BETAGH's account of PERU. 



^S 



on the road, or on bo^rd any fhip, is looked upon as contraband goods, and is liable 

 to feizure. In regard to the art of refining, therefore, I am to ihew the progrefs of 

 the ore from the mine to this kind of mafs or cake : after having broken the flone taken 

 out of the vein of ore, they grind it in their mills with grind- ftones, or in the Ingenios 

 Raales, or royal engines, which confifl of hammers or pounders, like the -French 

 plafter-mills. They have generally a wheel of about twenty-five or thirty feet diameter, 

 whofe long axle-tree is fct with fmooth triangles, which, as they turn, hook or lay 

 hold of the iron hammers, lift them up to a certain height, from whence they drop at 

 once at every turn ; they generally weigh about 200 weight, and fall fo violently, that 

 they crufh and reduce the hardeft ftones to powder by their weight alone. ' They after- 

 wards fift that powder through iron or copper fieves, to takeaway the finefl, and return 

 the reft to the mill. When the ore happens to be mixed with fome metals, which ob- 

 flruft its falling to powder, as copper, then they calcine that in an oven, and pound it 

 over again. 



In the little mines, where they ufc none but mills with grind-ftones, they, for the 

 moft part, grind the ore with water, which makes a liquid mud, that runs into 2 

 receiver; whereas, when it is ground dry, it muft be afterwards fleeped, and well 

 moulded together with the feet for a long time. To this purpofc they make a court or 

 floor, where they difpofe that mud In fquare parcels about a foot thick, each of them 

 containing half a caxon or cheft, that is, twenty- five quintals, or 100 weight of ore j 

 and thefe they call Cuerpos, that is, bodies. On each of them they throw about 200 

 weight of fea or common fait, more or lefs, according to the nature of the ore, which 

 they mould, and incorporate with the earth for two or three days. Then they add to it 

 a certain quantity of quickfilver, fqueezing a purfe made of a fkin, into which they 

 put it, to make it fall in drops, with which they fprinkle the body or mafs equally, 

 according to the nature and quality of the ore. They allow to each mafs ten, fifteen, 

 or twenty pounds j for, the richer it is, the more mercury it requires to draw to it the 

 filver it contains : fo that they know not the quantity, but by long experience. An 

 Indian is employed to mould one of thefe fquare parcels eight times a day, to the end 

 that the mercury may incorporate with the fdver. To that effect they often mix lime 

 with it, when the ore happens to be greafy, where caution is to be ufed j for they fay, 

 it fometimes grows fo hot, that they neither find mercury nor filver in it ; which feems 

 incredible. Sometimes they alfo ftrew among it fome lead or tin-ore, to facilitate the 

 operation of the mercury, which is flower in very cold weather, than when it is tempe- 

 rate ; for which reafon at Potofi and Lipes, they are often obliged to mould the ore 

 during a whole month, or a month and an half: but, in more temperate climates, the 

 amalgama is made in eight or ten days. 



To facilitate the operation of the mercury, they in fome places, as at Puno and elfe- 

 where, make their buiterons or floors on arches, under which they keep fires, to heat 

 the powder of the ore, for twenty.four hours, on a pavement of bricks. When it is 

 thought, that the mercury has attracted all the filver, the alTayer takes a little ore from 

 each parcel apart, which he wafhes in a little earthen plate, or wooden bowl ; and, by 

 the colour of the mercury found at the bottom of the bowl, knows whether it has had 

 its effe£t : for, when it is blackifh, the ore is too much heated ; and then they add more 

 fait, or fome other drug. They fay, that then the mercury difpara, that is, fhoots or 

 flies away. If the mercury is white, they put a drop under the thumb, and, prefling 

 it haftily, the filver there is amongft it remains flicking to the thumb ; and the mercury 

 flips away in little drops. In conclufion, when they perceive, that all the filver is 

 gathered, they carry the ore to a baton, into which a little fticam of water runs, to 



♦ wafhi 



