208 MINES OP POTOSI. 



LIB. iv. therein vse candles to light them, dividing their work in 



such sort, as they that worke in the day rest by the night, 

 ; and so they change. The mettall is commonly hard, and 

 therefore they breake it with hammers, splitting and hewing 

 it by force as if they were flintes. After, they carry vp this 

 mettall upon their shoulders, by ladders of three branches 

 made of neates lether twisted like peeces of wood, which 

 are crossed with staves of wood, so as by every one of these 

 ladders they mount and discend together. They are ten 

 cstados long a peece, and at the end of one, beginnes another 

 of the same length, every ladder beginning and ending at 

 platformes of wood, where there are seates to rest them like 

 unto galleries, for that there are many of these ladders to 

 mount by one at the end of another. A man carries ordinarily 

 the weight .of two arrobas 1 of mettall vpon his shoulders, tied 

 together in a cloth in maner of a skippe, and so mount 

 they three and three. He that goes before carries a candle 

 tied to his thumb, for, as it is said, they have no light from 

 heaven, and so go they vp the ladder holding it with both 

 their handes ; to mount so great a height which commonly 

 is above a hundred and fiftie cstados, a fearful thing and 

 which breeds an amazement to thinke vpon it, so great is the 

 desire of silver, that for the gaine thereof men indure any 

 paines. And truly it is not without reason, that Plinie, 

 plin - in ,., treating 1 of this subiect. exclaimes and saies thus: &quot; We 



proem., lib. J 



enter even into the bo wells of the earth, and go hunting 

 after riches, even to the place of the damned.&quot; And after, 

 in the same book, he saieth, &quot; Those that seeke for mettalls 

 performe workes more then giants, making holes and caves 

 in the depth of the earth, piercing mouutaines so deepe by 

 the light of candles, whereas the day and the night are 

 alike, and in many moneths they see no day. So as often 

 the walles of their mines fal, smothering many of them that 

 labour therein.&quot; And afterwards he addes, &quot;They pierce the 



1 50 Ibs. 



xxxiii, cap. 



