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THE

NATURAL HISTORY

CHILI.

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THE

GEOGRAPHICAL,
NATURAL AND CIVIL HISTORY

CHILI.

BY ABBE DON J. IGNATIUS MOLINA.

ILLUSTRATED BY A HALF-SHEET MAP OF THE COUNTRY,

WITH NOTES

FROM THE SPANISH AND FRENCH VERSIONS',
AND

AN APPENDIX,

CONTAINING COPIOUS EXTRACTS FROM THE ARAUCANA
OF DON ALONZO DE ERCILLA.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN,

BY AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN.

IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.

MIDDLE TO WJV, ( CO JYJV. J
PRINTED FOR I. RILEY.

1808.

District of Keiu-Tork, as.

Be it remembered, That on the eleventh day of August, in the
thirty-tlurd year of the Independence of the United States of America.
Isaac Riley, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office the
title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words
and figure following, to wit :

" The Geographical, Natural and Civil History of Chili. By Abbe
" Don J. Ignatius Molina. Illustrated by a half-sheet Map of the Coun-
" try. With Notes from the Spanish and French versions, and an Ap-
" pendix, containing copious extracts from the Araucanaof Don Alonzo
" de Ercilla. Translated from the original Italian, by an American
" Gentleman. In two Volumes."

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States* en-
titled " An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the
" copies of Maps, Charts and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of
" such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to an Act
entitled " An Act supplementary to an Act entitled an Act for the en-
" couragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts
" and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies, during the
" times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the
H arts of designing, engraving and etching Historical and other Prints.

EDWARD DUNSCOMB,
Clerk of the District of New-Yorko

JR. Alsop, Printer,
Middletonvji, Conn.

BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON, M. D.

PROFESSOR OF MATERIA MEDICA, NATURAL HIS=
TORY AND BOTANY

IN THE

UNIVERSITT OF PENNSYLVANIA,

WHOSE LABOURS HAVE SO EMINENTLY CONTRIBUTE©
TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF NATURAL HISTORY,

THIS VOLUME

THE HISTORY OF CHILI

IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY

THE TRANSLATOR.

Vol.!

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Situation, Climate and Natural Phenomena,

SECTION 1.— Limits,

2. — Name,

3. — Natural Divisions,

4. — Political Divisions,

5.— Of Rain, &c.

6.— Winds,

7. — Meteors,

8. — Volcanoes,

9.- — Earthquakes,

10. — Salubrity of Climate,

CHAPTER II.

Waters, Earths, Stones, Salts, Bitumens and Metals,
SECTION 1.— Rivers,

2. — Lakes, -

3. — Mineral Waters,
4. — Soil, -

5. — Physical Organization,
6. — Earths, """-■'"

7. — Stones, - ' -

8.— Salts,
9. — Bitumens,

10.— Pyrites, ...

11.— Semi-Metals
12.— Metals,

30
30
32
33
36
40
44
49
56
58
59
60
61

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

IMPORTANT and interesting as has ever been
the History of the Spanish settlements in America,
particularly to the inhabitants of the same continent,
that importance and interest is at the present period
greatly increased, by the occurrence of events of
such magnitude, as will most probably be attended
with the total severance of those colonies from
Europe, and the establishment of a new empire in
the west. Of these settlements, Chili is in many re-
spects one of the most important. Blest with a soil
fertile beyond description, a climate mild and salu-
brious in the highest degree, productive of every
convenience and most of the luxuries of life, and
rich in the precious metals, Nature appears to have
been delighted in lavishing its bounties upon this
favoured portion of the globe. In its minerals, its
plants and its animals, the naturalist will find an in-
teresting and copious field of research ; and the cha-
racter of its natives furnisnes a subject no less curi-
ous and interesting to the moralist. The proud and
invincible Araucanian exhibits some characteristic
traits altogether new in the aborigines of this conti-
nent, and scarcely to be parallelled in any nation of
the old. The long and successful resistance of this
brave people to the arms of Spain, even in the meri-
dian of its military glory, is a wonderful instance of

;!i

! j

what a natipn can perform when animated by a spirit
of liberty, and determined upon freedom or death.
The Araucanians, it is true, to their high sense of
independence and unyielding courage, had the good
fortune of uniting a system of tactics so excellent as
even to excite the admiration of their enemies, and
to this in a great measure may be ascribed their suc-
cessfully opposing, with far inferior arms, a powerful
and disciplined foe.

Whether the peculiar character of the Araucani-
ans proceeds from the influence of climate combi-
ning with moral causes, or is wholly derived from
their institutions and free form of government ;
whether, with the Chilians in general, they are
of foreign origin and a distinct race from the other
natives of America, the remains, as the author sup-
poses, of a great and powerful people, who had
attained a high degree of civilization, and possessed
a polished and copious language ; or whether their
agricultural knowledge, military skill, and the cul-
tivation of their idiom, are owing merely to fortui-
tous circumstances, are points of curious inquiry,
and such as will afFord an ample field for conjecture.

The author of the present work, Don Juan Igna-
tius Molina, was a native of Chili, distinguished for
his literary acquirements, and particularly his know-
ledge of natural history, large collections in which
he had made during his residence in that country.
On the dissolution of the celebrated order of the
Jesuits, of which he was a member, he shared the
general fate of that community, in being expelled
from the territories of Spain, and was at the same

time deprived not only of his collections in natural
history, but also of his manuscripts. The most im-
portant of the latter relative to Chili he had, how-
ever, the good fortune to regain by accident some
time after his residence in Bologna, in Italy, whither
he had gone on his arrival in Europe.

Furnished with these materials, he applied himself
to writing the History of that country, which was
published at two different periods ; the first part,
comprising the Natural History, in the year 1787,
and the second, , containing the Civil, for reasons
mentioned in his preface, not until some years after.
This work, which was written in Italian, has obtained
a very high reputation on the continent of Europe,
where it has been translated into the French, Ger-
man and Spanish languages. The celebrated Abbe
Clavigero, in his history of Mexico, in referring in a
note to that of Chili, mentions it in the most respect-
able terms, and calls the author his learned friend.

In rendering this work into English, reference
has been had both to the French and Spanish ver-
sions, which contain some valuable additional notes.
Through the politeness of a gentleman of his ac-
quaintance, the translator has also been furnished
with an anonymous compendium of the history of
Chili, printed in Bologna in 1776, from which the
supplementary notes to this volume are taken.

PREFACE

TO THE

NATURAL HISTORY OF CHILL

I HE attention of Europe is at this time more
than ever directed to America. We are desirous of
obtaining information of its climate, its natural pro-
ductions, and its inhabitants ; in short, every thing
that is worthy of notice in that part of the world is
now a subject of interest to the most enlightened
nations.

Chili is acknowledged, by all who have written
upon America, to be one of those provinces that
merits the most attention. This country is distin-
guished, not so much by its extent, as by the mild-
ness of its climate ; and it may be said to enjoy all
the advantages of the most favoured countries with-
out their inconveniences.

In my opinion, it may, with propriety, be compared

to Italy ; as this is called the garden of Europe, that

with more justice may be styled the garden of South

America. The climate of the two countries is nearly

the same, and they are situated under nearly similar

parallels of latitude. They likewise resemble each

other in the circumstance of their being of much
Vol. i B

PREFACE.

greater extent in length than in breadth, and that
they are both divided by a chain of mountains. The
Cordilleras or the Andes are to Chili, what the
Apennines are to Italy, the source of almost all
the rivers that water the country, and diffuse over
it fertility and abundance. This chain of mountains
has as sensible an influence on the salubrity of the
air of Chili, as the Apennines have upon that of Italy ;
and so firmly are the inhabitants convinced of this
fact, that whenever they attempt to account for any
change in the state of the atmosphere, they attribute
it to the effect of these mountains, which they con-
sider as powerful and infallible agents.

A country so remarkable, both for its natural
productions, and its political state, certainly merits
to be well known • yet, the accounts that we have
of it are merely superficial, and little is to be found
respecting its natural productions in writers upon
natural history. Of the language and the customs of
the inhabitants we are equally ignorant, and scarcely
any thing is known of the exertions which the Chi-
lians have made, even in our days, to defend their
liberties.

A few well informed travellers who have been in
the country, have published some valuable accounts,
but too concise to furnish a competent idea of it.
Father Louis Feuille, a French Minim friar, has
given a scientific description of the plants that he
found upon the coast, to which he has added an
account of several animals that he noticed there.
This is a work of great merit; the descriptions are
precise, and perfectly correct; but as it was pub-

PREFACE.

VII

Fished by the order and at the expense of the king,
the copies of it have become very scarce, and are in
the possession of but few.

A number of Spanish authors have treated of this
country. The last century produced several, not to
mention those of the present ; but few of their wri-
tings, however, have been published, for reasons
which I shall hereafter assign. Of these, the first
in point of merit are those of Don Pedro de Figue-
roa and the Abbes Michael de Olivarez and Philip
Vidaurre. The two former treat of the political
history of the country, from the arrival of the Span-
iards to the present time. That of the Abbe Oli-
varez merits particular attention, from the great
number of interesting facts relative to the long wars
between the Spaniards and Araucanians, which he
has collected with no less judgment than industry.
The work of the Abbe Vidaurre is principally em-
ployed upon the natural productions and customs of
Chili, and displays much intelligence and acute-
ness of research.

Besides the histories, or more properly speaking,
the accounts that have been written of this coun-
try, there are four poems that have for their sub-
ject the Araucanian wars; also an anonymous
abridgement in Italian of the geographical and na-
tural history of Chili, published in 1776, which, in
some respects, particularly with regard to geogra-
phy and natural history, furnishes a more complete
account of Chili than we have had. But as that
compendium is much too concise, I presume I shall
render an important service to those who feel an in-

PREFACE.

terest in what respects America by presenting them
with this essay, in which I have dwelt more fully
and precisely upon the natural productions of Chili,
as well as upon the most conspicuous events that
have occurred in that country.

At an early period of life I began to turn my at-
tention both to the natural and political history of
Chili, with the view of publishing, at some future
time, the result of my inquiries. Some unto-
ward circumstances, however, interrupted my pro-
gress, and I had even relinquished the hope of hav-
ing it in my power to carry my plan into effect,
when a fortunate accident put me into possession of
the requisite materials, and enabled me to offer the
present work to the public; to which, in a short time,
I propose adding another essay or compendium of
the civil and political history of the same country.

The method that I have adopted in arranging
this work has been to divide it into four chapters :
The first, after a succinct geographical account of
Chili, which may serve as an introduction, treats of
the seasons, winds, meteors, volcanoes, earthquakes
and state of the climate. The other three I have de-
voted to a description of natural objects, proceeding
from the simplest to the most complex, that is, from
the mineral to the vegetable and animal kingdoms;
and in the last have added some conjectures of my-
own respecting the inhabitants of Chili and the Pa.
tagonians, or pretended giants, whom I consider as
the mountaineers of that country.

I have referred, as far as was in my power, the vari-
ous objects noticed to the genera of Linnsus, but m

PREFACE.

some instances where I have not been able to reduce
them to those that are known, I have invented new,
in conformity to his system. That author's mode of
classification I have not, however, pursued, as it ap-
peared to me incompatible with the plan of my work.
Though I have followed the system of that cele-
brated Swedish naturalist, it is not from a convic-
tion of its superiority to that of any other, but be-
cause it has been of late so generally adopted; for
great as is the respect which I feel for that learned
writer, I cannot always approve of his nomen-
clature, and should have preferred pursuing the
system of Wallerius and Bomare in mineralogy,
that of Tournefort in botany, and of Brisson in zoo-
logy, as I think them to be more simple and better
known to the world in general.

In describing objects of natural history I have
avoided the use of technical terms, as being difficult
to be understood by those not conversant with that
study ; but for the gratification of such as are fami-
liar with that science, I have given, at the bottom of
the page, the Linngean characters in Latin, both of
the known species, and of those that are new, which
I have discovered.* My descriptions will, for the
most part, be found to be short, and such as merely
furnish the essential character of the species. The
common characteristics of the genus I have passed
over intentionally, and it will be found that the same

* It has been thought advisable in this -version to make some va-
riation in this respect, and, conformably thereto, the technical de-
scriptio?is will be found at the end of the volume, arranged un-
der their respective heads Araer. Trans.

PREFACE.

brevity prevails throughout the work, which is writ-
ten in a plain and unaffected manner, without be-
wildering myself with vague conjectures and hazar-
dous hypotheses, which would have been deviating
altogether from the limits that I had prescribed to
myself.

I have frequently quoted those authors who have
written upon Chili, and have judged this precaution
the more necessary, as, in treating of a country so re-
mote and so little known, I could not expect to be
believed on my own unsupported assertion ; but the
passages that I have selected will evince that I have
not exaggerated in my accounts of the salubrity of
the climate, and the excellence of the soil, and that
I might have been justified in saying still more.

With respect to this work, it is no more than a
compendium, or an abridged history of many of
the natural productions of Chili. The reflecting rea-
der will not look in it for a complete natural history
of that country ; such a work would have required
much greater means than I possess, and such as-
sistance as I have not been able to procure.

Those acquainted with M. de Pauw's philosophi-
cal inquiries respecting the Americans, will per-
haps be surprised to find in my work some re-
marks which do not correspond with what that
author has said respecting America in general.
But whatever I have asserted respecting Chili is
founded upon personal experience and attentive
observation during a residence of many years in that
country, and, in support of what I have advanced, I
have cited the authority of several respectable au-

PREFACE.

thors, who were eye-witnesses, and not hearsay re-
laters of what they have written. M. de Pauw, on
the contrary, not only never saw the country that
he has undertaken to characterize, but even appears
not to have been solicitous to consult those authors
who have written upon it, for although he frequently
mentions Frazier and Ulloa, he cites their opinions
only as far as they tend to confirm his theory. Both
those authors speak of Chili as very fertile, but M.
de Pauw has not thought proper to insert those pas-
sages, but only observes, in general terms, that wheat
cannot be raised except in some of the North Ameri-
can provinces.

Led away by inferences drawn from an ideal sys-
tem of his own invention, he has carried his visionary
notions so far that his work partakes more of the na-
ture of a romance than a philosophical disquisition.
It is sufficient for his purpose to find, in the vast ex-
tent of America, some small district or unimportant
island labouring under the disadvantages of an unfa-
vourable climate or unproductive soil, to attribute
these circumstances as general to all the provinces of
that country. A wretched tribe of the most obscure
savages serves as his model of character for all the
Americans. Such is the logic of M. de Pauw— it
would be an endless task were I to endeavour to con-
fute the numerous erroneous opinions that he has
advanced respecting America; upon that subject
he has deduced his conclusions from the most un-
founded premises, and employed a mode of reason-
ing that might, with equal propriety, be applied to
the prejudice of any other portion of the globe ; a

111

PREFACE.

proceeding that can neither be justified by reason
or philosophy. In short, De Pauw has made use of
as much freedom with regard to America as if he had
been wntlng the moon ^ ^ ^^

Bu to appreciate properly the observations of this
author I shall refer the reader to the opinions of
many learned men who have visited that country
and have fully refuted his assertions. Among those
who mentparticularattention on this subject isCount
Juan Reynaldes Carli, so well known by his vari-
ous literary productions, particularly his American
Letters,* in which, with much critical and philoso-
phical investigation, he. has comprised whatever
may serve to convey a clear and correct idea of
America.

N. B. The reader is informed that the mile made
use of m this work is the geographical mile of sixtv
to a degree, the foot the French foot, and the pound
that of Italy of twelve ounces. I would also observe
that the map, that accompanies it, is a copy of the
one published in 1776; which is very correct.

* Those literati ,vho are desires of becoming perfectly ar
4» ed with America, wffl do weU to consul, tw/w^hS
consists of three Volumes... &S. Tram

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THE

NATURAL HISTORY

CHILL

CHAPTER I.

Situation, Climate, and Natural Phenomena-.

CHILI, a country of South America, is situ-
ated upon the South Sea or Pacific Ocean, between
the 24th and 45th degrees of south latitude, and the
304th and 308th degrees of longitude from the meri-
dian of Ferro.

Its length is estimated at 1260 geographical miles,
but it varies in breadth as the great range of moun-
tains, called the Cordilleras or the Andes, approach
•or recede from the sea ; or, to speak with more pre-
cision, as the sea approaches or retires from those
mountains. Between the 24th and 32d degrees of
latitude, the distance of the sea from the mountains
is about 210 miles ; from the 32d to the 37th it is
but 120 ; and in the broadest part of Chili, near the
Archipelago of Chiloe, it is little less than 300
miles. In calculating from these various extents3
Vol, I, , C

the surface 'of Chili may be estimated at 378,000
square miles.

Sect. I. Limits. — Chili is bounded upon the
west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by Peru, on
the east by Tucuman, Cujo and Patagonia, and on
the south by the land of Magellan. It is separated
from all these countries by the Cordilleras, which
form an insurmountable barrier on the land side?
while the sea renders it secure upon that quarter.
The few roads which lead to Chili from the neigh-
bouring provinces are impassible, except in summer,
and are so narrow and dangerous that a man on
horseback can with difficulty pass them.*

The extent which modern geographers assign to
Chili is much greater than that which the inhabi-
tants allow it ; the former usually comprehend with-

* There are about eight or nine roads which cross the Cordille-
ras of Chili, of which that leading from the province of Acon-
cagua to Cujo is the most travelled. This road, which cannot be
passed in less than eight days, is bordered on one side by the deep
beds which the Chile and the Mendoza, two considerable 'rivers,
have woni there ; on the other side, by very lofty and perpendi-
cular mountains. It is so narrow and incommodious, that, in many
places^ travellers are obliged to quit their mules,, the only animal
that can be employed, and to proceed on foot ; nor does there a
year pass when some loaded mules are not precipitated from these
roads into the rivers. These precipices, however, do not follow the
whole course of the road ; for occasionally it passes over very
agreeable and pleasant plains, where travellers halt to refresh
themselves. In these places the Incas, when they conquered
Cusco and the northern provinces of Chili, caused some stone
houses to be constructed for the accommodation of their officers -r
one of which has been ruined, but the others still remain entire*
The Spaniards have built some move, for the greater conve-
nience of travellers.

in it, Cujo, Patagonia, and the land of Magellan. But
these countries are not only separated from it by
natural limits, but their climate and productions
differ ; their inhabitants have countenances totally
unlike the Chilians, and their language and customs
have no resemblance.*

Sect. II. Name. — The writers upon America
have given various derivations of the name of Chili,
which are either wholly false, or founded on absurd
conjectures. It is certain, however, that it was
known by its present name long before the arrival of
the Spaniards. The inhabitants derive the name
from certain birds of the thrush kind, that are
very common in the country, and whose note has
some resemblance to the word Chili. And it is not
improbable, that the first tribes, who settled there,
considered this note as a good omen, and named
the country accordingly.!

* Although the principal mountain of the Cordilleras is the na-
tural termination of Chili to the east, I comprehend within its
confines not only the western vallies of that mountain, as neces-
sarily attached to it, but also the eastern ; as, though not compris-
ed within its natural limits, having been occupiedby Chilian co-
lonies from time immemorial.

t The colonists who went from the southern part of Chili t©
settle the Archipelago of Chiloe^ an emigration that took place
some ages prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, called those islands
Chil-hue, which signifies a district or province of Chili, influenced,
undoubtedly, by the desire of preserving the memory of their
original country ; and all the Chilians, those who have continued
free as well as the subjugated, call their country Chili-mapu, that
is, the land of Chili, and its language Chili-dugu, the language of
ChiJLi.

Sect. III. Natural Divisions. — Chili naturally di-
vides itself into three parts, the first comprehending
the islands ; the second, Chili properly called ; and
the third, the Andes, or the country occupied by that
range of mountains. The islands that belong to
Chili are : the three Coquimbanes, Mugillon, Toto-
ral, and Pajaro. These islands are desert ; and are
said to be six or eight miles in circumference.

