Ch. X. SOUTH AMERICA. 459 



so that at present only those of Guanea Vélica are 

 allowed to be worked : by which means a stop has 

 been pat to those frauds discovered in the payments 

 of the fifths ; the miners, instead of applying* to the 

 mine-othces Avithin their department, or the principal 

 iktaple, supplying' themselves with contraband mercury. 

 And the end has been fully answered with regard to 

 the revenue ; frauds being now much' more difficult, 

 and consequently less frequent, since the quicksilver 

 can" be had only from one mine, than when several 

 were open. But at the same time it is certain, that 

 this prohibition was the principal cause of the decay 

 of the silver mines in the province of Quito : and had 

 the case been duly examined, many other remedies 

 might have been found to prevent these clandestine 

 practices, besides an absolute obstruction to so great a 

 part of the riches of that country. 



It is the opinion of some naturalists, and the marks 

 of it are indeed ver}^ evident, that the ground on which 

 the city of Cuenpa stands, is entirely an iron mine, 

 its veins shewing tiiemselves in the chasms of some 

 breaches ; and the pieces taken out of the sloughs 

 prove it beyond dispute, not only by their colour and 

 weigiit, but by being attracted by the magnet, when 

 reduced to small pieces; and many intelligent persons 

 in these species of mines affirm, that it not only is an 

 iron-mine, but also of extreme richness ; though this 

 has not been ascertained by experiment. 



It is also equally unquestionable, that, were it pos- 

 sible to turn the industry of the inhabitants into this 

 channel, mines of copper, tin, and lead, might also be 

 discovered, though no such thing is at present known. 

 But it is natural to suppose, that, where there are so 

 many mines of the most precious metals, those of 

 copper and lead are not wanting. In the next 

 chapter I shall give some account of other mines; 

 together with the quarries of curious stone, and se- 

 veral 



