Hiftorieoftbefndiu. Jib.^. 24.7 



abounds with raine, their grinding dooth then conti 

 nue fixe or feaven moneths; fo as even for filvers fake 

 men defire a good yeere of Vaine in Potozi, as they doe 

 mother places for bread. Thereare_forneotherngins 

 in Tarapaya<whidi is a valley threcfor foure leagues di- 

 flant from Potozi , whereas there runnes a river as in Q- 

 ther parts. The difference of thefe engins is, that fome 

 J;QC with fixe peftels.fom_c with twejve,and others with 

 foureteene. They grindeand bcate tRe mettall in mor- 

 ters, labouring day and night ; and from thence they 

 carry it to be lifted , vpon the bankes of the brooke of 

 Potozi. Therearefortjreight water-milk, of eighteen, 

 and twelve peftells,and foure oinhe other fide, which 

 they c2\\Tanacogmgnoim the CittieofTarapaya, there 

 are two and twenty engins all vpon the water 5 befides 

 there are thirty goe with horfes in Potofy, and many o- 

 thers in divers Cartes, fb great the defire of man is to 

 get filver, which is tryed by deputies appoy nted by the 

 King. 



To give the alloy to jvery peece, they cary the bars 

 of filvervnto the Allay maifter, who giv^ to 'every one 

 his number, for that they carry many at once 5 he antes 

 a fmail peece oiFevery one, the which he weighs iuftly, 

 and puttes them intoacrufct > which is a fmall veflcll 

 rna3e ot burut bones beaten ; after hee placeth everie 

 crufibleinhisorderinthe furnace, giving them a vio 

 lent fire, then the mettall melteth, and that which is 

 lead, ^oes into fmoakc , andriie copperand tinne di(^ 

 folves, the diver remayning moft fi(ie,^of the colour of 

 fire. It is a ftrange thing, that being thus refined, al 

 though it be liquide and molten , yet it never fpilles, 

 were the mouth of the crufiblc turned downewardes; 

 but it remaynethfixed , without the lofle of a droppe, 

 ~^~~~ ' "THe 



