458 A VOYAGE TO Book VL 



great numbers of other miners of more limited 

 circumstances, all eagerly embracing any opportu- 

 nity of employing their substance in undertaking 

 mines. 



The governments of Quijos and Majos are no 

 less abundant in mines than tlie jurisdictions of Qui- 

 to; those in Jaen are of infinite richness; and those 

 of Maynas and Atacames not inferior to them. 

 With regard to the first, it is very well known, that 

 the Indians on the banks of the Aiaranon, by wash- 

 ing the sands of some of the rivers running into it, 

 procure what gold they want, though theirdesires in 

 this point are as moderate as the avidity of other na- 

 tions are insatiable. This gold is an evident sign that 

 the adjacent country abounds in mines. As to the 

 second, experience'has shcM'n that the borders of the 

 rivers of Santiago and Mira are full of veins of gold, 

 the Mulattos and Mestizos supplying themselves with 

 that metal by Nvashing the sands. But neither of 

 them have applied theniselves to discover the ori- 

 ginal veins. Besides gold and silver mines, the pro» 

 vince of Quito has -also those of other metals, and 

 quarries of fine stone : but these are utterly disregard-^ 

 ed by the inhabitants. Yet this province could not 

 attain the complete possession of its riches, if to the 

 mines of gold and silver, nature had not added those 

 materials which are necessary in extracting the trea- 

 sures they contain, and in the other services of life : 

 nor could this country be properly saiid to be rich in 

 mines, if it afforded only those of gold and silver; 

 but nature, that there might be no deficiency in her 

 gift, hath also furnished it with mines of azogue or 

 quicksilver, which are found in the southern extre- 

 mity of the province, near a village of the same name 

 belonging to the jurisdiction of Cuenca. Formerly 

 the quicksilver for the gold and silver mines was 

 furnished from hence; but this has been'suppressed ; 



so 



