a province of Bolivia in South America, to the west of the city of Potosi. The region is elevated, and the climate is consequently cold, so that although in the valleys the soil is productive, there is a scarcity of grains and fruit. It is properly a pastoral country, and here are reared vast numbers of sheep, and also vicuñas and guanacos, native sheep. The mountain of Porco in this province is celebrated for its silver mines. It was the first worked by the Spaniards after the conquest; and before that epoch it had been the source whence the Incas of Peru obtained their chief supplies of the precious metal. The original mine is still wrought, but, like most others in this quarter, without much vigour. Porco, the capital of the province, is a small town with but few inhabitants. The population of the province is estimated at above one hundred thousand.