INDIAN TRIBUTE. 323 



productive. He informed me that all the hills 

 about Coyamo abound more or less in gold. 



Whilst the Spaniards were masters, they 

 levied a yearly tribute on eight hundred 

 Indians of this district. In the last w^ash- 

 ing, vv^hich v^as performed by the majority 

 of these Indians, they procured eighty-five 

 pounds v^eight of gold in eight days, of 

 which twenty-five pounds were paid as the 

 tribute exacted, and the remaining sixty 

 pounds were their own. The washing takes 

 place during the wet season only, as at 

 other periods they have not water sufficient 

 for this purpose. The places of washing 

 which are most productive, the Indians will 

 not disclose, even to the curate, who as- 

 sured me that he could not extract it from 

 them at the very confessional. 



After breakfast I set out for Apone, hav- 

 ing to cross the river Coyamo in a canoe, 

 Y 2 



