°UAP. XVIII.

1546 TO 1599.

CHAPTER XVIII.

On the acquisition of the precious metals from the openingthe mines of Potosi , in 1546, to the end of the year 1599.

In' the latter end of the year 1545 the minesof the Cerro de Potosi were accidentally discovered.According to the account of Herrera, the dis-covery was owing to an Indian hunter, DiegoHualca, who in pulling up a shrub observedfilaments of pure silver about the roots. Onexamination the mass was found to be enormous,and a very great part of the population was there-by drawn to the spot and employed in extractingtbe metal. A city soon sprung up, though in adistrict of unusual sterility. The mountain wasperforated on all sides, and the produce in a few°f the first years exceeded whatever has been re-corded of the richest mines in the world.

There are great doubts of what was the realquantity of treasure actually brought into exist-ence from Potosi in the first ten years after thediscovery. Humboldt , who examined the matterVVl th his usual diligence and acuteness, says, “ thebooks of accounts preserved in the archives of theprovincial treasury of Potosi go back no farther