87 



ihe ore to powder by g-rinding it in a mill. This 

 powder is then passed throug;h a wire sieve and. 

 spread upon the hides of cattle^ where it is mixed 

 with sea salt, quicksilver^ and rotten dung. After 



whenever any one of this character is discovered, numbers 

 flock to it from all quarters, as was the case of Copiapo and 

 Xampiigua, which by this means beccrne peopled so rapidly, 

 from the great concourse of labourers, that in the space of 

 two years six mills were established at the latter place. The 

 city of Conception is situated in a couniry abounding not only 

 ^vith ah the necessaries of life, but wiili immense riches, par- 

 dcularly a place called the King's Camp, about twelve leagues 

 to the east, from whence is obtained by the lavadero pieces of 

 pure gold, called iu the country pepitas, of from eight to ten 

 marks* in weight. It has likewise been discovered in the vi- 

 cinity of Angol ; and if the inhalsitants of the country were 

 industrious, many other sjiots would be explored where it is 

 be'ieved there are very good lavaderos. Nine or ten leagues 

 to the east of Coqu:niI)o are the Lavaderos of Audacoll, which 

 produce gold of '23 carats line, ami are worked constantly 

 with great profit w hen there is no scarcity of water. This has 

 given rise to a saving of the inliabitants that the ground is 

 creative, that is, that gold is continually formed in it ; found- 

 ed in the circumstance of tiieir fuiding that metal in as great 

 (Quantities as at fust, although it is sixty or eighty years since 

 I'nese lavaderos have been worked. Besides the lavaderos, 

 whicii are in all tlie valleys, so numerous are the mines of gold 

 ^nd some of silver that are mot with in the mountains, that 

 tliey would turiii'<li euip'oymenl for more than forty thousand 

 men. Frazier s ^oj/'ige. 



Chili abounds in mines of all kinds, more especially in 



* 'Ike Spanish mark is eight ounces. 



g4 



