188 RICHES OF THE INDIES. 



CHAP. in. Of the qualitie and nature of the earth where the 

 mettalls are found, and that all these mettalls are not im- 

 ployed at the Indies, and how the Indians vsed them. 



LIB. iv. The reason why there is so great aboundance of mettalls 



~~ at the Indies (especially at the West of Peru, as I have 



saide) is the will of the Creator, who hath imparted his 



giftes as it pleased him. But comming to a naturall and 



Phiio., lib. philosophicall reason, it is very true, which Philon a wise 



v, cle Genes. r 



man writes, saying, that gold, silver, and mettalls grow 



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naturally in land that is most barren and vnfruitefull. And 

 we see, that in lands of good temperature, the which are 

 fertile with grasse and fruites, there are seldome found any 

 Euseb., lib* mines ; for that Nature is contented to give them vigour to 



viii, de pre- 



par.evang., bring forth fruites more necessarie for the preservation and 

 maintenance of the life of beasts and men. And contrari 

 wise to lands that are very rough, drie, and barren (as in 

 (the highest mountains and inaccessible rockes of a rough 

 temper) they finde mines of silver, of quicke-silver, and of 

 gold ; and all those riches (which are come into Spaine since 

 the West Indies were discovered) have beene drawne out 

 of such places which are rough and full, bare and fruitlesse : 

 yet the taste of this mony makes these places pleasing and 

 agreeable, yea, well inhabited with numbers of people. 

 And although there be, as I have said, many mines of all 

 kinds of mettalls as at the Indies, yet they vse none but 

 those of gold and silver, and as much quicke-silver as is 

 necessarie to refine their gold and silver. They carrie yron 

 thither from Spaine and China. As for copper, the Indians 

 have drawne of it, and vsed it for their arines, the which 

 were not vsually of yron, but of copper. Since the Spaniards 

 possessed the Indies, they have drawne very little, neither 

 do they take the paine to seeke out these mines, although 

 there be many busying themselves in the search of richer 



