41 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



CHAP. IV. — Of the natural Riches of the Kingdom of Chile ; which are its Mines of 

 Gold, and other Metals ; as also of the induflrious Management of its other Product. 



THE riches of Chile are of two forts : firft, thofe which nature has beftowed on it, 

 without the help of human induftry ; and, fecondly, thofe which have been produced 

 and invented by the inhabitants, to improve and enjoy its fertility. To the firft: kind 

 belongs its mines of gold, filver, copper, tin, quick-filver, and lead, with which hea- 

 I ven has enriched it. Of the copper of Chile are made all the great guns for Peru and 



the neighbouring kingdoms, in the garrifons of which there are always fliores, parti- 

 cularly on the coafts : all the bells of the churches, and utenfils for families, are of 

 this metal ; fo that fmce the working of thefe mines, no copper has come from Spain ; 

 for the Indies are fufficiently fupplied by them with all they can want. 



There is little lead worked, becaufe there is little ufe of it ; quickfilver lefs, becaufe 

 the mines are but newly difcovered ; and as they were going to work them, the obflia- 

 cle to thofe of Guancabilica in Peru was removed, and fo there was no need of work- 

 ing thofe of Chile. Thofe of filver likewife lie unwrought, becaufe the golden mines 

 are of lefs charge, and fo every body has turned their indufl:ry towards them : they are 

 fo many, and fo rich, that from the confines of Peru to the extremefl: parts of this 

 kingdom, as far as the ft:raights of Magellan, there is no part of the country but they 

 difcover them ; which made father Gregory of Leon, in his map of Chile, fay, that 

 this country ought rather to have been called a plate of gold, than to go about to 

 reckon up its golden mines, which are innumerable. 



All the authors who have writ of this country, do mightily enlarge upon its riches ; 

 and the fame is done by all thofe who have navigated the ftraights of Magellan. An- 

 tonio de Herrera, in his general hifl:ory of the Indies, fays, that in all the Weft: Indies, 

 no gold is fo fine as that of Voldivia in Chile, except the famous mine of Carabaya ; 

 and that when thofe mines were firft worked, (which was before thofe Indians who are 

 now at peace with us were at war,) an Indian among them did ufe to get from them 

 every day 20 or 30 pefos of gold, which comes to near 500 reals of plate, and was a 

 wonderful gain. 



And the already-cited John and Theodore de Brye fay, that when the Nodales paiTed 

 the ftraights of St. Vincent, otherwife called ftraights of Le Maire, there came fome 

 Indians from the country called La Tierra del Fuego, who exchanged with the Spa- 

 niards a piece of gold of a foot and a half long, and as broad, for fciifars, knives, 

 needles, and other things of little value ; for they do not value it as we do. Other 

 authors fey, that moft of the gold that was laid up in the Ineas treafure, was brought 

 to him from Chile, though having never fubjefted the Araucanos, he could not have 

 that quantity which this rich country would elfe have afforded. 



But what need I weary myfelf in citations of people abroad, when thofe who live in 

 the country of Chile, and fee it every day, are the beft teftimony of the great riches 

 that the Spaniards have drawn from thefe mines ; which was fo great, that I have heard 

 *i«i6 ^^ ^^^ "^^'^ %' ^^^^ ^"^ ^^^^ feafts and entertainments, they ufed to put gold-duft in 

 their falt-fellers inftead of fait ; and that when they fwept the houfe, the fervants 

 would often find grains of gold in the fweepings, which they would wafh out, for the 

 Indians being the perfons that brought it to their lords, they would often let fome 

 fall. 



I have faid before, that it was much more eafy to get gold than filver out of the 



mines, becaufe this laft cofts much pains j firft, to dig it from the hard rock, then to 



10 beat 



