POTOSI, a town in South America, in the republic of Bolivia and in the department of Potosi, is built on the south-western declivity of the Cerro de Potosi, in 19° 36' S. lat., 65° 20' W. long., at au elevation of 13,265 feet above the level of the sea. The population, which a hundred years it is said amounted to 100,000, does not now exceed 30,000, about half of whom are Peruvian Indians. It is built on an uneven site, and the streets are consequently irregular, but they are tolerably wide and clean. The houses are generally low, not more than ouo story high, timber being scarce and dear ; most of them however are substautiaL On one side of the principal square stands the government-house, a long low range of buildings, including tho courts of justice, the jail, and the guard-house. Opposite to it is the cathedral, an immense granite edifice. The mint also is very large, but far from being a fine building. The great square contains a monument erects, 1 in honour of Bolivar. There are eeveral other churches besides the cathedral. A college is established in the Bethle mite convent. The town is supplied with water from reservoirs formed at some eight or ten miles distance by making dams across the heads of several ravines in the Cerro de Potosi; from these the waters are conducted to the houses and fountains of town in conduits, and to the mining establishments in streams to turn the machinery used in washing and purifying the silver-ore from the celebrated mines of Potosi. [Bouvia.] The town is well supplied with meat, fruits, and
vegetables, though the surrounding country is barren and exhibits few signs of vegetation. The climate of Potosi presents the changes of the four seasons of the year every day. It is a healthy place, but the extreme rarity of the air, in consequence of the great elevation above the sea-level (13,000 feet) produces a difficulty of respiration, to which even the natives and animals are at times subject.
The Cerro of Potosi rises to the elevation of 15,931 feet above the sea. It is of a reddish-brown colour, and has the shape of a perfect cone, but is not volcanic, as has been supposed. It does not produce a blade of grass ; the whole mountain seems to consist of silver-ore of different degrees of richness. It was discovered that this mountain contained silver-ore by an Indian, is I545, who being in pursuit of a llama upon the steep declivity, in order to save himself from falling caught hold of a shrub, which being torn from the eoil exposed a mass of solid silver at the roots. From that time to the present day the mines have been worked. The produce of these mines from 1556 to 1800 amounted to the enormous sum of 823,950,503 Spanish dollars, or 185,388,8641.
(Humboldt, Estai sur la Nouvelle &patine ; Temple, Travels in various Parts of Peru.)