78 TlMEHRI. 
three Spaniards in one of the canoes which had escaped, 
one of whom was a refiner, and also that they had a 
large quantity of ore and gold." 
Raleigh went up the Orinoco as far as the Caroni, and 
it was near the mouth of that river where his celebrated 
gold mine was discovered. Speaking of this part of the 
country he says : — " Every stone that we stooped to pick 
up, promised either gold or silver by its complexion." 
Some of the stones having been taken to London gave 
most astonishing results, the most valuable according to 
the Comptroller of the Mint being worth £26,900 a ton, 
while a trial of the dust of the mine gave 81bs. 6 oz. of 
gold to the hundredweight. Although these results are 
exaggerated, there is no doubt that large quantities of 
the precious metal were obtained from the country, as 
long as the Indians were friendly. BERRIO obtained by 
trading with the natives " gold plates, images of gold, 
and images of men and divers birds " very curiously 
wrought, which he sent to Spain to pay for a levy of 
soldiers. A chief named MOREQUITO is mentioned as 
having gone to Cumana and Marguerita, with great 
stores of plates of gold, which he carried to exchange 
for such other things as he wanted in his own country. 
When the Indians found that the Spaniards wanted 
to make slaves of them, they began to keep secret the 
locality of the mints, and did everything to prevent 
prospering in their territories. How the natives were 
made to work may be seen in an old engraving in 
Gottfried's "Reisen." On a raised platform is seated 
the Captain in full dress, attended by a guard of soldiers, 
while the Indians are engaged in bringing the gold earth 
in baskets, and water in large earthen jars, washing out 
