The y^aturaU and Moral! 



Since the Spaniards entred, befides this manner of re? 

 fining which they vft to this day : they likcwife refine 

 filver with quicke-filver, and draw more by this means 

 then in refining it by fire . For there is fome kind of fil 

 ver mettall found which can by no meanes be purged, 

 and refined by fire, but onely with quickefilver . But 

 thiskinde of mettall is commonly poore andweake, 

 the which vfually theyfindeingreateftaboundance. 

 They cal that poqre whichjields leaftfilvgr,and great 

 quantTtie otother rnettall^and that rich which yieldes 

 moft filver. It is ftrange to fee,not onely the difference 

 betwixt the refining of mettall by fire , and without it 

 by quicke-filver , but alfo that fome of thefe mettalles, 

 which are refined by the fire, can not well be molten 

 with anvartificialljvinde,^ bellowes 5 but when 

 ir is kmoled andTblovven with the naturall ay re, or na- 

 turallwinde. The mettall of the mines of Porcois eafi- 

 ly refined with bellowes , and thatofthe mines .of Po- 

 t<*z,i cannot be molten with bellowes, but only by the 

 ^breath of their GUANAS, which are (mall furnaces vpon 

 the fides of the mountaines, built exprefly where the 

 wincje lies, within the which they melt this mettal^and 

 though it be hard to y ieldc a reafbn for this difference, 

 yetisitmaftcertaine and approoved by long experi 

 ence : fo as the greedie defire of this mettall fo much 

 valued amongft men, hath made them feck out a thou- 

 fand gentle inventions and devifes , whereof wee will 

 heereafter make mention. Thechjefe places ofthe In. 



rawe'filver , are New Spaine, 



and Peru 5 but the mines of P^ farre furpaflTe the reft; 

 and amongft all others of the vvoiide , thofe tfPotozi, 

 whereof wee will intreate alittle at leafurc, being the 

 moft famous and remarkeable things at ti&lndits. 



