the i South-Sea] III 



To make amends for not having feen the Ore ground at * 

 I went, fomc Days after my Return, to fee Gold 

 taken by wafhing, near Palma^ four Leagues E. and by S. 

 from Valparaiso, where the Jefuites had Men at work for 

 them. 



They dig in the Bottom of Streams, in the inward An- W«ft> in t 

 gles, which are formM in Procefs of Time, where theyfe & 

 judge by certain Tokens that there may be Gold >• for it 

 does not appear to the Eye where it is. To facilitate this 

 Digging, they let a Rivulet into it, and whilft it runs, they 

 turn up the Earth, to the end that the Current may dif- 

 folve and carry it away the better. At length, when they 

 are come to the Floor of Earth where the Gold is, they 

 turn off the Stream to dig by Strength of Arms : That 

 Earth they carry on Mules to a little Bafon, made in 

 the Shape of a Smith's Bellows, into which they turn a 

 little rapid Stream of Water to diffolve it; and to the 

 end it may the better foak in and loofen the Gold that is 

 mixM with it, they continually ftir it about with an Iron 

 Hook, which alfo ferves to gather the Stones, and thefe 

 they throw out of the Bafon with their Hands. This Pre- 

 caution is necelfary, to the end they may not flop the Wa- 

 ter-Courfe, which is to carry all away, efxcept the Gold a 

 whofe great Weight makes it fink to the Bottom of the Ba- 

 fon, among a fort of fine black Sand, where it is not much 

 lefs hid than in the Earth, if there are no Grains at lea* as 

 big as a Lentil. There are often larger found j and at the 

 Wafliing-Place 1 fpeak of, they had found fome of three 

 Marks Weight, that is, twenty four Ounces. However, 

 I do not queftion but that abundance of fmall Particles of 

 Gold run out at that Channel from the Bafon, which might 

 be eafily remedy'd. InTuringia, and on the Rhine, to 

 fave /that Lofs, they lay on the Channel fome Linnen, 

 Woollen, or Horfes or Ox Hides, to the end that the 

 fmall Grains of Gold may ftick there y and afterwards they 

 wafli the Skins to recover it. Thus the People of Colchis 

 gatha'd it, having laid the Skins of Beafts in the hollow 



Parts-. 



