2+0 J A M A I G A. 



ample and their do6lriiie, would do honour to their profcftloii in 

 any part of England. 



CHAP. XL 



MINES. 



r"|~^HE firfl: adventurers who reforted to this ifland conceived 

 I very llmguine expedlations of finding gold and filver mines. 

 They were told of a fdver jninc, that had been worked by the Spa- 

 niards, fomewhere in the Hcalthfhire Hills, in St. Catharine ; but 

 they were not able to difcover it. Still the flattering prolpea en- 

 couraged two or three principal gentlemen of tlie iflaiul to folicit 

 for an exclufive patent for working fuch mines. This they ob- 

 tained, and made fome attempts ; which failed of fuccefs, and 

 broudit fuch heavy expences upon them, that they were glad to re- 

 linquilh the projed, and lurrendered their patent. After all, the re- 

 port of the Spanifh iilver mine was probably no other than a fic- 

 tion. However, that the mountains contain both that metal and 

 gold is very certain, as well as that the Spaniards obtained fome of 

 the latter from the river-courfes ; in which method they were in- 

 ftrudled by the Indians, who, in Hifpaniola and this ifland, ufed to 

 procure it in the fame manner. The inhabitants of Peru and Mexico 

 purfuc the fame method at this day. They dig in the angles of 

 fome fmall brook, where by certain tokens they expe£l to find the 

 grains, or particles, of gold. In order to carry oft' the mud, they 

 admit a frefli flream upon it, and keep turning it up. As foon 

 as they perceive the gold fand, they divert the fl:reani into another 

 channel, and dig up the foil with hoes or pick-axes, and convey it 

 upon mules to certain bafons, joined together by fmall conduits. 

 Into thefe bafons they let a fmart flream of water, to loofen the 

 earth, and clear away the grofler parts ; the Indians flanding all 

 the time in the bafons, and throwing out the ftones or rubbifh. 

 The gold flill remains in the fediment, mixed with a black fand, 

 and fcarcely vilible, till further depurated by more wafhings. In 

 fome of thefe colleclions are gold grains, as large as bird-fhot ; in 

 others have been found lumps of it, from two or three ounces to a 

 5 pound 



