14. betagh's account of fertt. 



■ ■ .... ' 



As the riches of Peru confift chiefly in their filver mines, I fiiall endeavour to treat 

 of thefe, not only from my own experience, but from the bed Hij;hts 1 have been able 

 to derive from the ftri(5iefl inquiry I had it in my power to make from others. There 

 are two forts of filver mines ; tlie one, where filver is found fcattered about in fmall 

 quantities ; the other, v/here it runs in a vein between two rocks ; the one exceffively 

 hard ; and the other much fofter : and it is thefe laft, which belt defer\'e, and are gene-' 

 rally diftinguiflied by, the name of filver mines. This precious metal, which is, in 

 other countries, the ftandard or meafure of riches, is, 'in Peru, the riches of the coun- 

 try, confidered in another light, I mean that of a natural commodity; for, throughout 

 the whole of that vaft country, there are almoft every where filver mines to be met 

 with, of moreorlefs value, according as the ore produces more or lefs filver, and can 

 be wrought at a greater or lefs expence. There are fome, but not a great many, mines 

 to the northward of Lima ; but, to the fouth, they are very numerous. On the back 

 of the Andes, there lies a nation of Indians, called los Plateros, or the Plate-men, 

 from the vaft: quantities they poflefs of filver ; but the Spaniards have very little com- 

 munication with them. The beft part of the mine countries are to the fouth of Cufco, 

 from thence to Potofi, and fo to the frontiers of Chili ; and where, for the fpace of 

 300 miles, there is a continued fuccelTion of mines, fome being difcovered, and others 

 deferted, every day. 



It is a common thing for the people here, as well as elfewhere, to complain of the 

 prefent times, and commend the. paft, as if heretofore there were infinitely greater 

 quantities of filver dug oAit of the mines than at prefent : and, perhaps, with regard to 

 particular mines it may be fo ; but, upon the whole, doubtlefs the quantities of filver 

 that are annually obtained in the Spanilh Weft Indies abundantly exceed what were for- 

 merly exported from thence. As to the names of thofe, which have been moft remark- 

 able, or are fo at prefent, in the country of Peru, they are thefe; viz. the mines of 

 Loxa and Camora, Cuenca, Puerto Veio, St. Juan del Oro : thefe are wrought at 

 > prefent. Thofe of Oruro and Titiri are negleded. Thofe of Porco and Plata filled 

 up. At Potofi there are a great number of mines. And thofe of Tomina, Chocaia, 

 Atacuma, Xuxui, the Calchaques, Guafco, Iquique, &c. are all wrought with more 

 or lefs profit ; and this according to the {kill of their proprietors, or of fuch as have the 

 dire6lion of thefe works. It is generally believed, and there feems to be fome reafon 

 for it, that experience has taught the Creolians here a perfect acquaintance with mine- 

 rals, and the art of treating them, fo as to obtain the largeft profit. But, however, 

 when one confiders their ignorance in other arts, their going on conftantly in the fame 

 beaten track in this, together with their vaft wafte of quickfilver, one is almoft tempted 

 to believe, that our European miners might manage their works to ftill greater advan- 

 tages. This feems the more probable, when oiie reflects, that this knowledge of theirs 

 is not at all founded upon principles, but is, properly fpeaking, an art built upon acci- 

 dental difcoyeries, in which there is little of accuracy, and abundance of uncertainty j 

 which will be more evident to the reader, when he has perufed and confidered the fol- 

 lowing account of the manner in which the filver is extraded from the ore at the 

 mines. 



The moft perfeft filver that comes from thence, is in that form which the Spaniards 

 call Pinnas, which is a lump of filver extremely porous, becaufe it is the remainder of 

 a pafte, made of filver-duft and mercury ; and the latter being exhaled, leaves this 

 remainder of the mafs fpongy, full of holes, and light. It is this kind of filver that is 

 ' put into different forms by the merchants, in order to cheat the king of his duty, though 

 that is but rery moderate j and therefore all fUver in this condition, if found any where 



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