The Mine 

 Pote/t, when 

 dikover'd. 



4*4- A M E<Kl C A. Chap. IV. 



getting out the Secret, it came to this Agreement between them, That they fliould 

 both be Partners and fliare the Booty ; Gualpa was to keep the Vein, fince call'd 

 The <%ich Vein, and Guanca was to have another, at prefent nam/d Diego Centeno : but 

 they agreed not long ; for Guanca finding much labor Upon his Vein, by reafon of 

 the hardnefs, and that he could get no fhare in what Gualpa got, acquainted his 

 Spanifh Mafter Vtlaroel with it, who refted not till he had found out the truth there- 

 of ; for which Vilaroel obtain'd (according to the Cuftom of Torco) feveral Rods to 

 work for himfelf, onely paying the King one fifth part of what he got, and fo re- 

 main'd Owner of the Mine Centeno. 



This Difcovery of the rich Mine Totofi is faid to have hapned on the twenty 

 fourth of April, Anno 1545. Soon after which they found the Silver Vein DelEftanno, 

 which though it was very rich, was difficult to be digg'd, becaufe of its hardnefs. 

 The firft Vein which Gualfa fearch'd after flood upright from the bottom of the 

 Mine, and contain'd above three hundred Foot in length, and thirteen in breadth, 

 and continuing good for two hundred Foot in depth, after which the Silver begins 

 to leiTcn. 



The Peruvians relate, That the Ingas firft began to dig in Totofi, but gave it over 

 becaufe the Workmen heard a terrible Voice, faying, Leave of doing what you are 

 about j the 7reafures Tthich lie bid here, are referVdfor a Teople out of foreign Countreys. 



Thefe Mines produce yearly for the King's fifth part, forty thoufand Pieces of 

 Silver, each valu'd at thirteen T,yals, each %jal being four Shillings, befides what 

 Tie is defrauded of, which is perhaps half as much more. 



The Mines of Totofi exceed all other, becaufe the Diggers never meet with any 

 Water, notwithftanding they work above two hundred Fathom under Ground, 

 whereas the other Silver Mines furTer great damage by the Water . which was alfo 

 the reafon why the Spaniards \tk off digging of Silver in Torco, becaufe they were 

 not onely fore'd to cut through hard Rocks, but ran greater danger, or at lead be- 

 ftow'd extraordinary labor to get out the Water which broke in upon them. 



The four Sliver Veins of Totofi, Vt^. The Tjcb, Centeno, Del EJlanno, and Mendieta, 

 lie on the Eaft-fide of the Mountain, and extend North and South, The great 

 Veins produce leflcr, not unlike the Body of a Tree, from which (hoot forth feve- 

 ral degrees of Boughs. Each Vein is divided into feveral parts, poflefs'd by feveral 

 Owners ; the leaft part is open'd four Rods, and the biggeft eighty . for none are 

 permitted by the Law to open a bigger Hole. In the time of the Jefuit Jo/eph de 

 Jcofta, an Eye-witnefs, who Anno 1 587. went from Teru to Spain, the T(ich Vein was 

 reckon'd to contain eighty feven Mines, of which fome weredigg'd two hundred 

 Fathom deep. The Spaniards judge that at the Root of the T(icb Vein is an incredible 

 Treafure, though Experience hath hitherto taught us, that the Silver lelTens in price 

 and quantity the deeper they dig in the (kound. 

 ^r°Tren- For the morc cafie working in the Mines, the Spaniards have digg d Trenches 

 t^tr ( whicn tne Y cal1 Socabonos) at the Foot of the Mountain towards the Weft, crofs 

 Mwing. through the Mountain to the Mine, each of them being eight Foot broad and a 

 Fathom deep, and lock'd up with Gates, through which the Silver is carried out, 

 whereof the Owner of the Socabon receives a fifth part. The Socabon which leads to 

 the %ich Vein, was begun Anno 1556. and finifli'd in twenty nine years, extends it 

 felf two hundred and fifty Rods in length. The Miners work by Candle-light 

 both Day and Night by turns . thofe that work in the Day, deep in the Night, and 

 thofe that work in the Night, fleep in the Day. The Oar, which is as hard as a 

 Scone, is cut out with Pick-axes, beaten in pieces with an Iron Crow, and carried 

 upon their Backs on Ladders made of Leather : Each Ladder hith three Faftnings 



about 



Four Silver 

 Veins with 

 their feveral 

 Dmfions. 



