Hittorie of the Indies, lib./}.. 



for fome yeclde muGhfilvcr > and wafte little c^uicke- 

 IjTvcr; .others confumc much quickc-filvcr, andyeclde 

 little iilver* and there are others which confume much 

 qiiicke-filver,and yeeldes much fiber- and others that 

 confume little quicke-filvcr.and alfo yeelde little filver; 

 and as men incounter in thefe mettalles , fo they grow 

 rich or poore in their trafficker. Although commonly 

 the rich 'mettall yeeldes much filver, and confunles 

 much quicke-fiiver ; and likewife that which is poore, 

 yeeldes little filver, and confumes as little mercuric. 

 They firftbeat and grinde the mct'tall very faall, with 

 hammers ana othenn(truments,which beat this ftone 

 likevnto tannc milles, and being well beaten, they 

 fearceit in a copper fearce,making the poulder as fmall 

 and fine, as if it were horfehaire : thefe fearces being 

 well fitted, doefift thirtie quintalles in a day and a 

 night- then they put the poulder of the mettall into the 

 vdTelsvpon furnaces, whereas they anoint it and moi> 

 tific it with brine , putting to everie fiftie quintalles of 

 pouT<JeF 5 five quintalk of fait. And this they do for that 

 the fait feperates the earth and filth 5 to the end the 

 quicke-filver may the more eafily draw the filver vnto 

 it. After they put quicke.filver into a peece of holland 

 andpreffe it out vpon the mettall, which goes forth 

 like a dewe,alvvaies turning and (Hiring the mettall, to 

 the end it may be well incorporate. Before the inven 

 tion of thefe furnaces of fire, they did often mingle 

 tlieir mettall with quicke-filver, in great froughes, let 

 ting it fettle fome daies, and did then mix it, and ftirre 

 it againe, vntill they thought all the quicke-filver were 

 well incorporate with the filver , the vyhich continued 

 twgntie daies and more , and at the le'aff nine daies. 

 Since they difcovcred (as the defire to get is diligent,) 



R 5 that 



