could not otherwise be procured. The mita having thus,according to them, been rendered indispensable, theyobserve that it is conducted with all possible humanity ;which those may believe who have never heard of the cru-elties they have exercised, it may be said habitually, on thewretched Indians, since the conquest.
Lumps of pure gold and silver, called papas, from their re-semblance to the potatoe, are often found in the sands. Thepoor likewise occupy themselves in lavederos, or in washingthe sands of the rivers and rivulets, in order to find particlesof the precious metals.
To compensate for the mines which are rendered uselessby the irruption of water, or other accidents, rich andnew ones are dailjr discovered. They are all found in thechains of mountains, commonly in dry and barren spots,and sometimes in the sides of the quelredas, or astonish-ing precipitous breaks in the ridges. However certain thisrule may be in the Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres, it is con-tradicted in that of Lima, where, at three leagues distancefrom the Pacific Ocean , not far from Tagna, in the pro*vince of Africa , there was discovered not many years agothe famous mine of Huantajaya, in a sandy plain at a dis-tance from the mountains, of such exuberant wealth thatthe pure metal was cut out with a chisel. From this minea large specimen oh virgin silver is preserved in the royalcabinet of natural history at Madrid. It attracted a con-siderable population, although neither water nor the com-mon conveniencies for labour could be found on the spobnor was there any pasturage for the cattle.
In the mint of Potosi about six millions of dollars amannually coined ; and the mines of the viceroyalty of L®Plata, taken collectively, are reckoned to yield about six*teen millions. The new viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres con-tains thirty gold mines, twenty-seven silver mines, and six*teen of other metals.
The mines of Mexico , or New Spain, have been mo* 6celebrated for their riches than those of La Plata, notwith-standing which they are remarkable for the poverty of themineral they contain. A quintal, or one thousand ***hundred ounces of silver ore, affords, at a medium, not mo 1 ®than three or four ounces of pure silver, about one third oWhat is yielded by the same quantity of mineral in Saxony- 1