lio *A Voyage to 



Lead evaporates by dint of Fire, and leaves the Silver pure 

 and clean. From that fort of Mines the Indians dr ew their 

 Silver ; becaufe having no ufe of Mercury, as the Europeans 

 have, they only wrought thofe whofe Ore would melt, 

 and having but little Wood, they heated their Furnaces 

 with the Tcho above-mentionM, and the Dung of the Lla- 

 mas, or Sheep, and other Beads, expofing them on the 

 Mountains, that the Wind might keep the Fire fierce. 

 This is all the Secret the Hiftorians of Peru fpeak of, as of 

 fomething wonderful. There is another fort of Ore like 

 this, as black, and in which the Silver does not appear at 

 all ; on the contrary, if it be wetted and rubb'd againft 

 Iron, it turns red, for which Reafon it is call'd Roficler, fig- 

 nifying the Ruddinefs of the Dawn of Day ; this is very 

 Rich, and affords the fineft Silver. There is fome that 

 glitters like Talk, or Ifinglafs ; this is generally naught, 

 and yields little Silver, the Name of it is Zoroche. The 

 Paco, which is of a yellowifli Red, is very foft, and broken 

 in Bits, but feldomrichj and the Mines of it are wrought 

 only on account of the Eafinefs of getting the Ore. There 

 is fome Green, not much harder than the laft, call'd 

 Cobriffo, or Copperilh, it is very rare ; however, tho' the 

 Silver generally appears in it, and it is almoft mouldring, 

 it is the hardeft to be managed, that is, to have the Silver 

 taken from it. Sometimes, after being ground, it muft 

 be burnt in the Fire, and feveral other Methods ufed to 

 feparate it, doubtlefs becaufe it is mix'd with Copper. 

 Laftly, there is another fort of very rare Ore, which has 

 been found at Potofi, only in the Mine of Cota?nifo ; being 

 Threads of pure Silver, entangled or wound up together 

 like burnt Lace, fo fine, that they call it Aranna, Spider, 

 from its Refemblance to a Cobweb. 

 What Mines The Veins of Mines, of what fort foever they be, are 

 *rc rkhefi. generally richer in the Middle than towards the Edges $ and 

 when two Veins happen to crofs one another, the Place 

 where they meet is always very rich. It is alfo obferv'd, 

 that thofe which lie North and South -are richer than thofe 



which 



