The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 20 of 55: 1621-1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 20 of 55: 1621-1624; Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
The second hill or mine is that called Arisey and Bugayona, which is
but little more than three leguas from the new one above. It issues
from the same ridge or elevation, where the old fort Del Rosario
[_i.e._, "of the rosary"] was established, which was destroyed
by fire in November of the past year one thousand six hundred and
twenty-three. It is on the slope facing west, and the sun floods it
from nine until four. It has a descent of one-half legua that is very
troublesome as it is very steep, with two divisions and ravines at the
side, and precipices along both slopes and also in front; for it is
very steep, with a hollow in the middle, in which a spring of water is
enclosed, that rises near the place where the said fort stood. [There
is] a slope which is at the foot of the work where the natives washed
[gold], and gathered certain small stones known to them, which they
crushed for their profit; for in no other way is there any known or
constant source from which to obtain the metal--but only loose dirt
with certain ores, and those of the said red metal, which traverse the
soil--without digging down to the bottom. Nor can this dirt be worked
without danger of caving in, as was the case in all the veins and works
that were on that elevation. Nothing more of these remained than only
the indications of having been opened and worked from the vertical
within the elevation; for they do not follow the level and center
as that has been found to be of no benefit. From that one is led to
believe that the mines were abandoned long ago. Yet from the mouths
of those sunken mines, inasmuch as no other place was found whence
one might get ore, about fifteen small baskets of ore were obtained
by the said miners, Alférez Martin de Bergara, Rodrigo Lopez Orduña,
Juan de Mugaburu, and Diego de Tovar, from that which appeared best
for assaying and examining its nature or the benefit that could be
derived from it.
The third elevation and mine is that called Baranaban, which is about
one legua from the said fort and mine of Arisey, on a barren hill
that faces south, which is flooded by the sun all day long. Through
it runs a vein about one vara wide, extending east and west for
some distance. There are some works and openings there, narrow,
and distinct one from the other. Thence were taken fifteen baskets
of gravel and dirt, which has the color of coal, in order to assay
it. One can get a quantity of it from the said vein, although with
little security from the earth caving in unless the works be propped
up; for all of them are of shifting dirt, which is easily undermined,
for which reason the said works have caved in, and bear the aspect
rather of neglect than of having been worked.
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