264 MINES, METALS, AND GEMS. 
codd not otherwise be procured. The nAita 
according to them, been rendered 
observe that it is conducted with all possible ^ 
which those may believe who have never heard ^ 
cities they have exercised, it may be said habitd 
wretched Indians, since the conquest. 
CLCil^U lIKUclllS, StUlCU UlC Y 
Lumps of pure gold and silver, called papas, v jj. j 
semblance to the potatoe, are often found in 
poor likewise occupy themselves in lavederos, 
the sands of the rivers and rivulets, in order to jj 
of the precious metals 
To compensate for the mines which are ren' 
by the irruption of water, or other acciden 
new ones are daily discovered. They are all 
chains of mountains, commonly in dry and b- 
and sometimes in the sides of the quehredas, 
,»rcer'^'. 
ing precipitous breaks in the ridges. Howet e^^ jj p , 
rule may be in the Viceroyalty of Buenos Ay® ’ d‘’y 
. ,• — , .1.., _c T ^.[lere, at tliree Ict'S'- (Jjs y 
tradicted in that of Lima, , „ 
from the Pacific Ocean, not far from Tagna, ' 
vince of Africa, there was discovered not 
the famous mine of Huantajaya, in a sandy P 
tance from the mountains, of such exuberant 
the pure metal was cut out with a chisel. Fton ^jj,. y 
a large specimen of virgin silver is preserved 
cabinet of natural history at Madrid. Itattrac^|-- 
siderable population, although neither "'btef ^ ^ 
inon conveniencies for labour could be found , 
nor was there any pasturage for the cattle. , 
In the mint of Potosi about six millions ny 
and the mines of the vie®' J ' 
annually coined ; 
■,Y 
. .-n 
Plata, taken collectively, are reckoned to y'®*'' ^v 
1V, 
teen millions. The new viceroyalty of Bue^®® # 
tains thirty gold mines, twenty-seven silver 
teen of other metals 
cf"J 
The mlne.sof Mexico, or New Spain, 
ba''« 
celebrated for their riches than those of La J 
standing which they are remarkable for tlis 
mineral they contaui. A quhital, or 
hundred ounces of silver ore, affords, at a ‘'jy 
than three or four ounces of pure silver, abod.^^jiiS 
wfuat is yielded by the same quantity of n!in®'’d 
I 
