The ^aturall and Moral! 



there remained any fumeor vapor, which fliould in- 

 counter them that vnftopt the pottes^they were in dan 

 ger of death/or to bebenummed ot'their limbes, or at 

 tKelcaft, to bpie their teeth. And for that they fpend 

 an infinite quantitie of wood , in the melting of 

 thefe mettalls. A Miller called Rodrtgo dc lores, 

 found out a profitable invention, which was, to gather 

 certaine draw which growes throughout all thofc 

 mountaines of Peru, the which they cdlTche, it is like 

 vntoa hard reede wherewith they make their fire. It is 

 aftrange thing to fee the force which this ftrawhath 

 to melt and diflblve thefc metta!ls 5 the which falles out, 

 l& ( as Plinic (hies> that there is gold which melts more eafi- 

 ly with the flame of ftravv , then with hote burning 

 coales. They putthe quickejSlycr thus molten into 

 skinnes, for that itTceepes beft in lether,and in this jfbrt 

 they lay it into the Kings ifare-hovvfe, from whence 

 they carry it by fea to driqua, andfo to P0t0zj by land 

 vpon their fhcepe. There is yeerely /pent in Pcto^i for 

 therefining of mettalles , about fix or feven thouiand 

 qutntalles of quicke-filvcF 3 Tbdides that they drawe 

 Irom the plates, (which is the earth or drofTe of the firft 

 wafliings of theft mettalls, which are made in cal 

 drons.) The which plates they burne in their furnaces, 

 to draw out the quicke-filver which remain es in them: 

 and there are abovejfifde of thefe furnaces in the Citie 

 ofPrto^t, zndinTarpaya. (The quantitie of mettalls 

 which they refine , (as ibme men of experience have 

 made the account,) doth amount yeerely to above 

 threehundrcd thoufind quintalles/rom the earth and 

 Brofle wRctebTbeing molt and refined,they may draw 

 yeerely above two thoufand quintalles of quick-filver. 

 We muft vi^rfbndthere are divers fortes of mettalk, 



for 