The two islands of Juan Fernandez ; one of which,
known by the name of Isolade Terra (the shore- island)
from its being the nearest to the continent, is about
42 miles in circumference. Lord Anson, who re-
mained there some time, describes it as a terrestrial
paradise ; it is at present inhabited by the Spaniards.
The other, which bears the name of Masafuera,
{the more distant) is smaller, and although its ap-
pearance is as beautiful and inviting as that of the
Isola di Terra, it has remained till the present time
uncultivated and uninhabited.

The island of Carrama. This is rather a rock
than an island capable of cultivation. Quirinquina,
at the entrance of the harbour of Conception, and
Talca or Santa Maria, are two islands of about four
miles in length; and are the property of two wealthy
inhabitants of Conception.

Mocha. This island, which is more than 60
miles in circumference, is handsome and fertile. It
was in the last century inhabited by the Spaniards,
but is at present deserted.

The Archipelago of Chiloe, with that of the Chones,
which is dependant upon it, comprehends eighty two

islands that are inhabited by some Spaniards and
Indians. The largest of these islands, which has
given its name to the Archipelago, is Chiloe ; it is
about 150 miles in length; the capital of it is Castro.

AH these islands are near the coast, except those
of Juan Fernandez, the first of which is 330, and
the second 420 miles distant.*

Chili properly called, or that part which is situated
between the Andes and the sea, is at least 120 miles
in breadth : It is commonly divided into two equal
parts, that is, the maritime country, and the midland

* In the same sea, but veiy remote, are situated the little
islands of St. Ambrosio, St. Felix, and that of Pasqua, much ce-
lebrated for the great number of statues which the natives have
erected in various parts of it, either as ornaments, or, what is
more probable, as tutelary divinities. The two first, which are
desert, are distant 200 leagues from the coast of Chili, and are
situated in 26 deg. 27 min. south latitude ; but that of Pasqua,
which is probably the same with Davis's land, and is in 27 deg„
and 5 min. south latitude, and about the 268th deg. of longitude,
is 600 leagues distant from that coast. This island is but a little
more than five leagues in extent, and its inhabitants, who do not
exceed 800, are whiter than most of the Indians, and permit their
beards to grow. The statues that are met with throughout the
island are very numerous, and of various sizes ; some of them
being 27 feet in height, and others not exceeding that of a man.
To the sight and touch they appear like stone ; but as they are all
of a single piece, and there are no quarries on the island capable
of furnishing stones of that size, it is probable that they are form-
ed of some kind of plaister or cement that, when dry, assumes
the consistency and colour of stone. The Dutch admiral, Rogge-
>vein, who was the first that visited this island, in the year 1722,
says, that these statues were wrought with much skill. Don
Philip Gonsalez, commander of the ship of war Rosalia, who was
there in the year 1770, and Captain Cook, in March, 1774, both
agree with Roggewein as respects the number and size of these
statues.

country ; the maritime country is intersected by
three chains of mountains, running parallel to the
Andes, between which are numerous vallies watered
by delightful rivers. The midland country is almost
flat ; a few isolated hills only are to be seen, that
diversify and render the appearance of it more
pleasing.

The Andes, which are considered as the loftiest
mountains in the world, cross the whole continent of
America, in a direction from south to north, for I
consider the mountains in North America, as only
a continuation of the Cordilleras. The part that
appertains to Chili may be 120 miles in breadth ; it
consists of a great number of mountains, all of them
of a prodigious height, which appear to be chained
to each other ; and where nature displays all the
beauties and all the horrors of the most picturesque
situations. Although it abounds with frightful pre-
cipices, many agreeable vallies and fertile pastures
are to be found there ; and the rivers that derive
their sources from the mountains,* often exhibit the

* The highest mountains of the Cordilleras of Chili are the
Manfios, in 28 deg. 45 min. the Tupungato, in 33. 24. the Desca-
bezado in 35 deg. the Blanquillo in 35.4. the Longavi in 35. 30. the
Chilian in 36. and the Corcobado in 43. I had no opportunity,
while in the country, to measure the height of those mountains,
which naturalists assert are more than 20,000 feet above the level
of the sea. Buffon asserts, that the highest mountains of the earth
are to be found under the equator ; but having seen and particu-.
larly noticed both those of Peru and of Chili, I doubt much the
correctness of this axiom, and am more inclined to adopt the
opinion of M. Bertrand, who, in his Memoirs upon the Struc-
ture of the Earth, says, " it is not true that the highest moun-

most pleasing as well as the most terrifying features.
That portion of the Cordilleras which is situated be-
tween the 24th and 33d degrees of latitude, is
wholly desert ; but the remainder, as far as the 45th
degree, is inhabited by some colonies of Chilians,
who are called Chiquillanes, Pehuenches, Puelches,
and Huilliches, but are more generally known by
the name of Patagonians.

Sect. IV. Political Divisions. — The political
divisions of Chili consist of the part occupied by
the Spaniards, and that which is inhabited by the
Indians. The Spanish part is situated between the
24th and 37th degrees of south latitude, and is
divided into thirteen provinces, to wit: Copiapo,
Coquimbo, Quillota, Aconcagua, Melipilla, and St.
Jago, (which contains the capital city of the country
of the same name) Rancagua, Calchagua, Maule,
Ytata Chilian, Puchacay and Huilquilemu.* The

tains are found under the equator, since the Andes increase in
height in proportion as they recede from it." The Cordillera is
lower at Copiapo, notwithstanding it is nearer the tropic, than in
the other parts of Chili.

* I have thought proper in this place to give a short account of
the situation and extent of all these provinces, with their capitals,
ports and principal rivers. I should also have given a statement
of their population, but was not able to obtain an estimate which
satisfied me.

Copiapo — extending from the Andes to the sea, is 100 leagues in
length, and 70 in breadth. Its capital— Copiapo, situate in 26 deg.
50 min. south latitude. Ports — Copiapo and Guasco. Rivers — the
Salado, Copiapo, Totoral, Quebrada, Guasco and Chollay.

Coquimbo— extending from the Andes to the sea ; in length 45
leagues ; in breadth TO. Its capital— Coquimbo, in 29 deg. 54

division of these provinces is very irregular, and
imperfectly designated : there are some of them
which extend from the sea to the Andes ; others
occupy but the half of that space, and are situated

min. Ports — Coquimbo and Tongoy. Rivei*s — Coquimbo, Ton-
goy, Limari and Chuapa.

Quillota — situated on the sea-coast, in length 25 leagues, in
breadth 21. Its capital— Quillota, in 32 deg. 56 min. Ports— Pa-
pudo, Herradura, Quintero and Valparaiso, in S3 deg. 2 min.
Rivers— Longotoma, Ligua, Chile and Limache.

Aconcagua — in the vicinity of the Andes ; 25 leagues in length,
and of equal width. Its capital— Aconcagua, in 32 deg. 48 min.
Rivers — -Longotoma, Ligua and Chile.

Melipilla — on the sea-coast; 11 leagues in length, in breadth 23.
Its capital— Melipilla, in 33 deg. 32 min. Port — St. Antonio.
Rivers — Maypo, Mapoche and Poangue.

Santiago — near the Andes ; 11 leagues in length, in breadth 20,
Its capital — Santiago, in 33 deg. 31 min. Rivers — Colina, Lampa,
Mapoche and Maypo.

Rancagua — from the Andes to the sea ; in length 13 leagues, in
breadth 40. Its capital — Rancagua, in 34 deg. Rivers — Maypo,
Codegua, Chocalan and Cachapoal.

Colchagua — from the Andes to the sea ; 15 leagues in length,
and 43 in breadth. Its capital — St. Fernando, in 34 deg. 18 min.
Ports — Topocalma and Navidad. Rivers— Rio-Clarillo, Tingiri-
rica, Chimbarongo, Nilahue andTeno.

Maule-^from the Andes to the sea ; 44 leagues long and 48
broad. Its capital — Talca, in 34 deg. 33 min. Port— Astillero.
Rivers — Mataquito, Rioclaro, Lircay, Maule, Putagan, Achihu-
enu, Liguay, Longavi, Loncomilla and Purapel.

Itata — on the sea-coast; 11 leagues in length and 23 in breadth.
Its capital — Coulemu, in 36 deg. 2 min. Rivers — Lonquen and
Itata.

Chilian — near the Andes ; in length 12 leagues, in breadth 25.
Its capital— Chilian, in 36 deg, Rivers— Catillo, Cato, Nuble
and Chillam.

Puchacay — on the sea-coast ; 12 leagues long and 25 broad. Its
capital— Gualqui, in 36 deg. 42 min. Hivers — Lirquen, Andali*^
and Bio-bio.

near the mountains or upon the coast. Their extent
is also very various, some of them being six or
seven times larger than others. These provinces
were formerly inhabited by the Copiapins, Coquim-
branes, Quillotanes, Mapochinins, Promaucques,
Cures, Cauques, and Penquons. At present there
exist but few remains of any of these nations.
The Indian country is situated between the river
Bio-bio and the Archipelago of Chiloe, or the 36th
and 41st degrees of latitude. It is inhabited by
three different nations : the Araucanians, the Crun-
ches and the Huilichies. The Araucanians do not,
as M. de Pauw pretends, inhabit the barren rocks of
Chili, but, on the contrary, the finest plains in the
whole country, situated between the rivers Bio-bio
and Valdivia. Araucania lies upon the sea coast,
and is calculated to be 186 miles in length ; it is
generally considered as the most pleasant and fertile
part of Chili ; its breadth, from the sea to the foot
of the Andes, was formerly estimated at 300 miles,
but the Puelches, a nation inhabiting the western
part of the mountains, having joined the Arauca-
nians in the last century, it cannot at present be less
than 420 miles in breadth, and the whole of their
territory is calculated to contain 78,120 square
miles.

Huilquilemu — near the Andes; 12 leagues long and 25
broad. Its capital— Huilquilemu, in 36 deg. 42 min. Rivers—
Itata, Claro and Lax a.

The Spaniards likewise possess the port and town of Valdivia
with its territory, situated upon the south shore of the river of the
same name, in 39 deg. 55 min. south latitude.

Vol, I. D

The Araucanians have divided their country into
four principalities, or uthanmapu, to which they
have given the following names : Lavquenmapu, or
the maritime country ; Lelvunmapu, or the flat
country ; Inapiremapu, or the country at the foot
of the Andes ; and Piremapu, or the country of the
Andes. Each principality is divided into five pro-
vinces, or ailla-rehue, and each province into nine
commanderies, or rehue. The maritime principality
contains five provinces ; Arauco, Tucapel, Ilicura,
Boroa and Nagtolten. The principality of the
plain, Encol, Puren, Repocura,,Maquehue, and Ma-
riquina. The principality at the foot of the Andes,
Marven, Colhue, Chacaico, Quecheregua, and Gu-
anahue. The principality of the Andes compre-
hends all the vallies situated between the limits
heretofore mentioned. The country of the Clinches
extends along the coast, between the Valdivia and
the Archipelago of Chiloe. Cunches is derived
from the word cunco, which signifies a bunch of
grapes, and is allusive to the great fecundity of that
nation. The Huilliches occupy all the plains to the
east of the Cunches, from whom they are separated
partly by an imaginary line, and partly by that chain
of the Andes which extends from the Valdivia to
the extremity of Chili. They are called Huilliches,
which signifies southern men, from their country
being the farthest towards the south. Both the
Cunches and the Huilliches are warlike nations, and
allies of the Araucanians, to whom they rendered
important services in their wars with the Spaniards.

Chili is one of the best countries in America.

The beauty of its sky, the constant mildness of its
climate, and its abundant fertility, render it, as a
place of residence, extremely agreeable; and with
respect to its natural productions, it may be said,
without exaggeration, not to be inferior to any por-
tion of the globe. The seasons succeed each other
regularly, and are sufficiently marked, although the
transition from cold to heat is very moderate. The
spring in Chili commences, as in all the countries
of the southern hemisphere, the 22d September, the
summer in December, the autumn in March, anc|
the winter in June,*

* That part of Chili which may pi*operly be deemed a Spanish
province, is a narrow district, extending along the coast from the
desert of Atacamas to the island of Chiloe, above 900 miles. Its
climate is the most delicious of the New World, and is hardly
equalled by that of any region on the face of the earth. Though
bordering on the torrid zone, it never feels the extremity of heat,
being screened on the east by the Andes, and refreshed from the
west by cooling sea-breezes. The temperature of the air is so mild
and equable, that the Spaniards give it the preference to that of
the southern provinces in their native country. The fertility of
the soil corresponds with the benignity of the climate, and is won-
derfully accommodated to European productions. The most va-
luable of these, corn, wine and oil, abound in Chili, as if they had
been native to the country. All the fruits imported from Europe
attain to full maturity there. The animals of our hemisphere not
only multiply, but improve in this delightful region. The horned
cattle are of larger size than those of Spain. Its breed of horses
surpasses, both in beauty and in spirit, the famous Andalusian race,
from which they sprang. Nor has nature exhausted her bounty on
the surface of the earth ; she has stored its bowels with riches.
Valuable mines of gold, of silver, of copper, and of lead, have
been discovered in various parts of it. A country distinguished by
so many blessings, we may be apt to conclude, would early become
a favourite station of the Spaniards, and must have been cultivated
With peculiar predilection and care. Instead of this, a great part;

Sect. V. Of Rain, fcfc.— From the beginning
of spring until autumn, there is throughout Chili a
constant succession of fine weather, particularly be-
tween the 24th and 36th degrees of latitude ; but in
the islands, which for the most part are covered
with wood, the rains are very frequent even in sum-
mer. The rainy season on the continent usually
commences in April, and continues until the last of
August. In the northern provinces of Coquimbo
and Copiapo it very rarely rains ; in the central ones
it usually rains three or four days in succession, and
the pleasant weather continues fifteen or twenty days.
In the southern the rains are much more frequent, and
often continue for nine or ten days without cessation.
These rains are never accompanied with storms or
hail ; and thunder is scarcely known in the country,
particularly in places at a distance from the Andes,
where, even in summer, it is seldom ever heard.*
Among those mountains, and near the sea, storms
occasionally arise, which, according to the direction
of the wind, pass over, and take their course to the
north or south.

In the maritime provinces snow is never seen. In
those nearer the Andes it falls about once in five
years ; sometimes not so often, and the quantity

of it remains unoccupied. In all this extent of country, there are
not above eighty thousand white inhabitants, and about three times
that number of negroes and people of a mixed race. The most
fertile soil in America lies uncultivated, and some of its most pi*o-
mising mines remain unwrought. — Robertson's History of Ame-
rica, vol. iv. chap. 7.

* " Lightning is wholly unknown in the province of Chili, not-
withstanding thunder is occasionally heard at a great distance
ever the Andes." — American Gazetteer.

very trifling ; it usually melts while falling, and it
is very uncommon to have it remain on the ground
for a day.

In the Andes, on the contrary, it falls in such
quantities from April to November, that it not only
lies there constantly during that time, but even
renders them wholly impassable during the greater
part of the year.* The highest summits of these
mountains, which are constantly covered with snow,
are distinguishable at a great distance by their
whiteness, and form a very singular and pleasing
appearance. Those of the inhabitants who are not
sufficiently wealthy to have ice-houses, procure
snow from the mountains, which they transport
upon mules. The consumption of this article is
very considerable, as a general use is made of it
in summer to cool their liquors. The maritime
countries, being at a distance from the Andes,
do not enjoy this advantage, but they feel the pri-

* Those who venture to pass the Andes in the depth of winter,
when overtaken by snow storms are frequently frozen, as happen-
ed to the Spaniards under the command of Diego de Almagro, in
the year 1535. This has led some authors to assert confidently,
without attending to the difference of places, that such is the seve-
rity of the winter in Chili, that men frequently perish with cold ;
yet it has been repeatedly proved, that in those parts not comprised
within the Andes, the weather is so mild, that it is very unusual
for the mercury in Reaumur's thermometer to sink to the freezing
point, and none of the rivers or streams are ever frozen. Abbe
Gauri says, in his Treatise upon Natural Philosophy, that the cold
is so extreme in the plains of Chili, that the inhabitants are com-
pelled to forsake their houses, and, like the wretched inhabitants
of the polar regions, to shelter themselves in caverns ; a story
which betrays no less ignorance of the real situation of Chili, than
a total disregard of probability.

vation of it less, as the heat is much more moderate
upon the coast than in the interior. In the mid-
land provinces is sometimes seen, in the month of
August, a white frost, accompanied by a slight de-
gree of cold, which is the greatest that is expe-
rienced in those districts. This coldness continues
two or three hours after sun rise ; from which
time the weather is like that of a line day in
sprinp--*

* So general is the opinion of the excessive cold in the southern
extremity of America, that it is hazardous to contradict it. I
shall, however, venture to suggest some doubts respecting so gene-
rally an admitted fact. At the same time that Commodore Byron
compares the temperature of the Straits of Magellan in summer
with the climate of England in midwinter, he describes the coun-
try in the following manner : " Upon Sandy Point we found a plenty
of wood and very good water, and for four or five miles the shore
was exceedingly pleasant. Over the point there is a fine level
country, with a soil that, to all appearance, is extremely rich, for
the ground was covered with flowers of various kinds, that per-
fumed the air with their fragrance ; and among them were berries
almost innumerable, where the blossoms had been shed ; we ob-
served that the grass was very good, and that it was intermixed
with a great number of peas in blossom. Among this luxuriance of
herbage we saw many hundreds of birds feeding, which, from their
form, and the uncommon beauty of their plumage, we called painted
geese. We walked more than twelve miles, and found great plen-
ty of fine fresh water." " The place abounded with geese, teal,
snipes, and other birds that were excellent food." " On each side of
Scdger river there are the finest trees I ever saw." " Some of them
are of a great height, and more than eight feet in diameter, which
is proportionably more than eight yards in circumference ; so that
four men, joining hand in hand, could not compass them ; among
others we found the pepper treej or Winter's bark, in great plenty.
Among these woods, notwithstanding the coldness of the climate,
there are innumerable parrots, and other birds, of the most beauti-
ful plumage." " The country between Port Famine and Cape
Forward, which is distant about four leagues, is extremely fine j

The dews are abundant throughout Chill, in the
spring, summer, and autumnal nights, and in a great
measure supply the want of rain during those sea-
sons. Although the atmosphere is then loaded with

the soil appears to be very good, and there are no less than three
pretty large rivers, besides several brooks." " I made another
excursion along the shore to the northward, and found the country
for many miles exceedingly pleasant, the ground being covered
with flowers, which were not inferior to those that are commonly
found in our gardens, either in beauty or fragrance."— Hmvkes-*
worth's Voyages, vol. i. chap. 4.

This description is no doubt correct, and it is conformable to
that given of the country by many other voyagers. But how is it
possible that so pleasing and plentiful a vegetation could be met
with amidst such excessive cold, or that parrots, birds so attached to
heat, should voluntarily inhabit a climate condemned to perpetual
winter? And if the summer is so cold that, according to this
author, it may be compared to midwinter in England, what
idea must we form of the Magellanic winters. It is certain that
Winter's bark is not only met with in abundance on the northern
shores of this strait, but also from the account of Capt. Cook, in
his second voyage, on the island of Fuego ; yet this tree, which
grows so plentifully in the open air, cannot endure the winter of
England, whither it has been carried, unless aided by the artificial
wai-mth of a hot-house. To which may be added, that the sea
which surrounds those shores is never frozen, notwithstanding the
great quantities of fresh water that flow into it ; a fact which all
the European navigators who double Cape Horn in midwinter can
testify. In the month of June, 1768, I was myself upon a voyage in
that sea, as far as the 61st degree of latitude, Avithout meeting
with the least indication of freezing ; and though it snowed very
often, the cold was not severer than that which is usually felt
during the winter in Bologna. The floating islands of ice which
are frequently met with in those seas, particularly in the sum-
mer, are driven by the southern winds which blow from the an-
tarctic regions.

