Having investigated and examined the above-mentioned, I judged it best to open a trial place or mouth high up, and in the middle of all the mine works that the said Ygolotes were carrying on, in order to get all the body of the metal from the top which is more than one braza wide, and from the crust of the earth.  On the fifth of March following, we began to open it, and, following the opening for ten estados, we encountered the said mines that the Ygolotes were working, by which our field of work was enlarged much more on the level, at the sides, and vertically; and we continued to get metal for assaying.

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, Alferez Martin de Bergara, Rodrigo Lopez Orduna, 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.