DISCOVEEY OF QUICKSILVER IN PERU. 215 



what chanced in former ages among the mightiest Lords of LTB - 1V - 

 the world. I speak for the Yncas kings of Peru, and for 

 the naturall Indians thereof, which have laboured and digged 

 long in these mines of quicke-silver, not knowing what 

 quicke-silver was, seeking onely for Cinabrium orvermillion, 

 which they call Llinipi, 1 the which they esteeme much, for 

 that same effect that Plinie reportes of the Romans and 

 Ethiopians, that is, to paint the face and bodies of them 

 selves and their idolls : the like hath been much practised 

 by the Indians, especially when they went to the warres, and 

 they vse it at this day in their feasts and dauncing, which 

 they call slubbering, 2 supposing that their faces and visages 

 so slubbered 3 did much terrifie, and at this day they holde it 

 for an ornament and beautifying ; for this cause there were 

 strange workes of mines in the mountaines of Huanca- 

 vilca, which are in Peru, neere to the cittie of Guamanga, 

 out of the which they drew this mettall. It is of such a 

 manner, that if at this day they enter by the caves or soc- 

 cabones, which the Indians made in those dayes, they loose 

 themselves, finding no passage out : but they regarded not 

 quicke-silver, which naturally is in the same substance or 

 mettall of vermillion, neither hadde they knowledge of any 

 such matter. 



The Indians were not alone for so long a time without 

 the knowledge of this treasure, but likewise the Spaniards, 

 who until the yeare of the incarnation of our Saviour, one 

 thousand five hundred three score and six, and threescore 

 and seaven, at such time as the licentiate Castro governed 

 in Peru, discovered not the mines of quicke-silver, which 

 happened in this manner. A man of iudgment called 

 Henrique Garces, a Portugall borne, having a peece of 

 this coloured mettall, as I have said, which the Indians 

 call Llirnpi, with which they paint their faces, as hee beheld 



1 Llht/pi is the Q.uiclma for mercury, and Ychma for vermillion. 



2 Emltixarw. 3 Eirifrixwlos. Fainted with red lead. 



