194 SILVER. 



LIB. iv. y eere ly from Spaine to Rome. In the fleete where I came, 

 ~ which was in the yeere 1585, the declaration of the firme 



/land was of twelve cassons or chests of golde, every casson 

 at the least weighed four arrobas, that is a hundred weight, 

 and a thousand fifty and sixe rnarcs from New Spaine, 

 which was for the King only, besides that which came for 

 Merchants and private men being registered, and much 

 that came unregistred. This may suffice touching the 

 golde of the Indies, and now we will speake of silver. 



CHAP. v. Of the Silver at the Indies. 



Job xxviii. We rcade these wordes in the Booke of lob, Silver hath 

 certain beginnings and roots in his veins, and golde hath a 

 setled place, where it ingenders and thickens, yron with 

 digging is drawnc out of the earth, and stone molten with 

 heate is turned into copper.&quot; 1 Hereby he wisely shewes in 

 few words the nature of silver, gold, yron and copper. We 

 have spoken something of the places where golde is ingen- 

 dcred and congealed, which is either of the foresaide stones 

 in the depth of inountaines, and in the bowells of the earth, 

 or in the sand of rivers and where brookes have runne, or 

 else on the toppes of mountaines, the which golde in pow 

 der runncs downe with the water. And this is the com 

 mon opinion they holde at the Indies. Wherevppon many 

 of the common sort believe that the deluge having drowned 

 all, even to the highest hills, hath beene the cause that at 

 this day they finde this golde in the rivers, and in places 

 so farre off. Now we wil shew how they discover the mines 

 of silver, their veines, rootes, and beginnings whereof lob 

 speakes. 



1 &quot; Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where 

 they fine it.&quot; 



&quot; Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone.&quot; 

 Jol) xxviii, 1 , 2. 



