REFINING WITH QUICKSILVER. 217 



they refined silver with mercury, called Pedro Fernandes de Lin - IV - 

 Velasco, who offred to refine silver at Potosi with mercury ; 

 and having made triall thereof in the yeare of our redemp 

 tion, one thousand five hundred seaventy and one, per- 

 fourmed it with credite ; then beganne they to refine silver 

 at Potosi with quicksilver, which they transported from 

 Huancavilca, which was a goodly helpe for the mines ; for 

 by the meanes of quickesilver they drew an infinite quantity 

 of mettall from these mines, whereof before they made no 

 accompt, the which they called scrapings. For as it hath 

 beene said, the quickesilver purifies the silver, although it 

 be drie, poore, and of base alloy, which can not be doone by 

 melting in the fire. The Catholike King drawes from his 

 quickesilver mines, without any charge or hazard, almost 

 foure hundred thousand peeces, the which are fourteene 

 rialls a peece, or little less, besides the rights that rise 

 in Potosi, where it is employed, the which is a great 

 riches. They doe yearely, one with another, drawe from 

 these mines of Huancavilca eight thousand quintalls of 

 quickesilver, yea and ..more. 



CHAP. xn. Tlie manner how to drawe out Quicke-silver and 

 liow they refine Silver. 



Let vs now speake how they drawe out Quicke-silver, and 

 how they refine silver therewith. They take the stone or 

 mettall where they find the quicke-silver, the which they 

 put into the fire in pots of earth well luted, being well 

 beaten, so as this mettall or stone comming to melt by the 

 heate of the fire, the quicke-silver separates it selfe, and 

 goes forth in exhalation, and sometimes even with the 

 smoake of the fire, vntil it encounters some body where it 

 staies and congeales, and if it passe vp higher, without 

 meeting of any hard substance, it mountes vp vntill it be 



