or Lavadero, a name given to certain places in Chili and Peru, where gold is got out of earth by washing.

M. Frezier gives us the following description of the lavatories of Chili:—They dig deep into the earth, in such places as they have reason to expect gold in; and, in order to facilitate this digging, turn a stream of water upon the spot, loosening the earth as much as possible all the time, that the current may have the greater effect, and tear up the earth more strongly. When they are got to the earth they want, they turn off the stream, and dig dry.

The earth that they now get, is carried on mules, and discharged into a bason, made somewhat in the manner of a smith's bellows; into which a little rivulet of water runs with a great deal of rapidity, dissolving the parts of the earth, and carrying everything away with it, excepting the particles of gold, which, by their great weight, precipitate to the bottom of the bason, and mix with fine black sand, where they are almost as much hidden as they were before in the earth.

Sometimes they find very considerable pieces in lavatories, particularly pieces of twenty-four ounces each. There are several lavatories, where they find pepitas, or pieces of virgin gold, of a prodigious size. Among others, they tell of one that weighed 512 ounces, bought by the count de la Moncloa, viceroy of Peru.

Nine or ten leagues to the east of Coquimbo, are the lavatories of Andacollo, the gold whereof is 23 carats fine.—Their works here always turn to great profit, excepting when the water fails them.—The natives maintain that the earth is creative, that is, Laubach, it produces gold, continually; because, after having been washed 60 or 80 years, they find it impregnated afresh, and draw almost as much out of it as at first.