others 

 look upon hini as a man running headlong to his 

 destruction, and who risks certain ruin for remote 

 and uncertain hopes. They endeavour therefore to 

 divert him from his purpose; and if they cannot 

 succeed in this, they fly from him as if they were 

 afraid lest he should communicate the infection to 

 them. It is not therefore strange that these mines, 

 so rich in all appearance, should be neglected, and 

 no person found desirous of reaping the great ad- 

 vantages which would doubtless result from work- 

 ing them. This occupation, for want of being 

 sufficiently acquainted with it, is universally dread- 

 ed : whereas in the southern provinces of Quito 

 it is quite otherwise ; the celebrated miners being 

 men of great power, vast fortunes, and the most 

 eminent iamihes in the country. Besides which, are 



great 



