X5 "BETAGH's account of PERU. 



tv'afh it, miich in the fame nature as I {hall fhew they wafh the gold, excepting that this 

 being only a mud without ftones, inftead of an hook to (lir it, an Indian ftirs it with his 

 feet, to diflblve it. From the firft bafon it falls into a fecond, where another Indian is, 

 who ftirs it again, to diflblve it thoroughly, and loofen the filver. From the fecond it 

 pafles into a third, where the fame is repeated, to the end that what has not funk to 

 the bottom of the firfl and fecond, may not efcape the third. 



When all has been wafhed, and the water runs clear, they find at the bottom of the 

 bafons, which are lined with leather, the mercury incorporated with the filver ; which 

 they call lapella. It is put into a woollen bag, hanging up, for feme of the quickfilver 

 to drain through. They bind, beat and prefs it as much as they can, laying a weight 

 upon it, with flat pieces of wood ; and, when they have got Qut as much as they can, 

 they put the pafte into a mould of wooden planks, which, being bound together, gene- 

 rally form the figure of an oftagon pyramid, cut fhort, the bottom whereof is a copper- 

 plate, full of little holes. There they ftir, in order to fallen it ; and, when they defign 

 to make many Pinnas, as they call them, that is, lumps of various weights, they divide 

 them with little beds or layers of earth, which hinder their coming together. To that 

 end the pella or mafs muftbe weighed, dedufting two-thirds for the mercury that is in 

 it ; and they know, within a fmaU matter, what nett filver there is. They then take off 

 the mould, and place the pinna or mafs, with its copper bafe, on a trivet, or fuch-like 

 inftrument, ftanding over a great earthen veffel full of water, and cover it wkh an 

 earthen cap or covering, which they again cover with lighted coals ; which fire they 

 feed for fome hours, that the mafs may grow violent hot, and the mercury that is in it 

 evaporate in fmoke ; but that fmoke having no palTage out, it circulates in the hollow 

 that is between the mafs and cap, or covering, till, coming down to the water that is 

 underneath, it condenfes, and finks to the bottom again, converted into quickfilver. 

 Thus, Httle of it is loft ; and the fame ferves feveral times : but the quantity muft be 

 increafed, becaufe it grows weak. However, they formerly confumed at Potofi 6 or 

 7000 quintals or hundred weight of quickfilver every year, as Acofta writes ; by which 

 a judgment may be made of the filver they got. 



When the mercury is evaporated, there remains nothing, but a fpongy lump of con- 

 tiguous grains of filver, very light, and almoft mouldering, which the Spaniards call 

 la Pinna ; and is, as I obferved, a contraband commodity from the mines, becaufe, by 

 the laws of the kingdom, they are obliged to carry it to the king's receipt, or to the 

 , mint, to pay the fifch to his Majefty there. Thofe maffes are caft into ingots, on which 

 the arms of the crown are ftamped, as alfo that of the place where they were caft, 

 their weight and quality, with the finenefs of the filver to anfwer the meafure of all 

 things, according to an antient philofopher. It is always certain, that the ingots, which 

 have paid the fifth, have no fraud in them ; but it is not fo with the pinnas or maffes 

 not caft. Thofe who make them, often convey into the middle of them, iron, fand, 

 and other things to increafe the weight ; fo that, in prudence, they ought to be opened, 

 and made red-hot at the fire, for the more certainty ; for if falfified, the fire will either 

 turn it black, or yellow, or melt it more eafily. This trial is alfo to^extradt a moifture 

 they contrad in places where they are laid on purpofe to make them the heavier. In 

 (hort, their weight may be increafed one-third by dipping them in water when they are 

 red-hot, as alfo by feparating the mercury, with which the bottom of the mafs is always 

 more impregnated than the top. It alfo fometimes happens, that the fame mafs is of 

 different finenefs. The ftones taken from the mines, the ore, or, to fpeak in the lan- 

 guage of Peru, the mineray, from which the filver is extra(5ted, is not always of the 

 fame nature, confiftence, or colour. There are fome white and grey, mixed with red 



or 



