Chief Towns and Places of note in this part of Peru are, 1. Plata, otherwise call’d Chuquisaca, the Countrey whose Metropolis it is, situate under a temperate Climate, in a fruitful Soil for the production of all manner of Plants, and especially Wheat, Barley, and Grapes. In this City the High Court of Judicature of Los Charcas is kept, being a principal part of Peru, and inhabited by the richest Spaniards in the whole Kingdom, having gotten an incredible deal of Treasure out of the neighboring Silver-Mines, which from the time of the Ingas, or Kings of Peru, to its Discovery by the Spaniards, held out and continu’d so rich, that ’tis thought Pizarro, if Reason could have rul’d him, might here onely have rais’d himself a Rent of two hundred thousand Ducats per Annum; but his desire and hopes, first to find more at Potosi, and afterwards his ambition and greediness to have and command all, carried him to violent Courses, which proved his Ruine, as hath been said. The Town is conveniently seated in a fruitful Soil, honor’d with the Residence of the Governor of the Province, and with a Bishops See, said to be the richest of Peru, viz. of fourscore thousand Ducats per Annum. The Cathedral and divers Cloysters give also a great lustre to the City. The antient Inhabitants of this Countrey, especially about those parts where now this City stands, were the Charcas and Charanques, both valiant People, who by Command of the Ingas fetch’d invaluable Treasures out of the neighboring Mines of Porco, where a thousand Men were continually kept at work. In La Plata were reckon’d long since, besides Spaniards, above sixty thousand Peruvians which pay annual Tribute.
2. Oropesa, a place of good Metal, as a man may perceive by the Name; It lieth in the rich and pleasant Valley Cochobamba, twenty Leagues distant from La Plata.
3. Potosi, eighteen Leagues Westward from La Plata, by the Spaniards call’d The Imperial City, built at the Foot of a Mountain bearing the same Denomination, on a barren Soil under a cold Climate, though but twenty one Degrees to the Southward of the Equinoctial Line: the Cold proceeds from the high Lands, which lie bare to the bleak and sharp Winds call’d Tomohavi, which blow every year very fiercely from May till September. But though the barren Countrey produces no Fruit, yet no place in Peru hath greater plenty of all Provisions and Dainties than this, the Markets being always full of Fruit, Salt-Meat, Maiz, Papas, Wheat, Sugar, Sweet-meats, and all things that are requisite for the subsistence of Man-kind, which are brought thither from all parts for the Silver, which is there in such plenty. As to what concerns the famous Mountain Potosi in the Countrey of Charcas, it is of an Ash colour, and rises above the adjacent Mountains in the form of a Sugar-Loaf; on the top of it stands a Chappel, to which leads a craggy Path, which with a little care may be rid up with a Horse; the heighth thereof is a thousand six hundred and twenty four Rods, or a quarter of a League: at the Foot thereof appears the Mine call’d Guaina Potosi, that is, The young Potosi; near which the City Potosi stands, being two Leagues in circumference, and is adorn’d with a Church and Cloyster for the Dominicans, and exceedingly resorted to by Traders.
In the time when the Ingas Govern’d Peru, the Silver-Mines at Porco were very famous; but it was not till after the arrival of the Spaniards that Silver was found in Guaina Potosi, and by degrees the Silver Veins which lay hid in the great Potosi; the manner of which Discovery was as followeth:
The occasion of the first Discovery of the Mines in Potosi.
A Peruvian call’d Gualpa, who work’d in the Mines at Porco, going a Hunting, it chanc’d that the Game ran up the steep Mountain of Potosi, which prevented his pursuing of it any farther; but the Mountain being overgrown with Trees, he got hold from one Bough to another to help himself up, and at last taking hold of the Bramble call’d Quinua, he pull’d the same out of the Ground, and finding it heavy, look’d upon it, and espy’d a great lump of Silver hanging at the Root of it; whereupon viewing the Hole, he discover’d a rich Silver Vein; of which taking some pieces home, and melting them, he found that it was the best Silver that ever he had known; wherefore he privately got a greater quantity, and by degrees grew extraordinary rich: but though he carried his Design never so close, yet he was at last suspected, and especially by his Neighbor Guanca, born in the Valley Xauxa, who was the more jealous of him, because he sold greater Bars of Silver than any were cast at Porco; whereupon he resolv’d to speak to him, and getting out the Secret, it came to this Agreement between them, That they should both be Partners and share the Booty; Gualpa was to keep the Vein, since call’d The Rich Vein, and Guanca was to have another, at present nam’d Diego Centeno: but they agreed not long; for Guanca finding much labor upon his Vein, by reason of the hardness, and that he could get no share in what Gualpa got, acquainted his Spanish Master Vilaroel with it, who rested not till he had found out the truth thereof; for which Vilaroel obtain’d (according to the Custom of Porco) several Rods to work for himself, onely paying the King one fifth part of what he got, and so remain’d Owner of the Mine Centeno.
The Mine Potosi, when discover’d.
This Discovery of the rich Mine Potosi is said to have hapned on the twenty fourth of April, Anno 1545. Soon after which they found the Silver Vein Del Estanno, which though it was very rich, was difficult to be digg’d, because of its hardness. The first Vein which Gualpa search’d after stood upright from the bottom of the Mine, and contain’d above three hundred Foot in length, and thirteen in breadth, and continuing good for two hundred Foot in depth, after which the Silver begins to lessen.
The Peruvians relate, That the Ingas first began to dig in Potosi, but gave it over because the Workmen heard a terrible Voice, saying, Leave off doing what you are about; the Treasures which lie hid here, are reserv’d for a People out of foreign Countreys.
These Mines produce yearly for the King’s fifth part, forty thousand Pieces of Silver, each valu’d at thirteen Ryals, each Ryal being four Shillings, besides what he is defrauded of, which is perhaps half as much more.