Potosi's Ribera de la Vera Cruz.

The area known as the Ribera de la Vera Cruz, where the silver ores of Bolivia's Cerro Potosi were processed in the period between the start of mining in 1544 and the founding of the Republic in 1825, can be taken as having extended from the lake of San Sebastien as far as Cantumarca. Estimates of total installed capacity are 2 112 t/a in 1576, 85 536 t/a in 1582 (49 watermills, 81 stamps and 548 hammers), 115 104 t/a in 1633, 60 192 t/a in 1692, 71 808 t/a in 1781 and 82 368 t/a in 1790. Silver production in Potosi rose from under 40 t/a in the early 1570s to over 200 t/a in the early 1590s, then declined steadily to under 40 t/a around 1725, rose above 80 t/a in the 1780s and declined again thereafter. The amalgamation process was introduced to Potosi at the end of 1572 by D. Francisco de Toledo, who proposed the construction of water-powered plants fed by a system of lakes and canals. The period 1572-1577 was one of feverish activity, as plants powered by human, animal or water power were built. The following are described in detail and their weekly production data tabulated for Jan./Feb. or Feb./Mar. 1790: San Marcos, San Diego, La Concepcion, Los Urives, Los Gambartes, Cuti and Dolores.
The area known as the Ribera de la Vera Cruz, where the silver ores of Bolivia's Cerro Potosi were processed in the period between the start of mining in 1544 and the founding of the Republic in 1825, can be taken as having extended from the lake of San Sebastien as far as Cantumarca. Estimates of total installed capacity are 2 112 t/a in 1576, 85 536 t/a in 1582 (49 watermills, 81 stamps and 548 hammers), 115 104 t/a in 1633, 60 192 t/a in 1692, 71 808 t/a in 1781 and 82 368 t/a in 1790. Silver production in Potosi rose from under 40 t/a in the early 1570s to over 200 t/a in the early 1590s, then declined steadily to under 40 t/a around 1725, rose above 80 t/a in the 1780s and declined again thereafter. The amalgamation process was introduced to Potosi at the end of 1572 by D. Francisco de Toledo, who proposed the construction of water-powered plants fed by a system of lakes and canals. The period 1572-1577 was one of feverish activity, as plants powered by human, animal or water power were built. The following are described in detail and their weekly production data tabulated for Jan./Feb. or Feb./Mar. 1790: San Marcos, San Diego, La Concepcion, Los Urives, Los Gambartes, Cuti and Dolores.