Ch. XL SOUTH AMERICA- 475 



of cutting and filing them for fire-arms, the peo- 

 ple make no ufe of them : and on fome occafions 

 flints, either for mufl^ets or piftols, have been fold 

 at Cuenf a, Quito^ and all over the country, for two 

 rials each but one is the common price of them^ 

 being brought from Europe. Confequently, as there 

 is here a wholly quarry of them, their exorbitant 

 price is wholly owing to a want of induilry, as this 

 would in a fhort time render them as expert at cut- 

 ting flints as the Europeans. 



After the mines of metals, and the quarries of 

 large flones, it would be improper to omit the gems 

 found in this province. I have already obfervcd, 

 that the jurifdidion of Atacam.es and Manta for* 

 merly abounded in emeralds of a finenefs furpalTing 

 thofe of the m/mes of Santa Fe. Not a fmall num- 

 ber of them was deftroyed by an error of the firft 

 Spaniards, who came hither^ imagining that, if they 

 were real gems, they would ftand the ftroke bf a 

 hammer on an anvil. The lofs of the mines of 

 Atacames, and the negk6l of many others of gold 

 and filver, was in fome meafure compenfated by the 

 difcovery of feveral in the jurifdidion of Cuen^a ; 

 but which have been but little improved, thougb 

 they exhibit the moil inviting figns of their great 

 riches, namely, fragments of rubies ; and which, in- 

 telligent perfons fay, are very fine. Thefe are ufu- 

 ally found among the fands of a rapid river, not far 

 from the village of Azogues. The Indians^ and 

 others, frequently make it their bufinefs to go and 

 wafh thofe lands, v^here they find fmaii fparks, about 

 the bignefs of a lentil, and fometimes larger ^ and 

 it is not to be queflioned but thefe are w^afhed away 

 by the continual allifion of the water in its paiTage 

 abng the mine. But the inhabitants, content witb 

 this piddling work, do not trouble themfelves to 

 trace the origin of the mine ; though there is all 

 4 the. 



