Sir I was told no math would be involvded.. well think again!

[BuffaloBob]

WATER signs (fish) were most important. Caravans could have hundreds of men and livestock. Animals needed to rest after difficult trips. and campsites must be near or at water. Not all treasure trails have convenient watering holes. Accurate signs must be used. And be nonsense to the common traveler o0r treasure hunter even equipped with a Spanish map.

Once again Chas. Kenworthy comes to the rescue. Sort of...

You are on the treasure trail. You must camp and/or find water soon. Looking for a FISH shaped rock. The fish eye is usually shown as crescent or angled "slit" line. Also on the monument something shows how far. The marker shown on page 58, water, spring and well minuments tells..

A Large Carved number ONE with TWO horizontal lines carved through it
The Large number ONE says One League (2.12 miles approx)
The TWO LINES divide the it into THREE SECTIONS
Each SECTION means the 100 soldiers walking varas (about 32")
The TWO HORIZONTAL lines mean DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT TWICE
and SUBTRACT from the ONE (league)
Double the THREE SECTIONS = "6"
Double that number "6" x 2 = "12"
So: 12 x 100 = 1200
That number multiplied by soldiers stride 1200 x 32 inches = 38,400 inches distance to water
equals 3,200 feet or 6/10th of a mile
Finally SUBTRACT 6/10th of a mile from One League (2.12)
to get about 1.5 miles to the Spring or water.

Ok you find water. IF the Spanish were able to develop a minor WELL or source of WATER near a mine.
The water source would be COVERED or CLOSED TOTALLY every time they departed the area.
If they didn't the water would draw wild animals as well as PROSPECTOR'S MULES which could SMELL WATER.
During the peak of Spanish civilization they were SMART. If they needed expert advice or mechanical knowledge, they BOUGHT IT.
BB good hunting..

 

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[BuffaloBob]

The Spanish regarded " Forty" or "40" as a non-number. When describing a journey or length of time or distance "Forty" it is not a number.
From the Biblical "40" days fasting, without food or water means long enough. "40" days and "40" nights could be a long time. Or one thousand days. Just means it lasted "long enough".

Like a guy with a truck. How big is your truck? Big Enough. How powerful? Powerful enough. "40" means the same thing. How long? Long enough.

A treasure map or letter states "we hid forty pack loads of ~ in the old mine". This could mean (2) pack loads or 200. Or if the map says to go 'from this point "40" varas east and a cliff is 12 varasa away, the "40" means go as far as adequate or skip to the next direction.