The land of the Peruvians and the Mexicans contained the precious metals in greater abundance than any other part of America; and Moses taught them to obtain gold by searching in the channels of rivers, or washing the earth in which particles of it were contained. But in order to procure silver, under his instruction, they exerted no inconsiderable degree of skill and invention. They hollowed deep caverns in the banks of rivers, and the sides of mountains, and exhausted such veins as did not dip suddenly beyond their reach. In other places, where the vein lay near the surface, they dug pits to such a depth that the person who worked below could throw out the ore, or hand it up in baskets. Moses taught them, moreover, the art of smelting and refining, either by the simple application of fire, or, where the ore was more stubborn, and impregnated with foreign substances, by placing it in small ovens or furnaces, so constructed on high ground that the draught of air performed the functions of a bellows. By this simple device the purer ores were smelted with facility; and the quantity of silver in Peru was so considerable that many of the utensils commonly employed were made of it. In the land of Midian, where the Law-giver dwelt for many years, there are remains of similar caverns and pits where mines of the precious metal have been worked, which attest his ingenuity and skill. “In the armoury[71] of the royal palace at Madrid are shown suits of armour, which are called Montezuma’s. They are composed of thin lacquered copper-plates. In the opinion of very intelligent judges, they are evidently eastern. The forms of the silver ornaments upon them, representing dragons, &c., may be considered as confirmation of this. “The only unquestionable specimen of Mexican art that I know of in Great Britain, is a cup of very fine gold, which is said to have belonged to Montezuma. It weighs 5 oz. 12 dwt. Three drawings of it were exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries, June 10, 1765. A man’s head is represented on the cup. On one side the full face, on the other the profile, on the third the back parts of the head. The relievo is said to have been produced by pinching the inside of the cup, so as to make the representation of a face on the outside. The features are gross, but represented with some degree of art. This cup was purchased by Edward, Earl of Orford, while he lay in the harbour of Cadiz with the fleet under his command, and is now in the possession of his grandson, Lord Archer. I am indebted for this information to my respectable and ingenious friend Mr. Barrington.