V 



532 



young viceroy of New Spain, Count Galvez, 

 visiting at this period the coast of Terra Firma, 

 to examine it's fortifications, and state of de- 

 fence, was requested by the intendant, to send 

 him some Mexican miners. The choice was 

 not fortunate ; they who were employed could 

 not distinguish a single rock ; every thing, even 

 mica, appeared to them gold and silver. The 

 two chiefs * of these Mexican miners were al- 

 lowed fifteen thousand francs a year : and it 

 was not their interest, to discourage a govern- 

 ment, which was afraid of no expense, that 

 was intended to promote the working of the 

 mines. Their operations were directed toward 

 the ravin of Tipe, and the ancient mines of 

 Baruta to the south of Caraccas, where the 

 Indians gathered even in my time a little stream 

 gold. The zeal of the administration soon di- 

 minished ; and after having incurred many use- 

 less expenses, the enterprise of the mines of 

 Caraccas was totally abandoned. A small quan- 

 tity of auriferous pyrites, sulphuretted silver, 

 and a little native gold, had been found; but 

 these were only feeble indications, and in a 

 country where labour is extremely dear, there 

 was no inducement to pursue works so little 

 productive. 



We visited the ravin of Tipe, situate in that 

 * Pedro Mendana and Antonio a Henriquez. 



