Htilorie of the Indies Atb.-^. 



(prowtfoorth lefle. Everic vcine hath divers mines 

 which arcpartesand portions of the fame,di(Hn<3and 

 divided betwixt divers Mafters, by whofc names they 

 are commonly callcd.The great mine containes jburc- 

 fcore yardes , neither raayTt be more by the law, and 

 the leaft containes foure . All thefe mines are at this 

 day very deepe. In the rich mine they reckon 78. 

 mines,which are So.yards deeper a hundred ftades or 

 height of a man, anci infomeplaoes two hundred . In 

 theveineofCm.w, are 24. mines , whereof fome arc 

 70. or 8. ftades deepe, andfo of the other veines of 

 this mountaine. For a remedie to this great profun- 

 ditie, they have invented mines, which they ca\\Socc* 

 fonts , which are caves or ventes made at the footc of 

 the mountaine,the which go croffing til they incoun- 

 ter with the veines : for v/ee muft vnderftand, that al 

 though the veines ranne North to South, as hath been 

 faid , yet is it in declining from the toppe to thefootc 

 of the- mountaine, which may be as they beleeveby 



And by this 



account, ai .hough the mines extend in fuch a proFun- 

 ditic, yet there femaines fix times as much fpaccvmo 

 thebottome or roote,the which they fay ,aremoft rich 

 and aboundant , as the body and fpring of all veines. 

 Although vnto this day we havcfeene the contrary by 

 experience, for the higher the vemeis to thefuperfici- 

 cs of the earth, the more rich the^BndeTtTancTthe dee 

 per it goes, the poorer it is, and of the ba(er aloy. 

 They then invented the Soccabonsfcy which they enter 

 to work in the mines very eafily , with lefle charge, 

 paine,arid danger. They haveeightfoote in breadth, 

 and a ftade in height,the which they fliut with doores. 

 By them they drawc forth their mettall very eafily, 