The Fi^ench who, in 1765, formed a settlement upon the Ma-
luine islands, in 51 deg. 40 min. lat. affirmed, that the winter which
they passed there was by no means severe, and that the snow was

humidity, its salubrity is not injured thereby, for
both husbandmen and travellers sleep in the open
air with perfect security.

Fogs are common on the coast, especially in the
autumn ; they continue but a few hours in the
morning, and, as-they consist only of watery par-
ticles, are not prejudicial either to the health of the
inhabitants, or to the vegetation.

Sect. VI. Winds. — The north and north-west
winds usually bring rain, and the south and south-
east a clear sky. These serve as infallible indica-
tions to the inhabitants, who are observant of them,
and furnish them with a kind of barometer to
determine previously the state of the weather. The
same winds produce directly contrary effects in the

nevejr in such quantities as to cover the soles of their shoes.* I
have no doubt of the unpleasant occurrence which befel Mr. Banks
and his companion on the island of Fuego ; but a single fact is not
sufficient to establish a theory. The crew of the Spanish ship
Conception passed the whole winter of 1766 there, without experi-
encing any thing of a similar nature, which might have been pro-
duced by a concurrence of various accidental causes. Whenever
this part of the world becomes well peopled, the cold,

which

is now considered as natural to it, will be very sensibly de-
creased ; on the lands being cultivated, the air will be rendered as
mild and pleasant as that which is enjoyed by the inhabitants of the
northern hemisphere situated under similar parallels of latitude, it
being a fact well ascertained, that a desert country covered with
woods is much more subject to all the inconveniences of the atmos-
phere, than one filled with inhabitants, and improved by cultivation.
The account given by Julius Caesar of the climate of
France, which at that period was covered with wood and unculti-
vated, corresponds with that which the writers of our times have
given of the Magellanic countries.

* See M. de .Ycrvillc's Letters,

southern and in the northern hemispheres. The
north and northerly winds, before they arrive at Chili,
cross the torrid zone, and there becoming loaded with

vapours,

bring with them heat and rain.

This heat

is, however, very moderate, and it would seem that
these winds, in crossing the Andes, which are con-
stantly covered with snow, become qualified, and lose
much of their heat and unhealthy properties. In Tu-
cuman and Cujo, where they are known by the name
of Sonda, they are much more incommodious and
are more suffocating than even the Siroc in Italy.
The southerly winds coming immediately from the
antarctic pole, are cold and dry. These are usually
from the south-west, and prevail in Chili during the
time that the sun is in the southern hemisphere.
They blow constantly towards the equator, the at-
mosphere at that period being highly rarefied, and
no adverse current of air opposing itself to their
course. As they disperse the vapours, and drive them
towards the Andes, it rains but seldom during their
continuance. The clouds collected upon these moun-
tains, uniting with those which come from the north,
occasion very heavy rains, accompanied with thun-
der, in all the provinces beyond the Andes, particu-
larly in those of Tucuman and Cujo, while, at the
same time, the atmosphere of Chili is constantly clear,
and its inhabitants enjoy their finest season. The
contrary takes place in winter, which is the fine sea-
son in these provinces, and the rainy in Chili. The
south wind never continues blowing during the
whole day with the same force : as the sun ap«
Vol. I. E

I ."ll

proaches the meridian it falls very considerably, and
rises again in the afternoon. At noon, when this
wind is scarcely perceptible, a fresh breeze is felt
from the sea, which continues about two or three
hours. The husbandmen give it the name of the
twelve o'clock breeze, or the countryman's watch,
as it serves to regulate them in determining that
hour. This sea breeze returns regularly at mid-
night, and is supposed to be produced by the tide.
It is stronger in autumn and sometimes accompanied
with hail. The east winds rarely prevail in Chili,
their course being obstructed by the Andes. Hur-
ricanes, so common in the Antilles, are unknown
there ; there exists, indeed, a solitary example of a
hurricane, which, in 1633, did much injury to the
fortress of Caremalpo, in the southern part of
Chili.

The mild temperature which Chili almost always
enjoys, must depend entirely upon the succession
of these winds, as a situation so near the tropic
would naturally expose it to a more violent de-
gree of heat. In addition to these, the tide, the
abundant dews, and certain winds from the Andes,
which are distinct from the east wind, cool the air
so much in summer that, in the shade, no one is
ever incommoded with perspiration. The dress of
the inhabitants of the sea coast is the same in win-
ter as in summer ; and in the interior, where the
heat is more perceptible than elsewhere, Reaumur's
thermometer scarcely ever exceeds 25 degrees. The
nights, throughout the country, are generally of a

very agreeable temperature. Notwithstanding the
moderate heat of Chili, all the fruits of warm coun-
tries, and even those of the tropics arrive to great
perfection there,* which renders it probable, that

* Contiguous to Peru is situated the province of Chili, which
extends in a long, narrow strip upon the coast of the South
Sea. The air is remarkably clear and serene, and for three quar-
ters of the year this country enjoys an almost constant tempera-
ture, as it rains very little during that period. The want of rain
is amply compensated by the copious dews and the many streams
which, descending from the Andes, fertilize the plains, and render
them productive of every kind of grain, as well as wine, oil, and
all those fruits which its inhabitants, who are much reduced
in their numbers, and not remarkable for their industry, think
proper to cultivate. Were the government to show itself a little
more favoiu-able to the encouragement of its industry and the in-
crease of its population, no country in the world could rival it ;
since, at the same time, it enjoys a clear sky and a degree of heat
which, though temperate, perfectly matures those tropical fruits
that do not grow spontaneously except in the torrid zone. The
plains of this country furnish in abundance whatever is necessary
or conducibie to the comfort of life, while the mountains contain
the richest treasures, in mines of gold, silver, copper, lead, iron
and quicksilver. Those that are principally wrought are the
gold mines, and there is scarcely in the whole country a stream
whose sands do not contain this precious metal in greater or less
abundance. But the indolence of the inhabitants prevents many of
the mines from being wrought, and, what is a still greater evil,
the soil from being cultivated in the manner it deserves. Notwith-
standing so few are employed in cultivation, and those by no means
very industrious, a sufficient quantity of wheat for the subsistence
of 60,000 persons, is annually sent from Chili to Callao, and the
other ports of Peru, for there are not in the world lands more pro-
ductive of every kind of grain. Besides the great quantities of
wine and hemp that are exported every year, the last of which
is cultivated in no other part of the South Sea, those of hides, tal-
low, jerked beef, gold and other metals, which constitute the
most valuable cargoes, and are shipped from all the ports, are
much more considerable. The chief occupation of the inhabitants
is the breeding of cattle3 which are so plenty, that an ox may be

the warmth of the soil far exceeds that of the at-
mosphere. The countries bordering on the east of
Chili do not enjoy these refreshing winds ; the air
there is suffocating, and as oppressive as in Africa
under the same latitude.

Sect. VII. Meteors. — Meteors are very fre-
quent in Chili, especially those called shooting stars,
which are to be seen there almost the whole year,
and balls of fire that usually rise from the Andes
and fall into the sea. The aurora australis, on the
contrary, is very uncommon. That which was ob-
served in 1640 was one of the largest ; it was
visible, from the accounts that have been left us,
from the month of February until April. During
this century they have appeared at four different
times, but I cannot tell their particular periods.
This phenomenon is more frequently visible in the
Archipelago of Chiloe, from the greater elevation of
the pole in that part of the country.

Sect. VIII. Volcanoes. — That a cbrintry pro-
ducing such an abundance of sulphureous, nitrous,
and bituminous substances, should be subject to
volcanic eruptions, is not to be wondered at. The
numerous volcanoes in the Cordilleras would, of
themselves, furnish a sufficient proof of the quan-
tity of these combustible materials. There are said

bought for a trifling sum ; an unequivocal proof of the fertility of
the country, where money is comparatively of little value. —
History of the European Settlements in America^ vol.; i. part 3-
chap. 11.

to be fourteen, which are in a constant state of erup-
tion, and a still greater number that discharge
smoke only at intervals. These are all situated in
that part of the Andes appertaining to Chili, and
nearly in the middle of that range of mountains ; so
that the lava and ashes thrown out by them never
extend beyond their limits. These mountains and
their vicinities are found, on examination, to contain
great quantities of sulphur and sal-ammoniac, mar-
casite in an entire and decomposed state, calcined
and chrystallized stones, and various metallic sub-
stances.

The greatest eruption ever known in Chili was
that of Peteroa, which happened on the 3d of De-
cember, 1760, when that volcano formed itself a new
crater, and a neighbouring mountain was rent
asunder for many miles in extent. The erup-
tion was accompanied by a dreadful explosion,
which was heard throughout the whole country;
fortunately it was not succeeded by any very violent
shocks of an earthquake. The quantity of the lava
and ashes was so great, that it filled the neighbour-
ing vallies, and occasioned a rise of the waters of
the Tingeraca, which continued for many days. At
the same time the course of the Lontue, a very con-
siderable river, was impeded for ten days, by a part
of the mountain which fell and filled its bed. The
water at length forced itself a passage, overflowed
all the neighbouring plains, and formed a lake
which still remains. In the whole of the country
not included in the Andes, there are but two volca-
noes, the first, situated at the mouth of the river

Rapel, is small, and discharges only a little smoke
from time to time. The second is the great volcano
of Villarica, near the lake of the same name in the
country of Arauco. This volcano may be seen at
the distance of 150 miles, and although it appears
to be isolated, it is said to be connected by its base
with the Andes. The summit of the mountain is
covered with snow, and is in a constant state of erup-
tion. It is fourteen miles in circumference at its
base, which is principally covered with pleasant
forests. A great number of rivers derive their
sources from it, and its perpetual verdure furnishes
a proof that its eruptions have never been very vio-
lent.

Sect. IX. Earthquakes.— -The quantity of in-
flammable substances with which the soil of Chili
abounds, rendered active by the electric fluid, may
be considered as one of the principal causes of the
earthquake, the only scourge that afflicts this fa.
voured country. Another, however, not less capa-
ble, in my opinion, of producing this terrible phe-
nomenon, is the elasticity of the air contained in the
bowels of the earth, in consequence of the water
which, insinuating itself by subterranean passages
from the sea, becomes changed into vapour. This
hypothesis will explain why the provinces to the east
of the Andes, at a distance from the sea, are so
little incommoded by earthquakes. Two, however,
Copiapo and Coquimbo, although near the sea, and
as rich in minerals as the others, have never suffered
from earthquakes ; and while the other parts of the

country have been violently shaken these have not
experienced the least shock, or been but slightly
agitated. It is a general opinion that the earth in
these provinces is intersected by large caverns.
The noises heard in many places, and which appear
to indicate the passage of waters or subterraneous
winds, seem to confirm this opinion, and it is highly
probable that by affording a free vent to the inflamed
substances, these caverns may serve to counteract
the progress of those convulsions to which the neigh-
bouring country is subject.

The inhabitants usually calculate three or four
-earthquakes at Chili annually, but they are very slight,
and little attention is paid to them. The great earth-
quakes happen but rarely.* The shocks were pro-

* In a period of 244 years, from the arrival of the Spaniards to
the year 1782, five great earthquakes have occurred in Chili. The
first, which was in the year 1520, destroyed some villages in the
southern provinces ; the second, on the 13th of May, in the year
1647, ruined many of the houses of St. Jago ; the third, on the 15th
of March, 1657, destroyed a great part of that capital ; the fourth
took place on the 18th of June, 1730, when the sea was driven
against the city of Conception, and overthrew its walls; and the
fifth, on the 26th of May, 1751, completely destroyed that city,
which was again inundated by the sea, and levelled with the ground
all the fortresses and villages situated between the 34th and 40th
degrees of latitude. Its course was from south to north, and it
was announced by some slight shocks on the preceding nights ; more
especially by one about a quarter of an hour before its commence-
ment, accompanied by a ball of fire that precipitated itself from
the Andes into the sea. The great shocks began about midnight,
and continued four or five minutes each, but the earth was in a
state of almost constant vibration until day-break. Just before the
earthquake the sky was perfectly clear in every quarter, but im-
mediately after its commencement it became covered with black
clouds, which poured down a continual rain for the space of eight

bably more violent before the inflammable materials
found outlets by the means of volcanoes. At pre-
sent they produce only horizontal or oscillatory
motions. From a course of accurate observations it
has been ascertained, that earthquakes never occur
unexpectedly in this country, but are always an-
nounced by a hollow sound proceeding from a vi-
bration of the air ; and as the shocks do not succeed
each other rapidly, the inhabitants have sufficient
time to provide for their safety. They have, how-
ever, in order to secure themselves, at all events,
built their cities in a very judicious manner; the
streets are left so broad, that the inhabitants would
be safe in the middle of them, should even the houses
flill upon both sides.

In addition to this, all the houses have spacious
courts and gardens, which would serve as places of
refuge. Those who are wealthy, have usually in
their gardens, several neat wooden barracks, where
they pass the night whenever they are threatened
with an earthquake. Under these circumstances,
the Chilians live without apprehension, and consider
themselves in perfect security ; especially, as the
earthquakes have never been hitherto attended with
any considerable sinking of the earth, or falling of
buildings. This, in my opinion, is owing to subterra-

days, at the end of which there was a recurrence of slight trem-
blings that continued during a month, with short intervals between
each of fifteen or twenty minutes. It is not supposed that on this
occasion a single person perished in the whole province, except-
ing seven invalids, who were drowned in the city of Conception;
and the loss of lives was no greater, if any, in the preceding
earthquakes.

mean passages communicating with the volcanoes of
the Andes, which are so many vent holes for the in-'
flamed substances, and serve to counteract their
effects. Were it not for the number of these vol-
canoes, Chili would, in all probability, be rendered
uninhabitable.

Some pretend that they can foretell an earthquake
from certain changes in the atmosphere. Although
this does not appear to me impossible, I must ac-
knowledge that my own experience has furnished
me with nothing to induce me to credit it. I was
born and educated in Chili, and while in that coun-
try paid great attention to the state of the air during
earthquakes: I have known them occur both in
the rainy and dry seasons, during a storm as well as
a calm.

Sect. X. Salubrity of Climate. -—The inhabi-
tants of Chili, notwithstanding the frequent occur-
rence of earthquakes, are very well satisfied with
their country, and I am convinced would not rea-
dily be induced to quit it for any other exempt from
this calamity,

This preference is not founded solely upon that
natural attachment to country, which is common
to all men, but is derived from some advantages
peculiar to Chili; a soil naturally fertile, and well
adapted to every useful and valuable produc-
tion, a mild and almost equable temperature of
climate, and a remarkable salubrity, are the bles-

Vol. I. F

sings enjoyed by this delightful country.* Before
the arrival of the Spaniards contagious disorders
were unknown : the small pox, which occasionally
makes its appearance in the northern provinces, and
is known by the name of the plague, was first intro-
duced by them. At such times, the inhabitants of
the neighbouring provinces oblige every person

* If Chili is not populous, it cannot be attributed to the fault of
its climate, which is one of the most salubrious of any known, the
contiguity of the Cordilleras communicating to it a delightful tem-
perature, which, from its latitude, it could not be expected to en-
joy. Nor does Spain possess a province more pleasant and agree-
able as a place of residence.— Philosophical History of the Eu-
ropean Establishments, hook viii. chap. 2.

There are two reasons which have impeded the population
of Chili, and counterbalanced the advantages it has received
from nature : The first, the almost continual wars between the
Spaniards and the Araucanians from its first discovery, which
have destroyed an infinite number of people. The second (and the
principal) the commercial restrictions which were imposed upon
that country, as for a century the Chilians had no direct commu-
nication with Europe, norwerelhey permitted to send any of their
produce to any other place than Callao, from whence it followed,
that every species of exportation and importation was conducted
by the merchants of Peru, who of course reaped all the profit of
this trade. This pernicious system discouraged industry, and had
a sensible effect upon the population ; but of late, since a direct
commerce has been carried on with European ships, which arrive
every year in some of the ports of Chili, that delightful country
begins to increase in numbers, and, in some measure, to raise itself
to that important station which its natural advantages claim. In
the year 1755, in the province of Maule alone, there were calcu-
lated to be 14,000 whites capable of bearing arms, and the popu-
lation of the other provinces had increased in a degree proportionate
to the extent of their limits. The estimates, therefore, made by
Dr. Robertson and the Abbe Raynal, in their histories, are, in this
particular, incorrect, being founded on accounts furnished during
the last century.

coming from the infected district to perform a rigo-
rous quarantine, and by that means have preserved
themselves from the ravages of that destructive
malady. Whenever the Indians suspect any one to
be attacked with it, which sometimes happens from
their intercourse with the Spaniards, they burn him
in his own hut, by means of fiery arrows. By this
method, which is truly a violent one, they have
hitherto prevented its progress, and been exempted
from this disorder.

A physician of the country, Matthias Verdugo, a
monk of the order of St. John, was the first who, in
1761, introduced inoculation, and since that period it
has been practised with great success. Tertian and
quartan fevers are also unknown there ; and the in-
habitants of the neighbouring provinces who are
afflicted with them, are accustomed to come into
Chili for the benefit of their health, where they very
soon recover. A violent fever, accompanied with
delirium is sometimes prevalent among the country
people, particularly in summer and in autumn.
This complaint which the Indians cure with certain
herbs, whose properties they have learnt by ex-
perience, bears the name of chavo longo, which
signifies the disorder of the head. The venereal
disease is but little known in the Spanish settle-
ments, and still less among the Indians. As the
last have no word in their language expressive of
it, there is eveiy reason to presume that this malady
was not known among them until after the arrival of
the Spaniards. The rickets, a disease which for
three centuries has been such a scourge to Europe,

is as yet unknown within the boundaries of Chili,
and lame or deformed persons are very rarely to be
met with.* To many of the maladies, peculiar to
hot countries, such as the Siam fever, the black vomit,
and the leprosy, its inhabitants are likewise equally
strangers. No instance of the hydrophobia has ever
occurred, and M. dela Condamine justly observes,
that in South America the dogs, cats, and other
animals are never afflicted with madness.

Chili produces none of those dangerous or veno-
mous animals which are so much dreaded in hot
countries ; and it has but one species of small ser-
pent, which is perfectly harmless, as the French
Academicians ascertained when they went to Peru, in
1736, to measure a degree of the meridian. f The
lions which are sometimes met with in the thickest

* The Creoles are generally well shaped, and there are scarce
any of those deformed persons, so common in other countries, to
be seen among them ; besides which, they almost all possess great
flexibility and activity of limbs. — Philosophical History, book xi.
chap. IS.

Not only the Creoles, who are descended from the Europeans,
but also the aborigines of the country, display equal perfection of
form. Some authors pretend, that the reason why none who are
deformed, or cripples, are to be found among these people, is owing
to the savage custom which the parents have of destroying such
unfortunate children at their birth ; but this is a mere picture of
the imagination ; at least, among the Chilians no trace of so inhu-
man a practice has ever been discovered, as numbers who have
lived with them for years have positively assured me.

t This country is not infested by any kind of insect except the
ehiguas, or pricker, or any poisonous reptile; and although in the
woods and fields some snakes are to be found, their bite is by no
means dangerous; nor docs any savage or ferocious beast excite
terror in its plains. — Uilca's Voyage, part ii. vol.3.

and least frequented forests, are distinguished from
the African lion, both by their being without hair,
and their timidity ; there is no instance of their
ever having attacked a man, and a person may not
only travel, but lie down to sleep with perfect se-
curity, in any part of the plain, and even in the
thickest forests of the mountains. Neither tygers,
wolves, nor many other ferocious beasts that infest
the neighbouring countries, are known there. Pro-
bably the great ridge of the Andes which is every
where extremely steep, and covered with snow$
serves as a barrier to their passage. The mildness
of the climate may also be unfavourable to them, as
the greater part of these animals are natives of the
hottest countries.

M-.

CHAPTER II.

