6a8 • ulloa's voyage to south America. 



which contributes to prolong the heat is, there being often no fpiracle to thefe paffages, 

 whence the earth through which the metal flows, does foon emit the firft heat it con- 

 tradted from the fubterraneous fire ; confequently the metal will not be fixed till at a 

 confiderable diftance from the place of liquidation : but the firft particles of the metal 

 being checked by the cold they have gradually contraded, thofe which follow flow to 

 the lame place, and there form a concreted mafs, or mixed body of filver and fcoria, 

 brought with it from the original mine. It now remains that we examine whether what 

 is adually obferved in thefe lumps of filver, agrees with what has been advanced, in 

 order to determine whether this opinion have a probable foundation. 



Thefe papas or lumps of filver are of a different compofition from thofe found in the 

 mines, having all the appearances of melted filver, as any perfon, a ftranger to the man- 

 ner of finding them, would immediately conclude. In them the filver forms a mafs, 

 and the furface is covered over with terrene particles, few or none of which are mixed 

 with the filver ; conformable to what is feen in metals melted, and fuffered to cool 

 without feparating the drofs. The terrene particles adhering to the filver are black, 

 and exhibit all the marks of calcination, except that in fome it is ftronger than in others ^ 

 and as this muft happen if the lumps are formed by the fufion of the metal, it feems 

 natural to conclude that they were really formed in this manner. 



The fize and figure of thefe lumps are very different ; fome weighing about two 

 marks, and others much more ; for among feveral which I faw at Lima, were two, one 

 weighing fixty, and the other above one hundred and fifty marks, being a Paris foot in 

 length J thefe indeed were the largeft ever feen here. Thefe lumps of filver are found 

 in different parts of the fame ground, though not often near one another. The metal 

 in its courfe takes various directions, introducing itfelf into thofe places where it finds 

 the leaft refiftance ; and as thefe parts are more or lefs capacious, the magnitude of the 

 papa is greater or fmaller, 



XIII. About ninety leagues north of the city of Plata, but only forty from Paz, 

 lies the province of Ciacica. Its capital, which has the fame name, and all the places 

 fituated to the fouthward of it, belong to the archbifliopric of Plata ; but many of 

 thofe to the northwards of it are in the diocefe of Paz. The countries in this jurif- 

 didion extend in fome parts above a hundred leagues, and confequently the tempera- 

 ture is various. Some fpots are very hot, and produce an exuberance of coca, which 

 flirub alone is the fource of a very confiderable commerce, fupplying all the mine 

 towns from Charcas to Potofi. The leaves of this plant are packed in frails, each of 

 which muft, according to the ordinance, contain eight pounds ; and its current price 

 at Ururo, Potofi, and the other mine towns, is from nine to ten pieces of eight, and 

 fom6times more. The colder parts feed Idrge herds of cattle : together with vicunas, 

 guanacos, and other wild creatures. This province has alfo fome filver-mines, but not 

 fo many, nor fo rich, as the preceding province. 



XIV. Attacama is the weftern boundary of the audience of Charcas, extending to 

 the South Sea ; and the principal town, called alfo Attacama, is no lefs than one hun- 

 dred and twenty leagues from Plata. Its jurifdidion is of a confiderable extent, and a 

 great part of it very fruitful ; but intermixed with fome deferts particularly towards the 

 fouth, where it divides the kingdoms of Peru and Chili. On the coaft in this province, 

 there is every year a large fifhery of tolo, a fort of fifli common in the South Sea, with 

 which a very great trade is carried on with the inland provinces, it being there the chief 

 food during Lent, and the other days of abftinence* 



CHAP. 



