How they discovered the mines of Potosi, whence they have taken riches
such as have never been seen or heard of in other times; and how, as the
metal does not run, the Indians get it by the invention of the
_huayras_.
The mines of Porco, and others in this kingdom, have been open since the
time of the Yncas, when the veins whence they extract the metal were
discovered; but those which they have found in the hill of Potosi
(concerning which I now desire to write) were never worked until the
year 1546. A Spaniard named Villaroel was searching for veins of metal
with some Indians, when he came upon this wealth in a high hill, being
the most beautiful and best situated in all that district. As the
Indians call all hills and lofty eminences Potosi, it retained that
name. Although Gonzalo Pizarro was then waging war against the viceroy,
and the whole kingdom was troubled with this rebellion, the skirts of
the hill were soon peopled, and many large houses were built. The
Spaniards made their principal settlement in this place, the court of
justice was removed to it, and the town of Plata was almost deserted.
They discovered five very rich veins on the upper part of the hill,
called the “rich vein,” the “vein of tin,” etc. This wealth became so
famous, that Indians came from all parts to extract silver from the
hill. The climate is cold, and there are no inhabited places in the
vicinity. When the Spaniards had taken possession, they began to extract
the silver, and he who had a mine gave each Indian who entered it a
marc, or, if he was very rich, two marcs every week. So many people came
to work the mines, that the place appeared like a great city. That the
greatness of these mines may be known, I will say what I saw in the year
of our Lord 1549 in this place, when the licentiate Polo[511] was
corregidor of the town of Plata for his Majesty. Every Saturday the
metal was melted down in his house, and of the royal fifths there came
to his Majesty thirty thousand or twenty-five thousand _pesos_, and
sometimes forty thousand. And while extracting such immense wealth, that
the fifth of the silver, which belonged to his Majesty, came to more
than one hundred and twenty thousand _castellanos_[512] every month,
they said there was little silver, and that the mines were not well
worked. Yet this metal, which was brought to be melted, was only what
belonged to the Christians, and not even all that, for a great deal was
taken in pure bits and carried off; and it may be believed that the
Indians took a great deal to their own homes. It may with truth be
asserted that in no part of the world could so rich a hill be found, and
that no prince receives such profits and rents as this famous town of
Plata. From the year 1548 to 1551 the royal fifths were valued at more
than three millions of ducats, which is more than the Spaniards got from
Atahualpa, and more than was found in the city of Cuzco, when it was
first occupied.[513] It appears that the silver ore cannot be made to
run by the bellows, nor can it be converted into silver by means of fire
at Potosi. In Porco, and in other parts of the kingdom where they
extract metal, they make great plates of silver, and the metal is
purified and separated from the dross by fire, in which operation large
bellows are used. But in Potosi, although this plan has been tried, it
has never succeeded; and though great masters have endeavoured to work
with bellows, their diligence has availed them nothing.
As a remedy may be found in this world for all evils, there has not been
wanting an invention for extracting this metal, which is the strangest
imaginable. The Indians, who were so ingenious, found that in some parts
the silver could not be extracted with the aid of bellows, as was the
case at Potosi. They, therefore, made certain moulds of clay, in the
shape of a flower-pot in Spain, with many airholes in all parts.
Charcoal was put into these moulds, with the metal on the top, and they
were then placed on the part of the hill where the wind blew strongest,
and thus the metal was extracted, which was then purified and refined
with small bellows. In this manner all the metal that has been taken
from the hill is extracted. The Indians go to the heights with the ores
to extract the silver, and they call the moulds _Guayras_.[514] In the
night there are so many of them on all parts of the hill, that it looks
like an illumination. When the wind is fresh they extract much silver,
but when there is no wind they cannot by any means extract silver; so
that, as the wind is profitable in the sea for navigating, it is so here
for extracting silver. As the Indians have no overseers when they carry
the metal up to the heights, it must be supposed that they have enriched
themselves, and taken much silver to their own homes. This is the reason
that Indians have come from all parts of the kingdom to this settlement
of Potosi, to take advantage of the great opportunities offered for
enriching themselves.[515]