Waters, Earths, Stones, Salts, Bitumens and
Metals.

CHILI is a plane very perceptibly inclined to-
wards the sea, and may be considered as a prolon-
gation of the western base of the Andes. From
its situation it naturally receives the waters produc-
ed by the melting of that immense body of snow
that annually falls upon those mountains, while
the provinces to the east are frequently in want of
water. The number of rivers, streams and springs,
which irrigate the country, is inconceivable. They
are to be found in every part, even on the tops of
some of the maritime mountains.

Sec t. I. Rivers.- — It is difficult to determine the
number of rivers and streams that have their sour-
ces in the Andes; the principal, however, amount
to one hundred and twenty-three, fifty-two of which
communicate directly with the sea, and convey
thither the waters of all the others. Although, from
the inconsiderable breadth of the country, the course
of these rivers is short, there are several of them
that are navigable at least half their distance for
ships of the line. Of this number are, the Maule,
in the province of the same name ; the Bio-bio,
which is two miles in breadth ; the Cauten ; the

Tolten ; the Vaklivia, in the country of Araucb ;
the Chaivin ; the Riobueno, in the country of the
Clinches ; and the Sinfondo, which discharges it-
self into the Archipelago of Chiloe.

The course of these rivers is extremely rapid as
far as the maritime mountains, where, from the
make of the ground, they flow more slowly. The
beds are very broad, their bottoms generally stony,
and the banks low.

This last circumstance is of great service to the
husbandmen, who avail themselves of it to let the
Water into canals, from which, in times of drought,
they water their fields ; by this means they are never
in want of water, even in the dry season, as the
rivers are then always full, in consequence of the
melting of the snow on the Andes at that period.*

From the latter part of September to February,
the water in these rivers is at its greatest height ;
their rise is, however, by no means uniform, since
some of them are observed to increase most in the
morning, others at mid day, and others towards
evening ; a circumstance which may probably be
owing to the greater or less exposure of their springs
to the sun. Notwithstanding these floods are copi-

* The rivers which water and fertilize the whole country upon
the western side of the Andes, from whence they spring, are very
numerous, and discharge themselves into the Pacific Ocean. The
banks, covered with beautiful trees that always retain their ver-
dure, and the clearness and coolness of so many chrystal streams^
render this country the most delightful in the world. Its thermal
and mineral waters likewise contribute much to the health of the
inhabitants. — Colccti's Dictionary of South America; article
Chili.

ous, they never inundate the adjacent plains, from
the beds of the rivers being, as I have already ob-
served, very broad. Though many of these streams
appear to be shallow, frequent instances have oc-
curred of persons being drowned who have attempt-
ed to ford them on horseback. The common opin-
ion that snow-water produces goitres, appears to be
unfounded, if we may be allowed to form a judg-
ment from that of these rivers. Their waters which
are excellent, and constantly drank by the inhabi-
tants, cannot be considered as any thing but lique-
fied snow, yet is this disease wholly unknown in
Chili.

Sect. II. Lakes. — Lakes of salt and fresh wa-
ter are common in Chili. The first are situated in
the marshes &f the Spanish provinces; the most
remarkable art the Bucalemu, the Caguil and the
Bojeruca, which are from 12 to 20 miles in length.
Those of fresh water are contained in the interior
provinces, and are the Ridaguel, the Aculeu, the
Taguatagua, the Laquen, and the Nahuelguapi ;
the two latter, situated in the country of the Arau-
canians, are the largest. The Laquen, which the
Spaniards call the lake of Villarica, is 72 miles in
circumference, and in the centre of it rises a beauti-
ful little hill in the form of a cone. The Nahuel-
guapi is 80 miles in circumference, and has like-
wise in the middle a pleasant island covered with
These lakes are the sources of two conside-
rable rivers ; the first of the Talten, which falls into
the Pacific Ocean ; the latter of the Nahuelguapi.

which empties itself into the Patagonian Sea, near
the straits of Magellan. Within the Andes are
also many lakes, but they are of little importance.

Sect. III. Mineral Waters. — A country like
Chili, abounding in mineral and bituminous sub-
stances, must necessarily produce a great number of
mineral springs, the virtues of whose waters must
have become known to the inhabitants. Gaseous
and acidulated waters are common in all the provin-
ces, particularly in the Tallies at the foot of the
Andes. Some springs are vitriolic and impreg-
nated with iron, others sulphuric' or muriatic ; their
temperature is in general that of the atmosphere ;
but there are some that are cold in summer, a qual-
ity probably derived from their sources being in
the vicinity of mines or springs of salt. But as-I
have never carefully analyzed these waters, I am
not able to give accurate information respecting
them.

The provinces of Copiapo and Coquimbo are rich
in salt springs. In the former, there is a river called
from its saltness Salado, which, like the other large
rivers, has its source in the Andes, and falls into the
Pacific Ocean. The water of this river is very clear
and extremely salt ; and its specific gravity is, ac-
cording to the season of the year, from fifteen to
eighteen degrees.

The salt chrystallizes naturally upon the shores ;
it is excellent and fit for use without any prepara-
tion, as it is very pure and not mixed with calca=
reous earth, or any heterogeneous salts. In a valley
Vol. I. G

of the Andes, inhabited by the Pehuenchcs, in 34
deg. 40 min. latitude, are eleven springs of very
clear and limpid water, which overflows the surface,
and becomes crystallized into a salt as white as
snow. This valley is about fifteen miles in circum-
ference, and is entirely covered, for the depth of six
feet, with a crust of salt, which is collected by the
inhabitants in large pieces and used for all domestic
purposes, The surrounding mountains afford no
external indication of mineral salt, but they must
necessarily abound with it, from the great quanti-
ties deposited by these springs.

Mineral waters are common in Chili. The most
celebrated are those of the Spanish settlements of
Peldehues and Cauquenes. The source of the for-
mer is on the summit of one of the exterior moun-
tains of the Andes, to the north of St. Jago. It
consists of two springs of very different tempera-
tures, one hot and the other cold ; the former is
sixty degrees above the freezing point by Reaumur's
thermometer, the latter four degrees below it. They
are about eighty feet distant, and their waters are uni-
ted, by means of canals, so as to form a tepid bath,
which is found very efficacious in many disorders.
The water of the hot spring is oily to the touch,
and foams like, soap suds ; it abounds with mi-
neral alkali, which appears to be combined with
an unctuous substance in a state of solution, [t is
clear, inodorous, impregnated with a very little fixed
air, and its specific weight is but two degrees above
that of common distilled water. Its heat is probably-
owing to the effervescence of a large body! of pyrites

in the vicinity of i!s source. The water of the cold
spring is iron and vitriolic, and, when mixed with
that of the warm, deposits Glauber's salt and a yel-
lowish ochre.

The baths of Cauquenes are in one of the vallies
of the Cordilleras, near the source of the Caciapoal;
a very considerable river. As the situation is very
pleasant, great numbers of persons resort there dur-
ing the summer, as well for amusement as for the
recovery of health.

The springs are numerous and of various qualities
and temperatures. Some of them arc cold, others
hot; some acidulated, and impregnated in a greater
or less degree with iron ; while others are alkalescent
or vitriolic, and several, like those of Pisa, are merely-
gaseous. The principal spring is very warm and sul-
phuric ; its margin is covered with a yellow efflores-
cence of sulphur, and the water has a strong hepatic
smell ; it contains besides an alkali and a' neutral salt.
The surrounding mountains abound with every kind
of mineral, and near the spring are great numbers of
willows, which are covered with a species of manna,
in globules of the size of grains of gun-powder.

Three mineral springs, adjoining the high road to
Cujo, afford a neutral salt, with a calcareous base, of
a sharp and bitter taste and easily soluble ; it is col-
lected in great quantities upon the borders of these
springs, where it shoots into cristals that are usually
of a quadrangular prismatic form. The inhabitants
use it for Glauber's salt, which they believe it to
be ; but I am more inclined to think it a species of
Epsom salt, as it has neither the base nor the form

of the true Glauber, yet as I have never had an op-
portunity of analyzing it critically, I cannot deter-
mine with positiveness. Mineral waters are in great
estimation with the Araucanians, who consider them
as peculiarly beneficial, and as under the particular
care and protection of Meiden, one of their benevo-
lent deites, whom they call Gencovunco, or, Lord of
the mineral waters.

Sect. IV. Soil— The soil of Chili is wonder-
fully fertile; its fertility is not, however, equal
throughout the country, but is increased in propor-
tion to its distance from the sea.* The maritime
are less productive than the middle districts, and
the latter are inferior in quality of soil to the vallies
of the Andes. In these last, the vegetation is more
luxuriant ,and vigorous, and the animals larger and
stronger than in the other parts of the country;
but as the people who inhabit these rich vallies are
Nomades, or herdsmen, and in reality cultivate no-
thing, it is difficult to determine with precision the
degree of their fertility. The various salts and other
principles of fecundity contained in these mountains,
and by means of the air and the rivers distributed
throughout the country, combining with the natural
heat of the soil, may be considered as the real
causes of that inexhaustible fertility which requires
not the aid of manure. The husbandmen have dis-

* The plains, the mountains, the vallies, in short, all Chili,
w'.hout exception, is an object cf wonder ; since, from its extreme
fertility, it -would seem as if every particle of earth was converted
into seed.- — American Gazetteer ; article Chili.

covered by experience that all artificial manures are
superfluous, if not injurious; they allege in proof
the great fertility of the land in the vicinity of St.
Jago, which, notwithstanding it has never been ma-
nured since the settlement of the Spaniards, a period
of two hundred and thirty-nine years, though con-
stantly cultivated by them, and for an unknown time
by the Indians before them, has lost nothing of its
productive properties.

Another advantage resulting from the richness of
the soil is, that Chili is not infested with those
worms so destructive to grain in the blade, which
are produced or multiplied by the fermentation and
putrefaction of manure.

Those who have written upon Chili are not agreed
as to the product of the soil. Some say that it yields
from sixty to eighty, and even a hundred fold;*

* The river of Chile, called also the river of Aconcagua, from
its rising in a valley of that name, is celebrated for the prodigious
quantity of wheat which is every year produced upon its shores ;
from whence, and the vicinity of St. Jago, is brought ail the grain
exported from Valparaiso to Callao, Lima, and other parts of
Peru. Such is the quantity, that it is inconceivable to any one un-
acquainted with the excellence of the soil, which usually yields
from sixty to eighty for one, how a country so thinly peopled,
whose cultivable lands are comprised within a few vallies of not
more than ten leagues square, can furnish such quantities of grain
in addition to what is wanted for the support of the inhabitants.
During the eight months while we were at Valparaiso, there sail-
ed from that port alone thirty vessels loaded with wheat, each of
which would average six thousand Janegas, or three thousand
mule loads, a quantity sufficient for the subsistence of sixty thou-
sand persons for a year. — J^razier's Voyage, vol. i.

Besides the commerce of hides, tallow and dried beef, the inha-
bitants of Conception carry on a trade in wheat, with which they

'?,' >M

others, that the crop is considered as poor if it does
not exceed a hundred ;* while there are those who
assure us that it often amounts to three hundred for
cne.f I am not disposed to question the account of
respectable writers, several of whom have been eye
witnesses of what they describe ; especially, as in-
stances of fertility occasionally occur that are truly
wonderful. I have myself seen lands that produced
a hundred and twenty, and even a hundred and sixty

annually load eight or ten ships of four or five hundred tons bur-
then for Callao, exclusive of the flour and ship-bread for the sup-
ply of the French ships that stop at Peru on their return to France
But all this wculdbe little for this excellent country, if the earth
was properly cultivated, which is so fertile and easy of tillage,,
that the inhabitants merely scratch it over with a plough, or more
frequently with the crooked branch of a tree, used for that purpose,
drawn by a pair of oxen ; and so proline is the soil, that, for the
purpose of vegetation, the seed scarcely requires a slight covering,
and will yield a hundred for one.— Ibid.

* Another more important source of wealth, although less ap-
preciated by its possessors, is what arises from the fertility of the.
soil, which is truly astonishing. All the European fruits attain
perfection in this favoured climate, and the wines would be excel-
lent were it not for a bitter taste acquired in consequence of their
being kept in jars smeared with a kind of rosin, and afterwards
put into skins for transportation. When the crop of grain does
not exceed an hundred for one, it is considered as poor and scanty.
— Philosophical History, book 8.

It is not a good year when the crop of wheat does not exceed a

hundred for one, and it is the same with all other prain. Ulloa's

Voyage, vol. hi.

f The soil is excellent, but differing, in some degree, as it ap-
proaches or recedes from the equator. The vallies of Copiapo
frequently yield three hundred for one ; the plains of Guasco and
Coquimbo, are nearly as productive, and the lands on the river
Chile are so fertile that they have given its name to the countrv.—
Sanson's {of Abbeville) Geography ; article Chili,

lor one, but these are extraordinary cases, and can-
not serve as data for a general estimate.

The common crop in the middle districts is from
sixty to seventy for one, and from forty to fifty in
the maritime. Between the 24th and 34th degrees,
of latitude the husbandmen irrigate their fields by
artificial means, which renders their crops generally
more certain than, in the southern provinces, where
they depend upon the dews, although the rivers and
streams offer them the same advantages. The esti-
mate which I have made might, however, be increas-
ed, were the grain which is lost during the harvesting
to be taken into account ; as the husbandmen have
adopted a very injurious custom of not reaping their
corn until it begins to shell out, in consequence of
which much is wasted and serves as food for the
birds ; and it happens not unfrequently, that what is
left produces a second crop without any tillage or
farther sowing of the ground.

The difference in the vegetation of the maritime
and middle provinces depends upon the qualities of
their respective soils. That upon the coast resem-
bles the rich grounds of Bologna ; its colour is
brown, inclining to red, it is brittle, clayey, con-
tains a little marie, and is filled with flint, stones,
pyrites, shells, and other marine substances. In the
interior, and in the vallies of the Andes, the soil is
of a blackish colour, inclining to yellow ; it is brit-
tle, and frequently mingled with gravel and marine
substances in a state of decomposition. This qua-
lity of the soil is continued to a considerable depth.

as is discoverable in the ravines and beds of the
rivers.

Sect. V. Physical Organization. — The marine
substances that are met with in every part of Chili,
are incontestable proofs of its having been formerly-
covered by the ocean, which, gradually retiring,
has left the narrow strip of land extending from
the shore to the Andes.* Every thing within these

* The retrocession of the sea from the coast of Chili is every
year very perceptible, although not the same in every part. In
some places it does not exceed two inches, while in others, espe-
cially at the mouths of the rivers, it is more than half a foot.
This circumstance, apart from other more general causes, is most
probably owing to the shoals produced by the flowing of so many-
large rivers into the sea ; these consist the first year only of a
light sand, in the second they produce a little grass, and in the
third are entirely clothed with verdure. To this cause is the con-
formation of the shores assignable, which consist in general of a
plain two leagues broad between the sea and the maritime moun-
tains. Upon the western declivities of these mountains, the ves-
tiges of the ocean are still very perceptible ; they are excavated
in various modes, and exhibit many singular grottoes, containing
rooms hung with shells and beautiful spars, which afford shelter
to the cattle during the heats of summer. On the left bank of the
river Maule, at four hundred paces distance from its mouth, is an
insulated mass of white marble, consisting of a single piece, seven-
ty-five feet in height, two hundred and twenty-four in length, and
fifty-four in breadth. This immense block, called, from its appear-
ance, the church, is excavated within like an arch the third part
of its height, and has on the outside three doors of a semi-circular
form, and proportionate height and breadth. Through the one on
the western front the sea continually flows ; the two others, which
are on the north and south sides, and placed opposite, serve to ad-
mit those who wish to visit it at the tide of ebb. This natural edi-
fice, constantly washed by the sea, serves as a place of resort for
the sea-wolves, who herd in great numbers in the lower part, and
make the cavity re-echo with their lugubrious cries ; while the up-

limits offers incontestible proofs, that the land has
been for a long time covered by the ocean ; the three
parallel chains of maritime mountains, the hills that
unite them with the Andes, in fine, all the ramifica-
tions of the latter appear to have been successively
formed by the agency of its waters.

The interior structure of the Andes every where
exhibits a very different origin, and appears to be
coeval with the creation of the world. This immense
mountain, rising abruptly, forms but a small angle
with its base ; its general shape is that of a pyramid,
crowned at intervals with conical, and, as it were,
crystallized elevations. It is composed of primitive
rocks of quartz of. an enormous size and almost uni-
form configuration, containing no marine substances,
which abound in the secondary mountains. On the
top of Descabezado, a very lofty mountain in the

■

per is occupied by a species of sea-bird, very white, called
lilt) in figure and size resembling a house-pigeon. On the shore of
the province of Rancagua, at a short distance from the sea, is a
mass of stone, excavated in a similar manner, called by the inha-
bitants the church of Rosario, Grottos and caverns of this sort
are very numerous in the Andes, and of great extent. In the
mountains near the source of the river Longavi, is a cavern of an
oval form, and so large that it will readily admit a man on horse-
back ; but what renders this cave particularly remarkable is, that
at sunrise, before the summits of the Andes are tinged by its
beams, the rays of that luminary, penetrating through some aper-
ture, presents to the eye a wonderful phenomenon. In the same
range of mountains is, likewise, the celebrated bridge of the Inca,
which is nothing but a large mountain, cut through by the river
Mendoza. This mountain principally consists of gypsum, and
large clusters of beautiful stalactites, formed by the crys-
tallization of that substance, are suspended from the arch of the
bridge.

Vol. I.

midst of the principal chain of the Andes, whose
height appears to me not inferior to that of the cele-
brated Chimboraso of Quito, various shells, evi-
dently the production of the sea, oysters, conchs,
periwinkles, Sec. are found in a calcined or petrified
state, that were doubtless deposited there by the wa-
ters of the deluge.

The summit of this mountain, whose form ap-
pears to be owing to some volcanic eruption, is flat,
and exhibits a plain of more than six miles square ;
in the middle is a very deep lake, which, from every
appearance, was formerly the crater of a volcano.

The principal chain of the Andes is situated be-
tween two of less height that are parallel to it. These
lateral chains are about twenty five or thirty miles
distant from the principal, but are connected with it
by transverse ramifications, apparently of the same
age and organization, although their bases are more
extensive and variegated. From the lateral ridges
many other branches extend outwardly, composed
of small mountains, occasionally running in differ-
ent directions.

These external mountains, as well as the middle
and maritime, are of a secondary formation, and an
order essentially different. Their summits are gene-
rally more rounded, and they consist of horizontal
strata of various substances and unequal thick-
ness, which abound with marine productions, and
often exhibit the impressions of animals and vege-
tables. I have observed both in excavations formed
by the water, and those made by the inhabitants,
that the inferior stratum of these mountains is gene-

rally a kind of whetstone, of a reddish colour and
a sandy grain, sometimes a quartzeous sand, or a
compact dark grey sandstone ; this is succeeded by
layers of clay, marie, various kinds of marble, schis-
tus, spar, gypsum and coal ; beneath the whole are
found veins of ore, ocher, quartz, granite, porphy-
ry, sand, and rocks of various degrees of hardness.

The disposition of the strata varies very conside-
rably in different places, and in these derangements
the laws of gravitation are seldom observed, as what
forms the upper stratum in one mountain I have dis-
covered to be the inferior in another. They in gen-
eral, however, preserve a degree of regularity in
their inclination, which is from south to north, a
little tending towards the west, corresponding with
the relative situation of the ocean, whose currents are
from south to north.

Notwithstanding these mountains in general are
composed of various strata, there are several that
are uniform ; some are entirely calcareous, others
are of gypsum, of granite, of freestone, of quartz,
of basaltes, of lava, and other volcanic substances ;
while, as Ulloa justly observes, some appear to con-
sist entirely of shells, scarcely, if at all, decompos-
ed. But all these homogeneous mountains are
barren, and produce only a few languid shrubs, while
the stratified mountains, which are covered with a
depth of cultivable soil, are always clothed with a
plentiful and vigorous vegetation.

