BETAGH*S ACCOUNT OF PERU. I9 



The mine countries are all fo cold and barren, that the inhabitants get moft of their 

 provifion from the coaft ; this is caufed by the falts and fulphurs exhaled from the earth, 

 which deftroy the feed of all vegetables. The Spaniards who live thereabout, find 

 them fo ftifling, that they drink often of the mattea, to moiften their mouths. The 

 mules, that trip it nimbly over the mountains, are forced to walk gently about the 

 mines, and flop often, to fetch breath. If thefe vapours are fo ftrong without, what 

 muft they be within the mine itfelf, where if a frefli man goes, he is fuddenly benumbed 

 with pain ? And this is the cafe of many an one ; but this diflemper feldom lads above 

 a day, and they are not fo affected a fecond time ; but vapours have often burft out fo 

 furioufly, that workmen have been killed on the fpot, fo that one way or other multi- 

 tudes of Indians die in their calling. An obfervation occurs here to my memory, that 

 upon the road to Piura, at night, when we lay down to lleep, our mules went eagerly 

 to fearch for a certain root, not unlike a parfnip, though much bigger, which affords 

 a great deal of juice, and, in fuch a fandy plain, often ferves inftead of water : but 

 when the mules are very thirfty, and they cannot eafily rake up the root with their 

 feet, they will Hand over it and bray, till the Indians come to their afTiftance. One 

 would wonder, that, throughout all this part of the world, that portion of the country 

 fliould be bell inhabited which is moil barren and unwholfome, while thofe fpots, that 

 feem to vie with Paradife itfelf for beauty and fertility, are but thinly peopled. Yet, 

 when one confiders, that it is not the love of eafe, but the'thiril of wealth, that draws 

 people hither, the difficulty is very eafily refolved ; and we fee at once, how much the 

 hopes of living rich, gets the better of the hopes of living ; as if the fole end, for which 

 a man was created, was to acquire wealth, at the expence of health and happinefs. 



Ij; is generally underflood, that filver is the peculiar wealth of Peru ; and the Spa- 

 niards ufually talk, as to gold mines, of thofe that are to be found in Chili ; but, not- 

 withflanding this, there are one or two walhing-places for gold in the fouth part of 

 Peru, near the frontiers of Chili, About the year 1709, there were two furprifing 

 large lumps of virgin gold found in one of thefe places, one of which weighed thirty- 

 two pounds complete, and was purchafed by the Count de Monclod, then viceroy of 

 Peru, and prefented to the king of Spain ; the other was fhaped fomewhat like an oxls 

 heart ; it weighed twenty-two pounds and an half, and was bought by the corregidor of 

 Arica. To find thefe lavadores, or wafhing-places, they dig in the corners of a little 

 brook, where, by certain tokens, they judge the grains of gold to lie. To affifl in 

 carrying away the mud, they let a frefh llream into it, and keep turning it up, that the 

 current may fend it along. When they are come to the golden fand, they turn off the 

 flream another way, and dig with mattocks ; and this earth they carry upon mules to 

 certain bafons, joined together by fmall channels ; into thefe they let a fmart ftream of 

 water, to loofen the earth, and carry all the grofs part away. The Indians Handing in 

 the bafons, and throwing out all the ftones, the gold at bottom is Hill mixed with a 

 black fand, and hardly to be feen, till it be farther cleared and feparated, which is 

 eafily done. But thefe wafhing-places differ ; for, in fome, there are gold grains as big 

 as bird-fhot ; and in one, belonging to the priells near Valparaifo, fome were found, 

 from two or three ounces to a pound and an half weight. This way of getting gold is 

 much better than from the mines ; here is no need of iron crows, mills, or quickfilver ; 

 fo that both the trouble and expence are much lefs. The Creolians are not fo curious 

 in walhing their gold, as the people in Europe ; but great plenty makes them carelefs 

 in that and many other articles. 



It would be needlefs to attempt in this place a defcription of the large kingdom of 

 Chili, becaufe it has been already done by many authors : all that is defigned here, is 



D 2 to 



