ovalle's historical relation op chile, 43 



beat it in the mills to powder, which mills are chargeable, as is alfo the quickfilver, 

 neceflary to be ufed to make the filver unite, and all the reft of the operations requi- 

 fite to refine it j but the advantage of getting gold has no other trouble in it, than to 

 carry the earth in which it is found to the water, and there wafli it in mills on purpofe, 

 with a dream which carries off the earth ; and the gold, as being heavieft, goes to the 

 bottom. 



It is true, that fometimes they follow the gold vein through rocks and hard places, 

 where it grows thinner and thinner, until at laft the profit that arifes is very fmall ; 

 yet they perfift to follow it, in hopes it will grow larger, and end at laft in that which 

 they call Bolfa, which is, when coming to a fofter and eafier part of the rock, the vein 

 enlarges fo, that one of thefe hits is enough to enrich a family for all their lives. 

 There is now lefs gold found than formerly, by reafon of the war the Spaniards have 

 had with the nation of Araucanos ; but ftill fome is found, particularly in Coquimbo, 

 where, in the winter, when it rains much, is the great harveft of gold j for, by the 

 rain, the mountains are wafhed away, and the gold is eafier to come at. There is 

 likewife fome gold in the territories of the Conception ; in which I was told, by a cap- 

 tain who entered into our fociety, that there was, not above half a league from the 

 town, a pond, or ftanding-water, which is not deeper than half the height of a man j 

 and that when the Indians have nothing to fpend, they fend their wives to this pond ; 

 and they going in, feel out with their toes the grains of gold ; and as foon as they have 

 found them, they ftoop and take them up. They do this until they have got to the 

 value of two or three pefos of gold ; and then they feek no longer, but go home, and 

 do not return for any more as long as that lafts ; for they are not a covetous people, 

 but are content to enjoy, without laying up. 



I brought with me to Italy one of thefe grains thus found, of a pretty reafonable 

 bignefs ; and fending it to Seville to be touched, vdthout either putting it in the fire, 

 or ufing other proofs, it was allowed to be of twenty-three carats, which is a very re- 

 markable thing. Now the peace is made, and the warlike Indians quiet, the Spaniards 

 may return to fearch for the gold of Valdivia, and other mines thereabouts, which will 

 extremely increafe the riches of the country. 



As for the produd made by the induftry of the inhabitants, it confifts particularly 

 in the breed of their cattle of all kinds, as I have obferved above ; fending the tallow, 

 hides, and dried flefh, for Lima ; where, having firft retained the neceffary proportion 

 for themfelves, which is about twenty thoufand quintals of tallow every year for that 

 city, and hides accordingly, they diftribute the reft all over Peru : the hides, particu- 

 larly, are carried up to Potofi, and all that inland trad of mines, where moft of their 

 clothing comes from Chile ; they are alfo carried to Panama, Carthagena, and the reft 

 of that continent ; fome of this trade extends itfelf likewife to Tucuman and Buenos 

 Ayres, and from thence to Brafil. 



The fecond produQ: is the cordage and tackling, with which all the ftiips of the 

 South Seas are furniftied from Chile ; as alfo the match for fire-arms, with which all 

 the king's garrifons along the coaft are provided from thofe parts ; for the hemp, which 

 makes the firft material of all thefe provifions, grows no where in the Weft Indies but 

 in Chile : there is alfo packthread exported, and other fmaller cordage. 



The third produd is mules, which are fent to Potofi, through the defart of Arcama. 



The fourth produft is the cocoa-nuts, which are the fruit of the palm-trees ; and 



do not, indeed, proceed from induftry, but grow wild in the mountains, without any 



cultivation, fo thick, that I have feen feveral leagues of this tree. Almonds likewife, 



and the produd of gardens, which do not grow in Peru, are carried thither with great 



G 1 profit. 