The exterior of the stratified mountains likewise
furnishes a proof of their formation by the ocean.
Their bases are almost always very extensive, height-

ening progressively, and forming various vail ies,
whose inflections are correspondent to the undula-
tion of the waves. On examining the vallies, their
organization is readily perceived to be the same with
that of the stratified mountains : similar materials,
and a like disposition of them, are found every
where, though, in general, more pulverized or re-
duced to earth.

The variety of fossils with which the earth abounds,
must necessarily add to the value of this delightful
country ; and although at present the precious me-
tals appear to attract the sole attention and regard of
the inhabitants, there will doubtless be a time when,
stimulated by science, they will apply themselves to
the discovery of various minerals not less worthy of
attention.

IN-

SECT. VI. Earths. — If Nature has been prodi-
gal of the precious metals to Chili, she has not been
sparing in the variety of its earths. Under different
modifications, I have discovered both the argilla-
ceous, the calcareous, the sandy, and the mineral.
It contains all the kinds of clay described by Lin-
naeus and Wallerius, excepting the flesh-coloured
clay, or terra lemnia; but, in place of this, I have met
with five other kinds that appear to me to be entirely
distinct from those of Linnaeus.

The first of these is the clay of Buccari (argilla
Buccarina). It is a species of bolar earth found in
the province of St. Jago. It is very fine and light,
of an agreeable smell, and of a brown colour spotted
with yellow, dissolves readily in the mouth, and like

all those kinds of earth, adheres strongly to the
tongue. In many of the convents of the capital, the
monks manufacture from this clay, jars, bottles, cups
and several other articles of beautiful ware, which
they varnish and paint very handsomely, on the out-
side, with the figures of plants and animals.

These vessels communicate a very pleasant smell
and flavour to the water that is put into them, which
undoubtedly proceeds from the solution of some bit-
uminous substance contained in the clay. But as
no appearance of bitumen is perceptible in the vi-
cinity of the pits from whence it is procured, its
qualities can only be ascertained by analyzation.
Considerable quantities of this ware is exported to
Peru and Spain, where it is held in great estima-
tion, and known by the name of Bucaros. The Pe-
ruvians eat the broken pieces of these vessels as the
natives of Indostan do those of Patna.

The second kind is the clay of Maiile (argilla
Maulica). This clay is as white as snow, smooth
and greasy to the touch, extremely fine and sprinkled
with brilliant specks. It is found on the borders of
rivers and brooks in the province of Maule, in strata
which run deep into the ground, and its surface
when seen at a distance has the appearance of ground
covered with snow, and is so unctuous and slippery
that it is almost impossible to walk upon it without
falling. It does not effervesce with acids, and instead
of losing in the fire any portion of its shining white-
ness, it acquires a slight degree of transparency.
From its external appearance, when I first saw this
clay, I supposed it a kind of fuller's earth very

common in the country, but I afterwards discovered
that it was not lamellous, was easily wrought, and
retained the form that was given it, and, although
saponaceous to the touch, did not foam with water.
These circumstances induce me to believe that this
clay is very analogous to the kaolin of the Chinese,
and that combined with fusible spar, of which there
are great quantities in the same province, it would
furnish an excellent porcelain.

The third species is the subdola (argilla subdola)
so called from the places where it is found, which
are usually marshes, containing pits very dange-
rous for animals, especially horses, who, if they
fall in them, are sure to perish unless immediate as-
sistance is obtained. This clay is black, viscous,
and composed of coarse particles of various sizes; the
pits are from fifteen to twenty feet in circumference
and of an immense depth. Wallerius and Linnaeus
describe a clay, found in Sweden, that has some re-
semblance to this, to which they have given the
ilia tumescens, but on investigation it ap-
pears to be very different both in its colour and pro-
perties. The Chilian clay is a little alkalescent,
continues in the same state throughout the year,
and is constantly covered with a very fine verdure
that attracts the animals, who are frequently mired
and perish in it ; while that of Sweden inclines to an
acid, swells much in certain seasons, and is natu-
rally barren.

The fourth kind is the rovo (argilla rovia) from
which the inhabitants procure an excellent black ;
it is used in dying wool, and represented by Feuille

and Frazier as superior to the best European
blacks. This clay is of a very fine grain, of a deep
black, a little bituminous, and very vitriolic ; it is
found in almost all the forests, and has the property
of communicating to pieces of wood that are buri-
ed in it for a short time, a sort of black varnish, very
shining and durable. The colour is obtained by
boiling the clay with the leaves of a plant called the
panke tinctoria, hereafter described.

The grey clay, which is the fifth species, possesses
all the properties requisite for pottery. It appears to
be of a kind suitable for retorts, crucibles, &.c. as
the vessels that I have seen of it are very strong, and
capable of resisting the most violent fire.

Among the calcareous earths is a kind of lime or
gravelly chalk, found in the Cordilleras, in quarries
of many miles in extent and of a depth hitherto un-
explored. I have given it the name of volcanic
lime (calx vulcanica) as I am convinced it was ori-
ginally marble reduced to this state by volcanoes or
subterranean fires. Its surface appears to have
been burnt, and the surrounding mountains afford
unequivocal proofs of an extinguished volcano.

This substance is distinguished from common
lime by several particulars : it is not so caustic even
when burnt; and, when mixed with acids, effervesces
but slightly, and deposits a neutral salt of a very
irregular crystallization. The only use to which
this lime is applied by the inhabitants is to white-
wash their houses. It is of two kinds, one perfectly
white and easily reducible to an impalpable powder,
found in the mountains of Chalcagua and Maiile ;

m ■
III if-'.

H,'

the other, which is of a yellow hue, but becomes
paler and discoloured with age, is brought from the
province of Chilian.

The metallic earths or chalks, discovered in Chili,
are the mountain green and blue, native ceruse,
lapis caliminaris, brown, yellow and red ochres ; of
the latter there are two varieties, one of a pale and
the other of a bright red like cinnebar, the last is
called Quenchu, and is mentioned by commodore
Anson as being found in great quantities in the
island of Juan Fernandez. Some give it the name
of native minium from its appearance, and its weight
differs very little from that of red lead ; it is
supposed to have been produced from the calcina-
tion of mines of lead by subterraneous fires. The
veins of both these ochres run deep into the ground,
and their quality is found to improve in proportion
to their depth.

Few places in Chili are in reality sandy, or so
covered with sand as to be incapable of vegeta-
tion. But the rivers abound with it, owing to the
constant friction of the pebbles with which their
beds are lined, and on their shores all the various
kinds of sand described by naturalists may be found.
The black sand of Virginia (arena micacea nigra)
first described by Woodward, is common on the
sea shore and on the banks of several rivers ; it is
black and very heavy from the quantity of ferrugi-
nous particles it contains. In the same places is
also found another kind, differing from the former
only in colour, which is a beautiful Prussian blue ;
for this reason I have called it the black blue sand

*v*

(arena cyanea). Near Talca, the capital of the
province of Maule, is a little hill which furnishes a
species of cement sand, known by the name of Talca
sand (arena talcensis). This sand is finer than that
of Puzzoli in Italy, and appears to be a volcanic
production, as its earthy and ferruginous parts are
half calcined. The inhabitants employ it in their
buildings for those walls which they intend to whiten,
as of itself it forms a very strong cement, to which
the lime adheres firmly.

Sect. VII. Stones. — In Chili, a country whose
mineralogy is so imperfectly known, very few new
species of stones have been discovered, in either of
the four orders into which naturalists have divided
them. In the short excursions which my occupa-
tions allowed me to make among the mountains, I
have noticed, of the argillaceous kind, various sorts
of schistus, slate, talc, asbestos and mica. Of the
latter the membranaceous mica of Chili, otherwise
called Muscovy glass, is found there in its greatest
perfection, both as respects its transparency and the
size of its laminae ; of this substance the country
people manufacture artificial flowers, and, like the
Russians,^ make use of it for glazing their houses.
The thin plates which are used for windows are by
many preferred to glass, from their being pliable
and less fragile, and possessing what appears to be
a peculiar property, of freely admitting the light
and a view of external objects to those within, while
persons without are prevented from seeing any thing

Vol. I. I

in the house. It is as white and transparent as the
best glass, and is frequently found in plates of a
foot long ; and I am convinced if a little care was
used in digging it, they might be procured of dou-
ble that size. There is a second kind, found in very
large plates, which I have called mica variegata. It is
spotted with yellow, red and blue, but as it cannot
t>e applied to the uses of the first, it is of course held
in much less estimation.

Those of the calcarious kind are limestones>
marbles, calcarious spars and gypsums. Of the
limestones, there are those that are very compact
and of all colours, the shining red, the coarse white,
the blue and the grey.

The plain marbles, or those of but one colour,
hitherto discovered in Chili, are the white statuary
marble, the black, the green, the yellow and the
grey. Two mountains, one in the Cordilleras of
Copiapo, and the other in the marshes of Maiile,
consist wholly of a marble striped with bands of
various colours which have a very beautiful appear-
ance. The variegated marbles are the ash-coloured
with veins of white, yellow and blue ; the green
speckled with black ; and the yellow with irregular
spots of green, black and grey. This last is found
at St. Fernando, the capital of Calchagua ; it is in
high estimation, is easily wrought, and becomes
harder from exposure to the air. The Chilian mar-
bles are generally of an excellent quality, and take a
fine polish. Several who have examined the inte-
rior Andes, have informed me that those mountains

abound with marbles of various kinds, and of almost
all colours ; but their observations were too super-
ficial to afford me a correct description.

In the plains near the city of Coquimbo, at the
depth of three or four feet, is found a white testa-
ceous marble, somewhat granulated. It is filled with
shells of the snail kind more or less entire, which
give it the appearance of shell work. The quarry
is several miles in extent, and generally about two
feet in thickness, but varying according to the num-
ber of strata, which are from five to eight, frequent-
ly interrupted by very thin layers of sand. These
strata increase in hardness in proportion to their
depth ; the upper consists wholly of a coarse brittle
stone, which is only proper for lime ; but the marble
of the others is very compact, requires but little la-
bour to dig, and after a short exposure to the air,
obtains a degree of solidity and firmness sufficient
to resist the injuries of the weather.

Spar, a substance common to all metallic mines,
and which often serves as a guide to the miners, to
determine the character of the ore, abounds in Chili,
where all the known species have been discovered
excepting the crystal of Iceland. Of these species
the varieties are infinite, and many of them, if exa-
mined attentively, might be found to be real and
distinct species. Coloured spar, knownrby the names
of false emerald, topaz, and sapphire, is one of the
species most frequently met with. But the most
curious of all the Chilian spars is one of an hexago
nal form, and perfectly transparent ; it is found in the

gold mine of Quillata, and is crossed in various di-
rections by very fine golden filaments, which give it
a most beautiful appearance.

Quarries of the common or parallelopipedal gyp-
sum, the rhomboidal and the striated are numerous
in Chili. But the inhabitants make little use of
either, preferring a species of gypsum, of a beau-
tiful white a little inclining to blue, which is very
brittle and composed of small irregular particles ;
it is always found in the vicinity of volcanoes, in a
semi- calcined state, from whence I have denomi-
nated it the volcanic gypsum (gypsum volcanicum)
The quarries from whence it is procured are of great
extent ; it is principally employed for plaistering
walls, to which its slight tint of blue gives a
very agreeable appearance ; it may be used in its
native state, but the masons generally prepare it by
a slight calcination. The Andes abound with quar-
ries of fine alabaster, and a species of pellucid sele-
nite, which is used by the inhabitants of St. Jago
instead of glass for the windows of their churches.

Of the sandstone there are various kinds, the
whetstone, flint, quartz and rock crystal. The first
contains three varieties, the white, the grey and the
yellow ; the mill or grindstone, and the freestone,
which likewise belong to the same class, are^very
common in Chili. The mountains contain great
quantities of quartz, both the opake, the pellucid
and that of different colours, as well as common
flint and several species of agate. Of the plain
jaspers there are the fine red, the green, the grey,

the white, and the true lapis lazuli;* and among
the variegated, the grey spotted with black, the
whitish interspersed with yellow and blue, and the
yellow marked with blue, red and grey spots. Be-
sides the pieces of rock crystal found in all parts
of the country, blocks of it are obtained from the
Cordilleras of a size sufficient for columns of six or
seven feet in height. They also contain great quan-
tities of coloured crystals, or spurious precious
stones, resembling in appearance rubies, jacinths,
diamonds, &c. Not many years since a real topaz
of a very large size, was found in the province of
St. Jago, and a beautiful emerald at Coquimbo. From
time to time the rivers wash down with their sands
various kinds of precious stones, particularly rubies
and sapphires, which, though small and of little value,
fully prove that the mountains producing them con-
tain those that are of great worth. But the indolence
of the inhabitants, which induces them to neglect
many other important branches of commerce, has
hitherto prevented them from attending to this, ®pU
withstanding it might become of the utmost im-
portance.

A little hill at the north east of Talca consists
almost entirely of amethysts. Some are found en-

* In the plains of Copiapo, are also great quantities of load-
stone, and of lapis lazuli, which the inhabitants consider as of
no value. These mines are at the distance of fourteen or fifteen
leagues from Copiapo, and in the vicinity of a tract of country-
abounding in mines of lead. — Frazier's Voyage, vol. i.

The lafiis lazuli, according to the opinions of the best informed
mineralogints, belongs to the genus of zeolites Ft*. Trans.

$.;!!

closed in a grey quartz, which series them for a ma-
trix, and others isolated among the sand. They are
more perfect both in colour and hardness in propor-
tion to their depth, and were those who search for
them to dig deeper, they would, most probably, dis-
cover them in the highest state of perfection. A
short time before I left Chili I saw some that were
of a beautiful violet, and would cut glass repeat-
edly without injuring their points. Among them
were a few of as fine a water as the diamond, and
perhaps they may serve as precursors to that most
valuable gem. They are so abundant that, in some
of the crevices of the rocks, those of a fine purple
may be discovered at almost every step.

The province of Copiapo owes its name, accord-
ing to the Indian tradition, to the great quantity of
turquoises found in its mountains. Though these
stones ought, with propriety, to be classed among
the concretions, as they are only the petrified teeth
or bones of animals, coloured by metallic vapours,
I have thought proper to mention them here, as they
are placed by many among the precious stones. The
turquoises of Copiapo are usually of a greenish blue,
some, however, are found of a deep blue, which are
very hard, and known by the name of the turquoises
of the old rock.

Mixed stones, or those formed by the combina-
tion of several heterogeneous substances, are here,
as elsewhere, the most numerous, and form a con-
siderable portion of the Chilian mountains. Beside
the cbmmon stones of this class, various kinds of

porphyry and granite of the first quality are con-
stantly met with ; and the skirts of the mountains
bordering the high road across the Andes to Cujot
consist wholly of red, green, black and other co-
loured porphyries. Among these is one which de-
serves particular attention ; it is yellow, spotted with
red and blue, and from its being found in the
neighbourhood of the river Chili, I have given it
the name of saxum Chilense.

In the plains near the confluence of the Rio-claro,
a large quarry of brown porphyry with black spots
has been discovered. It is disposed in strata of two
feet broad and four inches thick, a proportion which
hitherto has been found invariable ; and notwith-
standing the layers are frequently broken by crevi-
ces or some foreign substance, pieces have been
procured of more than eight feet in length. These
pieces are so even and smooth, that they are used
by the painters to grind their colours upon, without
any preparation. It is not easy to account for the
arrangement and regular formation of this stone ;
the earth in the environs is composed of sand, clay
or marie, and between the layers only is a coarse
sparry or quartzeous sand to be found.

. In the plains, and upon most of the mountains3
are to be seen a great number of flat circular stones>
of five or six inches in diameter, with a hole through
the middle. These stones which are either granite
or porphyry, have doubtless received this form by
artificial means, and I am induced to believe that.
they were the clubs or maces of the ancient Chi-

lians, and that the holes were perforated to receive
the handles.*

Sect. VIII. Salts.— That part of the Andes
corresponding with the provinces of Copiapo and
Coquimbo, contains several mountains of fossil salt,
dispersed in strata or layers, crystallized in trans-
parent cubes, frequently coloured with yellow, blue,
and red. The surface generally consists of an ar-
gillaceous earth. This salt is excellent, but it is
used only by such as live in the vicinity ; as those
who are at a distance prefer the sea salt, which is
obtained in great quantities, and of a fine quality
upon the coast, particularly at Bucalemu, Boyeruca
and Vichuquen. In the middle districts, however,
the salt from the springs of Pehuenches, which I
have already mentioned in treating of mineral wa-
ters, is most generally used.

Sal-ammoniac, either incrusted or in a state of
efflorescence, is very common in many parts of Chili.
It is also found of various colours, in a fossil state,
in the vicinity of volcanoes, of which it appears to
be a production.

Much of the marly ground in the neighbourhood of
the city of Coquimbo is covered with a crust of some
inches of crystallized nitre, withabase of fixed alkali, f

* The nations of the South Sea Inlands, discovered by captain
Cook, have among- their weapons clubs of a similar form to
what our author supposes these to have been Fr. Trans.

;f Nor is saltpetre less common there, which is frequently
found in the vallies an inch thick upon the surface of the earth.—-.
Fra^ier's Voyage, vol. i.

*vr

In other parts of the same province this salt i$
found with a calcareous base ; but we must not con-
sider as nitre all the salts which the inhabitants re-
present as such, for the natron is likewise found
there, or earthy alkaline salt, combined with sea
salt, and sometimes with the volatile alkali, to which
they improperly give the name of nitre.

Besides common alum, and that called the plum-
ed,* which are found in many parts of Chili, a
semi-crystallized aluminous stone has been disco-
vered in the Andes. This stone, called by the inhab-
itants polcura, is brittle and of a pale white, of a
very fine grain and a vitriolic taste ; its external ap-
pearance is like that of white marble, but it contains
no calcareous particles, nor is it in reality any thing
but a clay saturated with vitriolic acid, analagous to
the aluminous stone of Tolfa. It is useful in dying,
and the quarries from whence it is procured com-
prehend a space of many leagues among the moun-
tains, which also afford another stone in some mea-
sure resembling it, but coarser and of much less
Value. Its yellow hue, and the quantity of sulphur
and pyrites it contains, distinguish this last from the
real polcura, which is very pure, and not combined
with any metallic substance.

The four principal kinds of vitriol, the green
or iron, the blue or copper, the ^vhite with a zinc
base, and the mixed, are found in a stalactite or

* This name is given to a species of talc, consisting of
filaments^ otherwise called the asbestos stone. — Dictionnaire de
l'Academie.

Vol. I. K

crystallized state as well as that of efflorescence in
the mines, and even isolated in different earths ; the
metallic substances which produce it being, under
different modifications, dispersed throughout the
country.

Sect. IX. Bitumens. — The Andes, heated by
subterraneous fires, produce in many places white
and red naphtha, petroleum, asphaltos, and mineral
pitch of two kinds, the common, and another of a
bluish black, which when burnt exhales an agree-
able odour like amber. This bitumen, which I
believe to be condensed naphtha, I have named bit-
umen andinum, and it is perhaps only a variety of
the Persian mummy. It is not uncommon, and is
discovered in large quantities in those places that
produce it. Jet is very plentiful in the Araucanian
provinces ; and near the city of Conception, and in
various other parts of Chili, pit-coal is found in great
abundance.*

Considerable quantities of ambergris are thrown
up by the sea upon the Araucanian coast and the
islands of Chiloe. The Indians call it meyene (the
excrement of whales) and pretend that when it is
first thrown up it is black, that it next becomes
brown, and after along exposure to the sun acquires
a grey colour. Pieces of yellow amber are occa-
sionally found upon the shores, which prove that

* The mountains in the neighbourhood of the Fuelches afford
mines of sulphur and of salt ; and in Talcaguano, Irequin, and
even in the city of Conception, several good mines of coal have
been discovered at the depth of one or two feet from the surface.—
Frazier's Voyagey vol. i.

