the South-Seal I^J 



more Salt, or feme other Drug: They fay that then the 

 Mercury difpam, that is i( flioots, or flies away > if the Mer- 

 cury is white, they put a Drop under the Thumb, and 

 preffing it haftily, the Silver there is among it, remains 

 flicking to the Thumb, and the Mercury flips away in lit- 

 tle Drops. In Conclufion, when they perceive that all the 

 Silver is gather'd, they carry the Ore to aBafon into which 

 a little Stream of Water runs, to wafiiit, much in the fame ^/k^ *>/ 

 nature as I have faid they wafh the Gold, excepting that^ e 0rfu 

 this being only a Mud, without Stones, infteadof a Hook 

 to ftir it, an Indian ftirs it with his Feet, to diffolve it. 

 From the firft Bafon it falls into a fecond, where another 

 Indian is, who ftirs it again, to diffolve it thoroughly, and 

 loofen the Silver : From the fecond it paffes into a third, 

 where the fame is repeated, to the end that what has not 

 funk to the Bottom of the firft and fecond may not efcape 

 the third. 



When all has been wafh'd, and the Water runs clear, ^^i^f 

 they find at the Bottom of the Bafons, which are lined with^^ r ^° 

 Leather, the Mercury incorporated with the Silver, which 

 they call La Pella. It is put into a Woolen Bag, hanging 

 up for fome of the Quickfilver to drain through ; they bind,, 

 beat, and prefs it as much as they can, laying a Weight 

 upon it with flat Pieces of Wood ,\ and when they have got 

 out as much as they can, they put that Pafte into a Mould 

 of Wooden Planks >• which, being bound together, gene- 

 rally form the Figure of an Oftogon Pyramid cut fliort, the 

 Bottom whereof is a Copper-plate, full of little Holes 0 ... 

 There they ftir, in order to faften it; and when they defign 

 to make many Pinna's, as they call them, that is Lumps of 

 various Weights, they divide them with little Beds, qt 

 Layers of Earth, which hinder their coming together. To 

 that end the Pella, or Mafs, muft be weigh'd, deducting 

 two Thirds for the Mercury that is in it, and they know 

 within a fmall Matter what neat Silver there is. 



They then take off the Mould, and place the Pinna, Or Separating s} 

 Mafs, with its Copper Bafe on a Trevet, or fuch-like In- the Mmwrj. 



ftrument, 



