93 



ihe mines is very expensive^ from tlie number of 

 workmen and the materials required, it is pur- 

 sued only by tlic rich ; but it furnishes a mucb 

 g'reater profit than the lavadero, or the ore pro- 

 cured bv the washing; of auriferous sands, which 

 is practised only by the poorer class, and those 

 who cannot aftbrd the necessary expenses of 

 mining. The washing is performed in the fol- 

 h)wing manner : the earth or sand containing 

 particles of gold is put into a vessel of wood of 

 liorn^ called poruna, which is placed in a run- 

 ning stream^ and constantly shaken ; by this 

 means the sand which contains no metallic 

 particles, being lighter, is thrown out over the 

 top, and the more weighty, or the gold, 

 remains at the bottom. This operation is ne- 

 cessary to be repeated several times in qrder to 

 carry off all the ferruginous earth which is 

 always united with gold. But as many of tlix'5 

 smaller metallic particles must neccssarih" be 

 washed away with the earlli by this process, a, 

 mode, in my opinion, much more economical, 

 is that empliJycd in some places of v/asairig the 

 sand upon inclined plankr^) covered wiih sheep- 

 skin. Defective a-j th-j procG-s of wa-Jiiiii;- is, 

 (he profit that accrue^ from it is iVeqiiendv 

 ^tlmost iiicrcdible, a.^ it is not unu^LTal to iind 

 among the ^and large pieces of gc^ii, railed pt- 

 piias^, which sometimes C-W^erd a pound iu 

 =^'eii;;)it ; but it is more coiiimonly found u\ i. 