Chili contains also this valuable production. In,
the province of Copiapo, one of the richest parts of
the world in minerals, are two little mountains al-
most entirely composed of the most beautiful crys-
tallized sulphur, so pure that it does not require
refining.* And there is scarce a valley in the Andes
but what contains a reservoir of this mineral.

Sec t. X. Pyrites. — The whole territory of Chi-
li is sown with pyrites. They are of different qual-
ities and shapes, and discovered at various depths,
frequently in groupes, but more usually in veins va-.
rying in extent and thickness. They most generally
accompany metals of some kind, and are found both
in veins of ore, in chalk, clay and common stone,
but rarely in quartz or in rock crystal.

In the three divisions, under which they may be
classed, the iron, the copper and the arsenic, they
present themselves with such different modifications,
that a particular enumeration and description of
them would require a volume. The most remark-
able species of those that I have seen, is the aurife-
rous pyrites, generally denominated the Inca stone.
M. Bomare, in his Dictionary of Natural History,
observes, that this stone is very rare, and found only
in the tombs of the ancient Peruvians. This may
perhaps be the case in Peru, but it is otherwise in

* On the high ridge of the Cordilleras, forty leagues south-east
from the harbour of Copiapo, are the best mines of sulphur. It is
procured, from veins about two feet wide, in a state so pure as to
require no refining. — Frazier's Voyage, vol. i. .,

i i

Chili, where it is found in great quantities upon the
Campana, a high mountain in the province of Quil-
lota, and is known by the same name. This pyrites
is of a cubical figure, and contains a mixture of gold
and copper mineralized with sulphur. It emits but
a very few sparks with the steel, a circumstance
which distinguishes it from all the other species.

Sect. XJ. Semi-metals. — All the known kinds
of semi-metals ai*e met with in Chili, and are found
either in mines by themselves, or combined with
metallic ores, and generally in a state of. minerali-
zatioti. But the working them is neglected or pro-
hibited, and antimony is the only one sought for,
as it is necessary for refining the precious metals.
This mineral is discovered under various forms, as,
the red antimony combined with arsenic and sul-
phur, the striated and the compact, all of which are
found in mines of gold, silver, iron and lead. One
mine alone has furnished crystallized antimony.

The digging of quicksilver is rigorously prohib-
ited in consequence of its being a royal monopoly.
It is found in a metallic form, or mineralized with
sulphur under that of cinnabar. The two richest
mines are in the provinces of Coquimbo and Copia-
po, from whence vast quantities might be obtained
if it were permitted to work them, the greater part
of which would probably be sold in the country it-
self, as much is required for the amalgamation of
the precious metals. The mine of Coquimbo is in
one of the midland mountains. The bed or matrix

of the quicksilver is a species of brownish clay, or a
very brittle black stone ; in this the quicksilver is
found in great abundance in its natural state, in hori-
zontal veins, occasionally intersected by mineralized
mercury or cinnabar. That of Quillota is situated
in a very high mountain near Limache, and appears
to be as rich as the former. The quicksilver is mi-
neralized with sulphur ; its matrix is a calcarious
stone, which would serve very well, as an interme-
diate substance, to retain the sulphur, if the mer-
cury Were to be separated from it by a chemical
process.

Sect. XII. Metals.— The Chilians set little va-
lue upon lead mines, although they possess those
that are of an excellent quality. No more of this
metal is dug than what is wanted in the foundries
for the melting of silver, or is employed for domes-
tic purposes. Lead is not only found in all the sil-
ver mines, but, in cubes of various siz.es with the
galena or black lead, in mines of pure ore, or in-
termixed with spar of different colours. All the lead
mines contain either gold or silver, but in too small
a quantity to excite the attention of the miners. The
mines of tin, although excellent, are equally neg-
lected with those of lead. This ore is usually found
in sandy mountains, not like other metals in con-
tinued veins, but under the appearance of black
stones, very brittle and heavy, of an unequal size
and irregular shape. In this state, the tin contains a
small portion of iron, mineralized with a little arse-

nic. Crystals of tin, of various colours, are also
common throughout Chili.

M, cle Pau w, with a dash of his pen, has driven out
of this country all its iron mines, since he boldly
asserts that •' Chili does not contain a single mine
of iron." But Frazier, and other writers who have
been in that country, declare the contrary.*

So plentiful is this metal in the country, that as I
have already observed, the brooks and rivers deposit
great quantities of sand, replete with particles of
iron upon their shores, the sea also washes it up at
times in great abundance.

The provinces of Coquimbo, Copiapo, Aconca-
gua and Huilquilemu, are very rich in mines of
iron ; it is found under various appearances, as a
black, a grey compact ore, or crystallized in bluish
cubes. From the essays that have been made, the

* " In order the more to depreciate America, Pauw asserts,
that there are but few iron mines in that quai'ter of the world.
And, what is still more singular, that the iron procured from
them is of a very inferior quality to that of the old continent, so
much so that it will not answer even for nails ; and that, in con-
sequence, it is so dear as to be sold in Peru at the rate of a crown,
and steel at a crown and a half for the pound weight."

The iron, however, so much decried by this author, who sup-
poses it to be American, is what is imported from Europe. But
supposing his assertion to be true, for what purpose has the Span-
ish government prohibited the working or selling any iron but
that which is brought from Spain ?

" In the vicinity of Copiapo, besides the mines of gold, there
are many of iron, copper, tia and lead, that are not worked.''
And in the year 1710, a number of mines of all kinds of metal,
such as gold, silver, iron, lead, copper and tin, were, discovered
at Lampague.— Frazier's Vognge^ vol., L

iron of these mines is of the very best quality ; but the
working of it is prohibited, in order to favour the trade
of Spain, from whence all the iron used in the country-
is brought. But during the last war between Eng-
land and Spain, when iron was at an exorbitant price,
several quintals were secretly wrought which prov-
ed to be of a superior quality. The Araucanian pn>
vinces likewise produce excellent iron, and I have
been assured by an intelligent Biscayan smith, that
it was no way inferior to the best in Spain. In the
same country has likewise been discovered a spe-
cies of that mineral substance called refractarias ;
and there is scarce a province that does not contain a
mine of load- stone : Frazier speaks of a mountain
in the Andes, called St. Agnes, which is entirely
composed of this substance.

If the Chilians have neglected the working of
mines in general, this cannot be said of those of
gold, silver and copper, to which the greatest atten-
tion has been paid, from the conquest to the present
time. The richest mines of the latter are found
betwixt the 24th and 36th degrees of latitude ; the
ore obtained from them is of various qualities, some
very fine and some but indifferent. Ulloa, in speak-
ing of this copper generally, assigns to it the second
place after that of Corinth, which is properly consi-
dered as an artificial metal.* Almost all the copper

* In the province of Coquimbo all kinds of metals are so com-
mon, that it would seem as if the earth was entirely composed of
mineral. In that province are those mines of copper Avhich sup-
ply the consumption of Chili and Peru, and although it is consi-
dered as the best of any hitherto known, it is dug very sparing!}''.,
American Gazetteer i article Chili.

\\i\i

in Chili contains a greater or less proportion of gold.
This was well known to the French, who, in the be-
ginning of the present century, carried on a profit-
able commerce with that country for copper, great
quantities of which they exported and extracted the
gold from it. The proportions of these metals are
very various, there are some copper ores which con-
tain a tenth, and others a third part of gold ; but in
these cases both substances are found in a metallic
state, without having been mineralized.

The copper ores, containing but little or no gold,
are usually mineralized with arsenic or sulphur, some-
times with both, and mixed with iron and silver. They
are found under the forms of vitreous and hepatic
ore, of ultramarine stone, and of malachite and white
copper ore. These several ores are rich in metal,
but, from the expense of refining them, they are
considered as of no vakie. The ores that are wrought
are but two kinds, the grey or bell metal, and the
malleable copper. The grey ore, or bell metal, is
usually mineralized with arsenic and sulphur; it
contains no gold or other metal, except a small por-
tion of tin.* From this mixture and its grey colour,
which it retains even after having been melted and
refined, it may be considered as a species of native
bronze ; it has another characterestic of that facti-
tious metal in its brittleness, although its specific
gravity, is much greater than that of the metals com-

* If the author ha? giro en an accurate description of this metal,
it is of a very singular specif and nothing' similar to it has been
discover rd in the mines t.f Bi<rop<e Fr. Trans.

posing it, when artificially combined. This brittle-
ness renders it unfit for any thing but the casting
of cannon, bells, &c.

Large quantities of this metal are sent to Spain
for the use of foundries, whence M. Bomare has
been led to observe, in his Dictionary of Natural
History, that the copper of Coquimbo is of little
value. The matrix of this ore is a grey sandy stone,
easily broken ; and the relative proportions of the
copper to the tin vary considerably.

The malleable copper is found in many of the
other provinces as well as Coquimbo ; it possesses
every quality requisite in that metal, and is the spe-
cies from whence the Chilian copper has principally
derived its high reputation. Its matrix is a soft brown
and sometimes white stone ; the ore, which is minera-
lized with a small portion of sulphur, in its appear-
ance and ductility resembles native copper, a sim-
ple roasting being sufficient to expel the sulphur
and render it malleable and fit for use. The miners,
however, refine it in the usual manner, as they pre-
tend that by this means it acquires a brighter colour.
There is a remarkable affinity between this copper
and gold ; those metals are not only always found
combined, but veins of pure gold are frequently met
with in the deepest copper mines. In this circum-
stance has originated the error of many miners, who
assert that copper, when it extends to a certain
depth, becomes transmuted into gold. The veins do
not always preserve the same course, and are fre-
quently divided into small ramifications ; and there

Vol. I. J-

is a still greater diversity in their gangas or matrices.
A great number of mines have been opened, but
those only are worked whose ore is so rich as to
yield at least one half its weight in refined copper ;
those of a less product having been relinquished as
too expensive ; notwithstanding which, between the
cities of Coquimbo and Copiapo there are now in
work more than a thousand mines, besides those in
the province of Aconcagua.

The most celebrated copper mine in Chili was
the old mine of Payen, but the working of it has
been for many years relinquished, in consequence of
the opposition of the Puelches, who inhabit that dis-
trict.* On its first discovery this mine furnished

* Mines of copper are very frequent in the vicinity of Coquim-
bo, at three leagues distance to the north-east of that city. It
is also said, that mines of iron and of quicksilver are found
there. — Frazier>a Voyage^ vol. i.

All the parts of the Cordilleras near St. Jago and Conception
abound in copper mines, and particularly a place called Payen,
some of which were formerly wrought, and pieces of pure copper
of fifty and a hundred quintals weight obtained from them. —
American Gazetteer ; article Chili.

Among the mountains of the Cordilleras a great number of
mines of all kinds of metal's and minerals are to be met with, par-
ticularly in two ridges, distant only twelve leagues from the Pam-
pas (or great plains) of Paraguay, and a hundred from Conception ;
in one of which have been discovered mines of copper so produc-
tive that they have yielded pieces of pure ore of a hundred quin-
tals weight. To one of these spots, which the Indians call Payen,
that is copper, the discoverer, Don Juan Melendez, gave the name
of St. Joseph. I saw at Conception a piece of ore of forty quin-
tals weight, from which, when smelted, were cast six field pieces
of six pounds caliber. And nothing is more common than to meet
with stones composed partly of pure and partly of impure copper,
which has given rise to the observation, that the soil of this country

pepitaSy or pieces of pure copper, from fifty to a hun-
dred weight, which the writers of those times repre-
sent as of a beautiful colour resembling pinchbeck,
and containing in general more than an equal por-
tion of gold. This metal was so pure and easily sepa-
rated from its matrix that it required only a common
fire to melt it.

A mine has lately been discovered at Curico which
is as rich as that of Payen. The ore consists of gold
and copper in equal proportions, and the inhabitants
have named it natural avanturine* from its being
filled with brilliant particles that give it a beautiful
appearance. This metal is used by the goldsmiths
for rings, bracelets, and other ornaments of jewelry.

In the province of Huilquilemu are hills that fur-
nish a copper ore combined with zinc, or a real native
brass. It is found in pieces of various sizes, and the
matrix is a brittle earthy stone of a yellow colour, or
a dull green. This substance, which has hitherto
been obtained only by artificial means, probably
owes its formation to subterraneous fires, which sub-
limating the zinc, and combining it with the copper,
has produced this extraordinary natural mixture. It
is of a fine yellow colour, and as malleable as the

is creative; that is, that copper is constantly produced or created
in it. The same mountain contains mines of lapis lazuli, and the
other which is near it, called by the Spaniards Cerro de Santa
Inis, is particularly remarkable for great quantities of load-stone,
of which it appears to be entirely composed. — Frazie?-'s Voyage^
vol. i.

* A precious stone of a yellowish colour, full of small specks
of gold.

best artificial brass, and is called Laxa copper, from
the river of that name in the vicinity of the mine.

The method of melting the ore is very simple :
After separating it from the earth and superfluous
matrix, it is broken into small pieces with wooden
pestles. These pieces are placed between layers of
wood, which are set on fire, and the heat kept up
with a large bellows moved by water. The furnace
is constructed of an adhesive clay ; but the bot-
tom, which is slightly inclined towards the centre,
is formed of a cement of plaister and calcined
bones. The vault contains a sufficient number of
outlets for the smoke, and at the top is an aperture
that may be closed or opened at pleasure, which
serves for the introduction of ore and fuel.

At the bottom of the furnace is a hole for the
passage of the liquefied metal, which is conveyed
into a receptacle, and from thence taken and refined
in the European manner.

I do not know what quantity of copper is annu-
ally obtained from the mines, but from the expor-
tation it must be very considerable. Five or six
ships sail every year for Spain, each of which usually
carries twenty thousand quintals or upwards. Much
is also sent to Buenos- Ayres by land ; and the Pe-
ruvians, who have an extensive commerce with the
coast, export at least thirty thousand quintals yearly,
which is principally employed in their sugar works.
Besides which the quantity made use of in the can-
non foundries, and for domestic purposes, is by no
means inconsiderable.

The mines of copper are not confined to any par-
ticular district, but scattered throughout the coun-
try ; those of silver, on the contrary, are found only
in the highest and coldest parts of the Andes. This
situation, so unfavourable for working them, and
the vast expense of refining, has caused a great
number of mines, though rich in ore, to be aban-
doned, and there are but three or four that are at
present worked. But it may be presumed, when the
population of this country becomes increased and
its industry excited, that these mines, now neglected,
will become an object of attention, and that the en-
terprise of a future generation will conquer those
obstructions which impede the laboursof the present.

All the provinces bordering upon the Andes pro-
duce some silver mines, but the richest are in those
of St. Jago, Aconcagua, Coquimbo and Copiapo.
In these it is found not only in a metallic form, but
under the appearance of vitreous ore, hornbend, and
red, grey and white ore, wherein the silver is mine-
ralized with sulphur and arsenic, and it is occasion-
ally found combined with other metals. In the year
1767, a piece of silver ore was found in the neigh-
bourhood of Copiapo ; it was of a green colour, and,
on being assayed, was found to contain three-fourths
of pure silver. It was mineralized with a small
quantity of sulphur, and much search has since been
ineffectually made by the inhabitants to discover
the vein from which it was detached.

The ore held in the highest estimation by the mi-"
ners is the black, so called from its matrix beinsr of

a dark colour. Those of them who are experienced
are scarcely ever deceived in this ore, and whenever
they strike upon a new vein can nearly determine by
the eye the quantity of silver which it will yield.
This ore presents three very distinct varieties, though
differing but little in appearance. The first, called
negrillo, resembles the scoria of iron, and affords no
apparent indication of silver. The second, the rossi-
claro, which is distinct from the red silver ore, yields
a red powder when filed ; it is very rich although
its external appearance is not promising. The third,
the piombo ronca, is the richest of all ; as it is mine-
ralized with a very small quantity of sulphur, it is
much more easily separated than the others, which
require a more laborious and complicated operation.
These three varieties of ore are obtained from the
mine of Uspallata, the largest and richest of any of
the silver mines in Chili. It is situated upon the
eastern mountains of that portion of the Andes which
forms a part of the province of Aconcagua. On the
top of these mountains is a large plain called Uspallata,
of more than seventeen leagues in length and three
in breadth, it is watered by a pleasant river and
covered with delightful groves, the air is healthy and
temperate, and the soil fertile. This plain serves as a
base to another more elevated, called Paramillo>
upon which the Andes of the first rank rise to such
a height as to be seen distinctly at St. Louis de la
Punta, a distance of one hundred and twenty leagues.
The ridge of these immense mountains is a blackish
clay stone, containing a great number of round stones

similar to those of rivers. This phenomenon ap-
pears to me unexplainable in any other way but on
the principle of a general deluge; though some au-
thors have, ridiculously enough, accounted for it,
by supposing that the ancient Indians amused them-
selves in throwing these stones upon this mass, while
it was yet soft and in a state of clay. But besides the.
irrationality of such a conjecture, the Abbe Morales
of Cujo, an intelligent naturalist, who carefully exa-
mined these mountains, affirms that the interior of
this mass is no less filled with these stones than the
exterior, which of itself affords a sufficient proof to
the contrary.

The mine of Uspallata extends along the base of
the eastern mountains of the plain of the same1
name, from the thirty-third degree of latitude, in a
direct northerly course ; but the termination of it is
unknown, for I have been assured, by persons who
have followed it for thirty leagues, that it continues
to be equally abundant at that distance, and there are
those who assert that it is a ramification of the cele-
brated mine of Potosi.

The principal vein is nine feet in breadth, but it
branches out upon both sides into several that are
smaller, which extendto the neighbouring mountains,
and are said to exceed thirty miles in length. The
matrix of the great vein is a various coloured earth,
which separates it into five parallel divisions or lay-
ers, of different thicknesses. The middle layer is but
two inches thick ; the ore, which is called by the
miners the guida, is black, but so filled with metallic

"'1 i'Bt

particles as to have a whitish appearance ; the two
next strata are brown and are called pinterias, the
two exterior ones are of a dark grey and known by
the name of brozas. Although the general direc-
tion of this vein is horizontal, it sometimes runs per-
pendicularly, and is found to increase in richness
in proportion to its depth. From assays which have
been made at Lima, on the ore of Uspallata, it ap-
pears that the guida yields more than two hundred
marks of silver the caxon ;* the pintarias, mixed
with the guida, fifty; and the brozas fourteen;
a produce not inferior to that of the mine of Potosi.
The mine of Uspallata was discovered in the year
1638, but although on its first discovery it furnish-
ed the strongest indication of its wealth, from want
of labourers, or some other cause, it was neglected
until 1763, but since that period has been constantly
wrought with immense profit.

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the Indians
employed a very simple method to separate the sil-
ver from the ore, especially when the metal was in a
metallic form, and not mineralized or combined with
other substances. This method consisted in merely
exposing the ore to a degree of heat capable of melt-
ing the metal which it contained. When the ore
was united with other substances, or mineralized,
and of course more difficult to be melted, they

* A term made use of by the American metallurgists to express
the quantity of ore which a single miner can dig in a day, usually
calculated at fifty quintals ; but, as this quantity contains more er
less of the matrix, it is impossible to ascertain the amount of
pure ore contained in each caxon.

made use of a kind of open furnace, constructed
upon elevated ground, in order that the fire should
be kept up by a constant current of air. This appears
to have beeen adopted with a view to save labour, as
they were not unacquainted with the use of the bel-
lows, which was known to them under the name of
pimahue ; and even at present this mode is preferred
by the poorer class, who practise it, and no small
part of the silver, employed as a circulating medium
in Chili, is obtained from these clandestine foundries.
The process generally pursued, particularly by. the
wealthy proprietors, is that of amalgamation.* In this

* Almost all the precipitous and broken grounds of Chili contain
gold in greater or less quantities, the surface of the earth in which
it is found is generally of a reddish colour and soft to the touch.

