The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

344 Royal Comm-entaries. ' BooKVUi. CH A P.. XXIV. ' Of.Gold arid Silver. J . .[ S. pair. it felf is a fufficient w imefs of che Gold and Silver which comes from .Péru, coníidering thac far che cwenty five years laíl: paíl:, (befides what hath'been for- merly carried) chere hath been every year cran[ported cwelv~ or chirreen Millions, ,~cording to Regiíl:er, beG9es chac which hach paífed without a~count. Thére is . Gold found in.all che parts of Peru, fome 1 more, and fome lefs_generally in every Province. lt is fo1,md on che top or furface of che Earth, carned by füeams and cunems, and wafhed down by greac flouds ofRain, which che Jndians gacher and put into water, feparating it fro~n the Earth, as che Silver-fmiths do che filings., which fall in cheir 'fbo{ls. Tbat.which is found in chis mam:iei:, is called Gola in duíf, becaufe it is like filings ; fome of which are indifferently big,. and about che fufhion of a Mellon-feed, fome are r.ound, apd ochers of an oval form ,, all che Gold qf Peru is ::bout eighteen or cwency Qµilats, more or _lefs, in goodnefs, onely thac wbich comes from che Mines of Callavaya,or Cdllahuaya, 1s of che fineíl: fort,being cwenty four Qµilats and better, as I have been informed by forne Gold-fmiths in Spai11.. In che year 1 5'5' 6, there was digged out.of che veins of a Rock in che Mines of 'callahu19a, a piece of Gold Ore, of che bignefs of a Man's head, in colour like che Lun_gs of a living crearure, and indeed did fomething refemble ir jn the íhape, having cerrain Perforarions chrough it from one end to che orher; in al! whlch hples there appeared little kernels of Gold, as if melred Gold had been dropped in- to \h~m, fÓm~ o( rh~W ,pein~ out:""ardly !ri knobs? ~nd ochers more inw~rd: Thofe chat underíl:ood .che Rature ofMmes~ were of opm10n, thac had that p1ece ofOre been fuffered to remaih' ir would all with time have been turnecj i~tó perfeét Gol9; In Coud che Spaniards looked upan it as íl:range and unufual, and ilie Jndi- .a~1 ,c3Ue_d ic Huaco, a~ rhey did every thing which was wonderfull,. and 'Worthy of .adm1rat1on ; che wh!Ch word alfo was ufed by them when any chmg was·abomi- nabJei or· dereíl:able in its kind. The Maíl:e1· of chis piece of Ore determined co carry it with hirn into Spain, and prefent it to 1Gng Philip the Second as a curiofüy great!y to be eíl:ee¡ned ~ But 1 was informed by chofe who were in che fame Fleet widf him, ~hat ch~ Shi:p in which chac perfon embarked was cail away, and chat he was drowned, and a'U his rreafure, wirh much more, perifhed with hiim. The Si\ver is digged wirh much more labour than Gold, and refinedwirh muen more charge and difficulty: There are many Mrnes in divers parts of Pme, bue none . J)ke chofe of Potoji, 'the ~· hich were difcovered in che year 1545" being abou.cfour- cee·n years afrer the Spamards firíl: poffeífed rhat Counrrey, as appeaes by che Re- .cord. The Mountain in which thefe Mines arife, i~ called Potoji; hut \\'hy it is fo 1~an3~d, I cannot te!), .unlefs it hath fome fígnification in rhe pl'opt>r La'nguage of char C,ounrrey ; for in che general Speech of Peru ir hath none. lt is füuated in the midíl: of a Plain, in fonn of a Sugar-loaf, is about the cornpafs of a League ac the l)ottom, and aquarrer ofa League rowards che top, it is round, and very plea- fant to behold, íl:anding alone, and Gngle in a Plam ,, which Narure hath adorned and beaurifi~d, baving added comelinefs ro that fame, which its.Riches hath made renowned, and eíl:eemed in the World. Some Mornings ir appears V:1irh a cap of Snow, che Climate thereabours being fomerhing cold. Thac Mounrain· in the diviGon \Yhich ~Yas firíl: 01ade fell ro the 01are of Gonr¡alo Pir¡a11·0, and afrerwards ro Pedro Hinojofa ~ as we fhall herea.frer declare, in cafe 'we rnay be fo free, as to bring ro light fome hidden and fecrer praC.1ices comrived in che rimes of \iVar, which Hifioriws do afeen omic ,, ·fearing ro difpara~e che Aél:ions of great Men, and rhereby creare enmiry apd difplea(ure' to chemfe,ves. Acojf a in bis fourth Book writes ar large of Gold, and Silver, and Qgick filver, of which every d':iy there are Mines difcovered in cbar Empire, fo thar 1 íhall uot need ro wrire of rhem ; onely I fhall menrion fome few remarkab!e things concer- ning.thofe Mecals, and how che India¡;s melted, and founded them before che Spa· niardi