MINES OP POTOSI. 207 



extend in such a profunditie, yet there remaines six times LlB - IV&amp;gt; 

 as much space unto the bottome or roote, the which they 

 say are most rich and aboundant, as the body and spring of 

 all veines. Although unto this day we have seene the con 

 trary by experience, for the higher the veine is to the 

 superficies of the earth, the more rich they find it; and the 

 deeper it goes the poorer it is, and of the baser aloy. They 

 then invented the socaboncs, by which they enter to worke 

 in the mines very easily, with lesse charge, paine, and 

 danger. They have eight foote in breadth, and an cstado in 

 height, the which they shut with doores. By them they 

 drawe forth their mettall very easily, paying to the pro 

 prietary of the socabon the fift part of all the metall they 

 draw forth. There are nine already made and others are 

 begunne. They were twenty and nine yeeres in making of 

 one socabon, called Venino, which comes from the Rica 

 veine. It was begunne in the yeere 1556, the eleventh 

 yeere of the discovery, and was ended in the yeere 

 1585, the eleventh of August. This socabon reached the 

 Rica veine thirtie five estados from the roote or spring, and 

 from thence where it met to the mouth of the mine, were 

 a hundred thirty five estados. So they must descend all 

 this depth to labour in the mine. This socabon containes 

 from his mouth vnto the veine of Crusero as they call it, 

 250 yardes, in which worke were spente twentie nine yeeres, 

 whereby wee may see what great paines men take to draw 

 silver out of the bowells of the earth. They labour in these 

 mines in continual! darknes and obscuritie, without know 

 ledge of day or night. And forasmuch as those places are 

 never visited with the Sunne, there is not onely a con 

 tinual darkness, but also an extreme colde, with so grosse 

 an aire contrary to the disposition of man, so as such as 

 newly enter are sicke as they at sea. The which happened 

 to me in one of these mines, where I felt a paine at the 

 heart, and beating of the stomach. Those that labour 