These lavaderos, or places producing earth which yields gold
by agitating it in water, are very common in Chili, but the indo-
lence of the Spaniards and the want of labourers suffer immense
treasures to remain in the earth which might easily be obtained ;
but, not satisfied with small gains, they work those mines only which
yield a great profit ; of course, whenever any one of this cha-
racter is discovered numbers flock to it from all quarters, as was
the case with Copiapo and Lampagua, which by this means became
peopled so rapidly, from the great concourse of labourers, that in
the space of two years six mills were established at the latter place.
The city of Conception is situated in a country abounding not only
with all the necessaries of life, but with immense riches, particu-
larly a place called the King's Camp, about twelve leagues to
the east, from whence is obtained by the lavadero pieces of pure
gold, called in the country fiefiitas, of from eight to ten marks* in
weight. It has likewise been discovered in the vicinity of Angol ;
and if the inhabitants of the country were industrious, many other
spots would be explored where it is believed there are very good
lavaderos. Nine or ten leagues to the east of Coquimbo are the

Vol. I.

* The Spanish mark is tight ounces.

case they begin with reducing the ore to powder
by grinding it in a mill. This powder is then passed
through a wire sieve and spread upon the hides of
cattle, where it is mixed with sea salt, quicksilver
and rotten dung. After wetting this mixture from
time to time, and beating and treacling it well for the
space of eight days, in order to incorporate the sil-
ver and the mercury, it is put into a stone trough

lavaderos of Andacoll, which produce gold of 23 carats fine, and
are worked constantly with great profit when there is no scarcity
of water. This has given rise to a saying of the inhabitants that
the ground is creative, that is, that gold is continually formed
in it ; founded in the circumstance of their finding that metal
in as great quantities as at first, although it is sixty or eighty
years since these lavaderos have been worked. Besides the
lavaderos, which are in all the vallies, so numerous are the mines
of gold and some of silver that are met with in the mountains,
that they would furnish employment for more than forty thou-
sand men. — Frazier's Voyage.

Chili abounds in mines of all kinds, more especially in those of
gold and copper, which are very common. Coquimbo, Copiapo
and Guasco have gold mines, the ore of which is called by way
of distinction, oro capote, as being the most valuable of any that
has hitherto been discovered... .Ameri can Gazetteer; article Chili.

These vallies contain besides mines of silver, those of lead, cop-
per and quicksilver, and a very great number of gold. Of this-
last there is so much found in the sands of the rivulets, that a cer-
tain author has said that Chili is a composition of this precious
metal. The quantity obtained by Pedro de Valdivia, who entered
Chili after Almagro, was immense. That general opened mines
of gold which were so rich that each Indian furnished from thirty
to Forty ducats daily, as, when only twelve or fifteen were employed,
he obtained three or four hundred ducats a day. This concurs
with what Garcilasso says in his history of Peru, that a part of
Chili fell to the lot of Valdivia, who received from his vassals an
annual tribute of more than one hundred thousand pieces of gold. —
Sanson's (of Abbeville) Geography ; aiticle Chili.,

with water sufficient to dilute it. In this situation,
the silver amalgamated with the mercury, from its
weight sinks to the bottom, while the lighter hetero-
geneous particles are drawn off with the water
through a hole in the trough into a vessel placed to
receive it. This amalgam, after having been repeat-
edly washed to e^anse it from all foreign substances,
is put into a linnen bag, and the mercury, which has
not become incorporated with the silver, expressed
from it. In this state of paste the amalgam receives
any shape, but it is usually formed with moulds into
small cylindrical tubes. The last process is that of
separating the mercury from the silver ; this is done,
by means of evaporation, in a receiver which is filled
with water and closely fitted with a head. The small
quantity of lead or other metal that may remain after
this process can only be detached by melting it.

Gold of all the metals is that which is most abun-
dant in Chili, and it may be said that there is not a
mountain or hill but contains it in a greater or less
degree ; it is found also in the sands of the plains,
but more especially in those washed down by the
brooks and rivers*. Several French and English
authors affirm that the gold of Chili is the purest
and most valuable of any ; and it is true that its gene-

* A person, on opening a water course to an estate in the plain
of Huilquilemu, discovered, with much surprise, a vein of gold
dust, which produced more than fifty thousand dollars without
the least labour. The same good fortune occurred to another in
ploughing a piece of land for grain. These instances are not unu-
sual ; and naturalists have given the name of montas to these
kind of casual mines which are always of small1 extent.

ral standard is from twenty-two to twenty-three and
a half carats. In the southern provinces, between
the river Bio-bio and the Archipelago of Chiloe, se-
veral very rich mines of gold were formerly disco-
vered which yielded immense sums ; but since the
expulsion of the Spaniards from those provinces by
the Araucanians, these mines have been in the pos-
session of that warlike people, who have prohibited
the opening them anew by any one under pain of
death.

The most important mines that are at presejit
wrought are those of Copiapo, Guase, Coquimbo,
Petorca, Ligua, Tiltil, Putaendo, Caen, Alhue,
Chibato, and Huilli-patagua. All these, excepting
the three last, which are of recent discovery, have
been wrought ever since the conquest, and have con-
stantly yielded a great product. But this is by no
means the case with all the mines that are discovered :
in many the miners are allured at first with appear-
ances of great riches, but soon find the ore entirely
fail, or in so small quantities as not to repay them for
their labour. The metallurgists of Chili call this
kind of wandering mine bolson ; the same name
is also applied to the ramifications, which in general
are circular, and to the richest veins where the ore
is found lodged in heaps and cavities. Another ob-
struction to working the mines are the inundations to
which they are subject from subterraneous springs.
These are frequent, and when they occur compel the
miners to abandon the mine, who seldom attempt to
free it by drawing off or diverting the water. Some

~OMHH

years since an accident of this kind occurred to the
celebrated mine of Peldehues, in the neighbourhood
of St. Jago. That mine, which produced daily up-
wards of fifteen hundred pounds weight of gold, was
suddenly inundated, and the workmen were com-
pelled to abandon it, after having in vain made every
exertion to free it from the water.

The matrix of the gold is very variable, and it
may be said that there is no kind of stone or earth,
but what serves it for that purpose. It is to be seen
every where, either in small grains or brilliant span-
gles, under singular forms, or in irregular masses
that may be cut by the chissel. The most usual
matrix is a very brittle red clay stone. The salbanda,
or the exterior covering of the veins, called by miners
caxas, is as variable as the matrix ; it is sometimes
of spar or quartz, at others it consists chiefly of flint,
marble or hornbend. The principal veins are fre-
quently ramified into a number of smaller ones that
are generally very rich. They sometimes descend
almost vertically into the earth, and in those instan-
ces require great labour and expense to be pursued ;
at others they take a circular direction a few feet un-
der ground and meet, particularly at the foot of moun-
tains. The usual course of the veins, though sub-
ject to some variations, is from south to north.

The mines are worked both with the pickaxe and
by explosion. The ore is reduced to powder in a
mill of a very simple construction, called trapiche,
of which two stones, the lower placed horizontally,
and the upper vertically, form the mechanism. The

horizontal is about six feet in diameter, and has near
its circumference a groove of eighteen inches deep,
in which the ore is placed ; through the centre passes
a vertical cylinder connected with a cog-wheel turn-
ed by water. The vertical stone is about four feet
in diameter and ten or fifteen inches thick, and is
furnished with a horizontal axis which permits it to
turn freely within the groove. When the ore is
sufficiently pulverized, a proportionate quantity of
quicksilver is added to it, which is immediately
amalgamated with the gold ; to moisten the mass
and incorporate it more fully a small stream of wa-
ter is then directed above it, which also serves to
carry off the amalgam into reservoirs placed beneath
the stone. The gold combined with the mercury
falls to the bottom of these reservoirs in the form of
whitish globules ; the mercury is next evaporated
by heat, and the gold appears in its true colour and
in all its brilliancy. In each of these mills upwards
of two thousand weight of ore is daily ground and
amalgamated.

As the digging of the stone ore obtained from the
mines is very expensive, from the number of work-
men and the materials required, it is pursued only
by the rich ; but it furnishes a much greater profit
than the lavadero, or the ore procured by the wash-
ing of auriferous sands, which is practised only by
the poorer class, and those who cannot afford the
necessary expenses for mining. The washing is
performed in the following manner : the earth or
sand containing particles of gold is put into a vessel

of wood or horn, culled porima, which is placed in
a running stream and constantly shaken ; by this
means the sand which contains no metallic particles,
being lighter, is thrown out over the top, and the
more weighty or the gold remains at the bottom.
This operation is necessary to be repeated several
times in order to carry off all the ferruginous earth
which is always united with gold. But as many of
the smaller metallic particles must necessarily be
washed away with the earth by this process, a mode,
in my opinion, much more economical, is that em-
ployed in some places of washing the sand upon in-
clined planks covered with sheep skin. Defective as
the process of washing is, the profit that accrues from
it is frequently almost incredible, as it is not unusual
to find among the sand large pieces of gold, called pe-
pitas, which sometimes exceed a pound in weight; but
it is more commonly found in a pulverized state, and
in the form of little round or lenticular grains. This
gold is sold in the cities in little purses made of the
scrotums of sheep as in the time of Pliny, and is gene-
rally more esteemed than that of the mines, as it is
of a better colour and a finer standard.

The quantity of gold annually dug in Chili is diffi-
cult to be estimated. That called oro-quintado, which
pays the fifth to the royal treasury, does not amount
to less than four millions of dollars, of which there is
coined at the mint of St. Jago a million and a half, the
residue is exported in bullion, or used in the country
for plate and jewelry. The amount smuggled without
paying the duty cannot be calculated, but it certainly

! I;

is very considerable. I have made much search
but without success, to discover the platina, or white
gold, found in Peru. What bears the name of white
gold in Chili is a mixture of gold and silver in which
the latter predominates. But since I left that country
a new immalleable metal, of a kind unknown to the
miners, has been discovered in the gold mine of
Capati on the mountains of Copiapo, which I ima-
gine can be no other than platina.

Many obstacles present themselves to impede the
working of the mines, both in the danger to which
the miners are exposed from the mephitic vapours,
called mountain fires, and in the vast expense at-
tending the digging them. The great number of
tools, the timber required for propping the arches,
which is very scarce and expensive in the country,
the numerous workmen who must be paid and sub-
sisted, together with the uncertainty of the product,
are reasons which operate powerfully to discourage
those who are inclined to engage in mining ; of course,
the number of those who pursue this business is very
small in comparison to that of the mines.

When any persons are desirous of opening a mine,
application is made to the government, which rea-
dily grants its permission and appoints an inspector,
under whose authority and, direction they begin by
dividing the mine into three equal parts, or estacas,
each two hundred and forty- six feet long and one
hundred and twenty- three broad. The first portion
belongs to the king, in whose name it is sold, the
second to the owner of the land, and the third to the

discoverer of the mine. As the opening of a mine
is very injurious to the cultivation of the land in
which it is situated, the proprietors of the soil en-
deavour to prevent as much as possible the discovery
of veins in their grounds. The number of persons
who flock from all quarters to a newly opened mine
that promises to be profitable is almost incredible.
Some come thither to work, others to sell their
provisions, which at such times are in great de-
mand ; and in this manner a kind of fair is gra-
dually established, which leads to the erection of
houses, and finally to the formation of a permanent
town or village. A magistrate, with the title of the
Alcayde of the mine, is then appointed by the govern-
ment to regulate and superintend it, and as this
office is almost always very lucrative the governor of
the province generally assumes it and appoints a
deputy to manage it for his account.

The miners of Chili are in general well acquainted
with metallurgy. They are expert in mining and
in the art of assaying and refining metals ; but their
knowledge is wholly practical and they are entirely
ignorant of the theory or the real principles of the
art. They are divided into three classes, the first
those who labour in the mine, the second the foun-
ders and refiners, the third the porters or those who
carry off the mineral. In general they are a bold,
enterprising and prodigal class of men. Familiarized
to the sight of the precious metals, they learn to dis-
regard them, and attach but little value to money.

Vol. I.

They are extravagant in their expenses, and passion-
ately addicted to gaming, in which they pass almost
all their leisure moments ; and instances are not un-
frequent of a miner losing one or two thousand
crowns of a night. Losses of this nature are consi-
dered by them as trifles, and on such occasions they
gayly console themselves with a professional pro-
verb, that " the mountains never keep accounts."
Nothing is more abhorrent to them than frugality,
and whenever they find one of their companions who
has amassed a sum of money by his economy, they
leave no means untried to strip him of it, observing,
that avarice is a vice peculiarly degrading to the
character of a miner ; and so addicted are they to
ebriety that those who on first joining them are re-
markable for their abstemiousness, are soon led, from
the influence of example, to participate in the general
intemperance. From these causes none of them ac-
quire property, and they generally die in the greatest
poverty and distress, while the profits of their labour
are wholly absorbed by those who supply them with
provisions and liquor.

Sect. XIII. Concretions. — The last class of the
mineral kingdom, the concretions, offers nothing
very remarkable in Chili. Pumice stone is so
common in the interior of the Andes that it forms
the substance of several mountains. A species of it
of a light grey is in much estimation with the inhabi-
tants who use it for filtering stones. Petrified wood
has been discovered in many places. I have seen
pieces of hewn timber completely petrified dug out

of a little hill near Valparaiso, some of which were
eight feet long and bore the visible marks of the
European axe, a proof that this wood must have be-
come petrified since the arrival of the Spaniards.*
Of all kinds of wood the Chilian willow is perhaps
the most susceptible of petrifaction, and pieces of it
are every where to be met with that have undergone
this change ; to effect which, it requires to be buried

* That the marks in this wood were produced by an axe, or
some tool of a similar kind, I am not disposed to question ; but that
it must have been an European axe, will fairly admit of doubt.
The Mexicans, on the arrival of the Spaniards, made use of axes
or hatchets cf copper, and, as we are assured by some respectable
authors, possessed the art of tempering that metal for tools in a
manner entirely unknown to the Europeans ; and that this secret
was known to the ancient Chilians is by no means impi'obable, con-
sidering their contiguity and intercourse with the Peruvians, a peo-
ple whose progress in the arts was not inferior to that of the Mexi-
cans. As the period when this timber was cut is however wholly
conjectural, it may perhaps be referred to an earlier date than
any authenticated or even traditionary accounts of the country ; to
an era when the use of iron was very possibly known, perhaps ante-
rior to the deluge, when the face of the globe exhibited far different
aspects and relations than at present. That this hypothesis is not
wholly destitute of verisimilitude, the following may serve to show :
One of the numbers of the Richmond Enquirer, for the present
year, 1807, in giving an account of the antiquities of the interior
of America, observes, that " a copper mine was opened some years
since further down the Mississippi (below the falls of St. Anthony)
when, to the great surprise of the labourers, a large collection of
mining tools were found several fathoms below the surface ;"
and the writer of this note has been informed from respectable
authority, that within a short time since, in the state of Kentucky,
some labourers, in digging a well, discovered at the depth of one
hundred feet from the surface, the stump of a large tree, with an
axe adhering to it, apparently of iron, as on attempting to disen-
gage it, it fell into pieces which resembled the rusty scales of that
metal..„.dm. Trans.

but for a short time in a moist and sandy soil. I have
also found pieces of the Peruvian taper with the
thorns adhering to them completely petrified, though
instances of this are less frequent, as the moist and
spungy texture of that tree renders it not so favour-
able to petrifaction.

CHAPTER III.

Herbs, Shrubs, and Trees.

WHENEVER mineralogists undertake to cha-
racterize the external appearance of a mineral coun-
try, they describe it as particularly recognizable by
the weakness of its vegetation and the faded colour
of the plants, occasioned by the mineral vapours.
This observation is in general too bold, and fre-
quently contrary to experience. M. Macquer* ob-
serves very properly, that there are some countries
which are rich in mines, whose vegetation is not
injured thereby. This is precisely the situation of
Chili, a country, as we have seen, rich in mineral
productions of every kind, and enjoying at the same
time a vigorous and profuse vegetation. The plains,
the vallies, and the mountains are covered with
beautiful trees, many of which scarcely ever lose
their verdure, and each season produces vegetables
suited to the climate in the greatest perfection,
Feuille has given an account of those plants only
which grow upon the sea shore, or in marshy places
in its vicinity. The interior part of the country has
never been explored by an able botanist, and I am
convinced that a great number of unknown plants
might be discovered there.

* Dictionary of Chemistry ; article Mines.

Had I been desirous of enlarging the limits of this
work I might have given a very copious enumera-
tion of the plants of Chili ; but I prefer confining
myself to those only which are most important and
useful. As these may be reduced to a small num-
ber, I have divided them into herbs, grasses,* climb-
ing plants, shrubs and trees. I am aware that this
division is not scientific, but it is convenient, and
better suited to the plan I have pursued in my de-
scription of vegetables.

Sect. I. Herbs. — Many of the plants which are
found in the country, such as the mallows, trefoil,
plaintain, endive, mint, nettles, &c. are common
both to Chili and to Europe. Others that are care-
fully cultivated in the European gardens grow natu-
rally there, such as lupins, love apples, Spanish pi-
mento, celery, cresses, mustard, fennel, &cf . Of
the tropical plants, several succeed very well in the
northern provinces, among which are the sugar-cane,
the pine-apple, the cotton, the banana, the sweet po-

* I have rendered grasses what the author has called in Italian
canna {reeds) Fr. Trans.

f All cur plants are cultivated there without difficulty, and pro-
duce abundantly, and there are some that grow naturally in the
fields, as the turnip succory, endive, &c. Nor are the aromatic,
herbs less common, as balm, mug-wort, camomile, and a kind of
mouse-ear, which has the smell of a hyacinth ; the alkengi, or
winter-cherry, whose fruit is more odoriferous than that of France ;
a species of sage, called by the Indians /mlg/ii, that grows like a
shrub, with a leaf resembling rosemary and an odour like Hungary
Avater. Roses grow naturally upon the hills, the. most common
kind are entirely destitute of thorns, or have but a very few. In

tatoe, jalap, mechoacan, and others of less importance.
Besides these Chili produces a great number of plants
that appear to be peculiar to it. There are some that
are common to all the provinces, others are confined
to certain districts. In my different herborizations
while in Chili, I collected about three thousand
plants, the greater part of which are non-descript
and not to be found in any botanical work. Among
these were a number whose flowers are remarkable
for their beauty and fragrance, and which, in their
season, give the fields the appearance of so many
parterres ; but the inhabitants in general pay but
little attention to them, and prefer decorating their
gardens with exotic flowers received from Europe
rather than to cultivate their own.

The domestic animals live during the whole year
in the open fields, and from their feeding on the
aromatic plants, so abundant in Chili, their flesh ac-
quires a flavour superior to what it has in any other
country. The Chilians have no occasion to provide
hay for their cattle, as the herbage never fails, and
there is a constant succession of the different plants
which serve them for food. In the cities the horses
are fed with barley and a species of clover. Tre-
foil, called by the Indians gualputhe, is one of
the most common plants of the country ; of this
there are not less than twelve different kinds to be
found in the meadows, which contain much lucerne,

the fields is found a flower similar to the kind of lily called in
Brittany guerneziaises^ the Indian name of which is liuto ; it con-
sists of six petals, two of which are in the form of a plume. The
root when dried in an oven furnishes a very white meal which is
Excellent for pastry.— -firazier'k Voyage, vol. h

and a species of Venus 's comb, commonly called
lo'iqui lahuen or aifilerillo, of which the cattle are pe-
culiarly fond. This plant, which I have named
scandix chilensis, is distinguished from the Euro-
pean species by its aromatic odour, by its stem,
which is not striated, and by its leaves, these are
larger, and although winged like the Venus's comb
of Europe, have some of their lesser leaves entire
and fleshy. This plant is reputed to be vulnerary,
and its Chilian name, signifying the herb of wounds,
is expressive of this quality.

The soil is so fertile that the herbage grows to
such a height in many pastures as completely to con-
ceal the sheep, especially in the vallies of the Andes,
where the vegetation is always the most vigorous.
But amidst this luxuriant growth there are two or
three species of plants injurious to cattle, which are
much dreaded, especially a kind known in the coun-
try by the name of yerba /oca, or herb of madness,
from its rendering those animals who eat of it mad,
particularly horses.

This plant, which forms a new genus, I have cal-
led hyppomanka. Its stalks are of an angular shape,
a foot and a half in height ; the leaves are opposite,
lanceolate d, entire and fleshy, of a clear grey, about
an inch in length, and attached to the branches
without a foot- stalk; the flower is formed like a rose,
and grows at the top of the branches, it consists
of five oval petals of a yellow colour, supported by
a calyx divided into five parts ; when ripe the pistil
becomes changed into a capsula separated into four
cells, which contain some black kidney-shaped seeds.

The juice of this plant is viscous, of a yellowish co-
lour and sweetish taste ; the husbandmen take
great pains to destroy it, notwithstanding which,
it constantly springs up again, and if a horse
eats of it, he is sure to die, unless immediate mea-
sures are taken to make him sweat profusely by vio-
lent exercise.

Besides those which have been brought from Eu-
rope Chili produces a great number of valuable
plants, both alimentary, medicinal and such as are
useful in the arts. Many of these, particularly the
alimentary kind, were well known and cultivated
before the arrival of the Spaniards.

Sect. II. Alimentary herbs or plants. — The
maize (zeamais) or Turkey wheat, called by the
Chilians gua, was well known in America when
Columbus first arrived there. This fact is confirmed
by all the writers of that period, and it is very cer-
tain that it was the only species of corn at that
time made use of by the natives. The improper
application of the name of the Indies to Amer-
ica has probably led M. Bomare to observe,
that the maize is indigenous to Asia, from whence
it was carried into Europe, and from thence to
America. There are likewise some authors, as C.
Durante, in his herbal, who improperly denominate
it Turkey wheat, considering it as originally from
Turkey.

Maize grows extremely well in Chili,* and the

* In the old continent wheat is the most common grain, but in
-the new world maize has always been, and still is, the most gene-
Vol. I. -O

inhabitants cultivate eight or nine varieties of it, se-
veral of which are very productive. But that which
is in the highest repute with them is called uminta ;
from this they prepare a dish by bruising the corn
while it is green between two stones into the form
of paste, to which is added sufficient salt or butter
and sugar to season it ; it is then divided into small
portions or cakes, which are enclosed separately
within the inner skin or husk of the corn and boiled.

When the maize is ripe the Indians prepare it for
winter in two different modes, either by slightly
roasting it, which they call chuchoca, or by drying it
in the sun ; from the former they make a kind of
soup, by boiling it in water, and from the latter a
beer of a very pleasant taste. They sometimes re-
duce it to meal, but before grinding, roast and crack
it by means of heated sand. For this purpose they
prefer a kind of maize called curagua, the grains of
which are smaller than the others, and furnish a meal
that is more light, whiter and in greater quantity.
From this meal, mixed with sugar and water, either
hot or cold, they make two different beverages called
ulpo and cherchan.

A species of rye called magu, and of barley called
tuca, were cultivated by the Araucanians before the
arrival of the Spaniards ; but since the introduction
of the European wheat, the cultivation of these has
been entirely neglected, and I have not been able
even to procure a specimen, for the purpose of de-

ral ; it is produced in all parts of the West -Indies, in Peru, in New

Spain, in Guatimala, in Chili, and throughout Terra Firma Acos-

/*'&■ JVctturdi History^ book 4

-M

scribing them. All that is known at present is that
the Araucanians made a bread from them called cov-
que, which name they give to that made from maize-
or European grain.

The quinua is a species of chenopodium from
three to four feet in height ; it has large rhomboidal
sinuated leaves of a deep green, and the flowers are
disposed upon long spikes; the grain is black and
spirally twisted, which gives it, of course, a lenticular
appearance. There is a variety of this plant called
dahue by the Indians, which has greyish leaves, and
produces a white grain. The grain of the quinua
serves for making a very pleasant stomachic beve-
rage ; that of the dahue, on being boiled, lengthens
out in the form of worms, and is excellent in soup.
The leaves are also eaten, and are tender and of an
agreeable taste.

The dcgul is a species of bean (phaseolus vulga-
ris). Before this country was conquered by the
Spaniards, thirteen or fourteen kinds of the bean,
varying but little from the common European bean,
were cultivated by the natives. One of these has a
straight stalk, the other thirteen are climbers ; of
these, two are very remarkable, the phaseolis pallar,
the bean of which is half an inch long, and the pha-
seolus asellus, which is spherical and pulpy.

Chili is considered by M. Bomare as the native
soil of that valuable esculent the potatoe (solanum
tuberosum) an indigenous American root, likewise
known by the names of papa an&pogny. It is, indeed,
found in all the fields of that country; but those
plants that grow wild, called by the Indians maglia,

produce only very small roots of a bitterish taste.
It is distinguished by two different species, and more
than thirty varieties, several of which are carefully
cultivated. The first is the common kind ; the se-
cond, called solatium wri, bears white flowers with
a large nectary in the middle like the narcissus ; its
root is cylindrical and very sweet. The usual mode
of cooking it is by roasting it under the ashes.

The oca (oxalis tuberosa) appears to be of a dif-
ferent kind from the oca of Peru ; in its form and
fructification it resembles the yellow wood sorrel ;
its leaves are disposed by threes, and are of an acid
taste, and the flowers are oval ; its root extends
itself into five or six tuberosities of three or four
inches in length, covered with a thin smooth skin.
They are eaten cooked, and have a pleasant subacid
taste. This plant is also, like the potatoe, multiplied
by means of its bulbs ; there are several species of
it, one of which, called by the Chilians red tail,
is held in much estimation for dying, and is consi-
dered as a specific in inflammatory fevers. Among
them is likewise the barilla, or the alleluia virgosa of
Coquimbo : This last produces but a few radical
trilocated leaves ; its stalks, which are numerous,
are very tender, and of an acid taste ; they are
five feet in length, of the size of a man's finger, and
covered with yellow flowers suspended in vertical
bells.

Of the gourd, two principal species are known in
Chili, the white flowered, and the yellow flowered,
or the Indian gourd. Of the first kind, called by the

Indians quack, there are twenty- six varieties, several
of which produce fruit that is sweet and edible, but
that of the others is bitter. Of the bitter kinds the
most distinguished is the cider gourd (cucurbita
ciceraria*) so called from the Indians making
use of it, after extracting the seeds and perfum-
ing it, to ferment their cider. It is naturally of a
round form, and frequently grows to a Itirge size.
It is also used by the natives instead of baskets, and
in such -cases they give it whatever shape they think
proper. The yellow flowered or Indian gourd, called
penca, is of two kinds, the common and the mamil-
lary ; this last in its leaves and flowers resembles the
first, but the figure of the fruit is .spheroidal, with
a large nipple at the end ; the pulp is sweet, and its.
taste is very similar to a kind of potatoe known by
the name of camote.

The quclghen, or the strawberry of Chili, differs
from the European in its leaves, which are rough and
succulent, and in the size of its fruit, which is fre-
quently that of a hen's egg. The strawberries, like
those of Europe, are generally red or white, -but
those that are yellow are also to be found in the pro-
vinces of Puchacay and Huilquilemu, where they

* The calabashes of the Indians are another wonderful produc-
tion for their size and the luxuriance of their growth ; especially
those called zapallos, the pulp of which, particularly in Quaresma,
are eaten boiled or fried. There is a great variety of this species
of the calabash ; some of them are so large that when dried,
and the shell divided in the middle and cleansed, they are used
as covered baskets to put provisions in ; others that are smaller
are employed as vessels to drink from, or handsomely wrought for
various purposes. — icosttCs Natural History, book iv.

attain greater perfection than elsewhere.* The
strawberry of Chili was introduced many years
since into Europe, and I have seen in the botanic
garden at Bologna the white kind, which is the most
common in Chili, but it had lost much by transplan-
tation ; its fruit was small, and little of the fragrance
was left which renders it so highly esteemed in
Chili.f

* The strawberry of Chili is an hermaphrodite and dioical, and
the plants brought by Frazier to Europe were probably only some
female hermaphrodite shoots, which produced fruit in consequence
of being impregnated by some of our strawberries which were in the
vicinity. Had the author been in a situation to have become ac-
quainted with this circumstance, he would not have called that
degeneration which is merely the result of an unnatural fecundity.

The want of male plants, as appears from Miller, is also the
reason of the English having abandoned the cultivation of this
strawberry Fr. Trans.

f We found in the desert strawberries of a very fine flavour,
equal in size to our largest nuts, and of a pale white ; and although
they resembled the European neither in colour nor in taste they
were nevertheless excellent. — Feuille, vol. i.

There are whole fields where a species of strawberry is cultivat-
ed that differs from ours in its leaves, which are rounder, and more
fleshy and hairy ; the fruit is usually the size of a nut, and some-
times that of a hen's egg. The colour is a whitish red, and the
taste not so delicate as that of our strawberries. But there is not
wanting in the woods a great plenty of the European kind. — Fva-
zier's Voyage, vol. i.

The fruits most abundant in Chili are of the same kinds with
those known in Europe, among which are cherries that are large
and of a delicate taste, strawberries of two kinds, one called fru-
tilla, which is of the size of a small hen's egg ; and another, in co-
lour, smell and taste, is like that of Spain, which grows wild at the
foot of the little hills ; likewise all kinds of flowers are found there
without any other cultivation than what they receive from the hands
of nature itself. — Ullotfn Voyage, 2d part, vol. iii.

The madi (madia gen. nov.) Of this plant there
are two kinds, the one wild the other cultivated.
The cultivated, which I have called madia sativa, has
a branching hairy stalk, nearJy five feet in height ; the
leaves are villous and placed by threes ; they are four
inches in length, half an inch in breadth, and of a
bright green like the leaves of the rose laurel ; its flow-
ers are radiated and of a yellow colour ; the seeds are
convex on one side, and covered with a very thin
brownish pellicle on the other; they are from four to
five lines in length, and enclosed in a spherical peri-
carpium of about eight or nine lines in diameter. An
excellent oil is obtained from the seed, either by ex-
pression, or merely boiling them ; it is of an agree-
able taste, very mild, and as clear as the best olive
oil. Feuille, who resided threeyears in Chili, praises
it highly, and gives it the preference to any olive oil
used in France.* This plant, hitherto unknown in
Europe, would become a valuable acquisition to
those countries where the olive cannot be raised.
The wild madi (madia mellosa) is distinguished
from the other by its leaves which are amplexicaul
and glutinous to the feeling.

The pimento (capsicum) called by the Indians
thapi. Of this plant many species are cultivated in
Chili, among others the annual pimento, which is
there perennial, the berry pimento, and the pimento

* From the seed of this plant is obtained an admirable oil,
which the inhabitants of the country use in various ways— to allel
viate pain by rubbing with it the diseased part, to season their
victuals, and also for light. To my taste it is sweeter and more
pleasant than most of our olive oil, which it resembles in ce-
koir. — Feuille. vol. iii.

with a stiblisrneous stalk. The inhabitants make use

equally of all the three to season their food.

Besides those which I have mentioned the Chili-
ans make use of many ether excellent plants which,
though natural to the country, require a more atten-
tive cultivation ; of these the principal are the umbel-
lifera, the berrnudiana or illmu, and the hemerocallis
of Feuille. The umbellifera, or heracleum tubero-
sum, in its leaves, flowers and seed resembles the
illmu, but is distinguished from it by the quantity
of its bulbs, which are frequently six inches long and
three broad ; the colour of the bulbs is yellow and
their taste very pleasant, it grows naturally in sandy
places near hedges, and produces abundantly.

The berrnudiana bulbosa, or the illmu of Feuille,
has a branchy stalk, and its leaves are very similar to
those of the leek ; the flower is of a violet colour, and
divided into six parts, which are turned back towards
the foot-stalk ; it has six stamens and a triangular
pistil ; the seeds are black and round, and the bulbs
when boiled or roasted are excellent food.*

The hemerocallis, or, the liuto of the Indians, has a
stalk of a foot in height ; the leaves are pointed and
embrace the stem, which divides itself at the top
into a number of pedicles bearing a beautiful red
flower of the shape of a lily. The root is bulbous,
and yields a very light white and nutritious flour,

which is used for the sick.

* The natives of the country make use of the root of this plant
in their soups, and it is very pleasant to the taste, as I have my-
self experienced. — Feuille.

_-*

The liliaceous plants offer a great variety through-
out Chili, and are known to the Araucanians by the
generic name of gil. I have collected myself more
than twenty-three different species of them, many of
which were adorned with superb flowers.

In the province of St. Jago is found a species of
wild basil (ocymum salinum) differing in its appear-
ance from the common or garden species only in its
stalk, which is round and jointed; but in its smell and
taste it resembles more the alga, or sea- weed, than
the basil. This plant continues to increase in growth
from the first opening of the spring to the commence-
ment of winter, and is every morning covered with
saline globules that are hard and shining, and give
it the appearance of being coated with* dew. The
husbandmen collect and make use of this salt instead
of the common kind, which it far exceeds in taste.
Each plant produces daily about half an ounce, a
phenomenon, the cause of which I am not able satis-
factorily to explain, as it grows in a very fertile
soil, exhibiting no appearance of salt, and at more
than sixty miles distance from the sea.

Se c t. III. Herbs used in Dying. — From time im-
memorial have the Chilians made use of indigenous
plants for dying; and such is their excellence, that
they communicate the liveliest and most durable
colours to their cloths, without the aid of any foreign
production.* I have in my possession a piece of

. * Besides the medicinal herbs, they have others for dying, the
colours of which are very durable and do not change in washing.
Among these is the reilbon, a species of madder, with a leaf some-
Vol. I. P

I'Bn

cloth dyed in that country, which in thirty years'
use has lost nothing of the original lustre of its
colours, which are blue, yellow, red and green, nei-
ther from exposure to the air or the use of soap.
The natives of the southern provinces obtain a blue
from a plant with which I am unacquainted; but in
the Araucanian and the Spanish possessions they
make use of indigo diluted with fermented urine,
which gives to the substance dyed a beautiful and
durable colour.

Red is obtained from a species of madder called
relbun (rubia Chilensis). It usually grows under
shrubs in sandy places ; its stalk is nearly round, the
leaves oval, pointed and whitish, and placed by fours
as in the filbert; its flowers are monopetalous, and
divided into four parts; the seed is contained in two
little red berries, which are united like those of the
European madder; the root is red, runs deep into
the earth, and its lateral fibres frequently occupy a
space of many feet in circumference.

A species of agrimony (eupatorium Chilense)
known in the country by the name of contra yerba,
furnishes the yellow. This plant has a violet stalk
of about two feet in height, divided by small knots,
from whence issue the leaves in pairs opposite to
each other; they are of a bright green, three or four
inches in length, narrow and indented ; the branches
are axillary, and produce some flosculous flow-
ers of a yellow colour, resembling those of the agri-

what less than the European, the root of which is boiled in water
in the same manner to extract the dye. The poquell is a species
of southern wood, of a golden colour. — Frazier, vol. i.

mony. In the centre of the flower a small worm is
almost always discoverable, whose body is composed
of eleven very distinct rings. A yellow is also ob-
tained from the poquel (santolina tinctoria) a spe-
cies of cress, with long and narrow leaves resem-
bling wild flax; it puts forth three or four stalks
two feet in height, striated and crowned at the top
with a yellow semi- globular flower, composed of
several small ones. The stalks furnish a green
colour.

The root of a perennial plant, called panke (panke
tinctoria, gen. no v.) furnishes a fine black, and is
acknowledged to be one of the most useful plants in
Chili. Some writers have given it the name of
bardana Chilensis, from the resemblance of its leaves
to those of the burdock, although its fructification is
entirely different. The root is very long, frequently
five inches thick, rough and black without, and
white within. The leaves are attached to long pe-
tioles, and are palmated ; they are of a bright green
above and ash- coloured beneath, frequently two
feet in diameter, and of a subacid taste. From
the centre of the radical leaves shoots up a single
stalk, five feet in height and three inches thick, co-
vered with a rough bark furnished with thorns. This
stalk has no leaves except at the top, where there are
three or four much smaller than those at the root,
surmounted by a large conical fasciculus, or bunch,
which produces the flowers and the seed ; the flowers
are white, a little inclining to red, bell-shaped, and
monopetalous ; the seed is greenish, round, and en-
closed in a capsule of the same form.

100

!'■■■■

f!H§

This plant is peculiar to -moist places, and it always
perishes when not supplied with water. It grows
more luxuriantly and to a larger size in the rallies
between the Andes, where it frequently exceeds the
height which I have mentioned; in low grounds
near the sea it is only of a moderate height. The
black for dying is obtained from the juice of the
root, and it might answer equally as well for ink, as
its viscosity and the beautiful black it acquires from
time, give it all the requisite qualities. It is also
used for tanning leather; but for this purpose it be-
comes necessary to pound it, and the smell it exhales
is so strong, that the workmen can rarely endure it
above half an hour at a time. The stalk contains a
white pith of an acidulous taste, which the country
people eat in summer,* and the shoemakers use the,
wood for their lasts, as they believe it more durable
than any other. Another species of the panke
(panke acaulis) called in the language of the coun-
try dinacio, grows in sandy and moist places ; the
root is of the shape of a turnip, as large as a man's
arm, and of a sweetish taste ; it is highly esteemed
by the inhabitants, but produces no kind of dye.
This plant is without a stalk, and puts forth from
the root a group of small leaves, ornamented in the

* This plant is refrigeratory, and a decoction of the leaves is
given in fevers. The ends of the leaves, stripped of their exte-
rior covering, are also eaten raw, and are of a sweet and very
pleasant taste. The dyers make use of the root to obtain a black,
by cutting it into small pieces, which they boil with a certain ucr-
tion of black earth, and the tanners prepare their skins bySySiiig
thcm with it in warm water.— FeuiUe, vol. ii.

101

centre with a bouquet of flowers similar to those of
the preceding.

The Chilians obtain a violet colour from the ber-
ries of several shrubs; but the culle, or red tail,
which I have mentioned among the alimentary herbs,
produces that which is most esteemed ; it is reduced
into the form of paste like the woad, and the dyers
make use of it in the same manner. After the first
autumnal rains a small plant springs up in the fields,
called the herb of rosoli, which appears to be of a
new genus, and which I have denominated sassia.
It bears three or four quadripetal flowers of a purple,
hue, which are used to colour and to communicate
an agreeable flavour to a kind of liqueur called the
purple. A single flower, although smaller than that
of thyme, will colour five or six pounds of liquor.
The cabinet-makers likewise make use of it to stain
their work. I am of opinion that this plant might
be advantageously employed in the dying of wrool
and linen, particularly the latter, since merely by
tinging it with the expressed juice of the flower, it
acquires a beautiful colour that continues a long
time. Of the same genus is the sassia perdicaria,
called by the inhabitants ?imii, or the partridge-
flower, from its being the favourite food of that bird.
It bears but one flower, of a golden yellow, similar
in form to that of the panke tinctoria, which gives a
beautiful appearance to the meadows, where it is
found in great abundance in autumn. The Chilian
names of the months of April and of May are deri-
ved from that of this plant, April being called unen-

102

rimu, the first rimu, and May, inan-rimu, or the
second rimu.

VII

Sect. IV. Medicinal Plants. — A knowledge of
the virtues of plants and herbs, acquired by long
experience, forms almost the whole of the medical
science of the Chilians, particularly of those abori-
gines who have never embraced Christianity. The
machis and ampives, names given to their physicians,
are only skilful herborists, who, in reality, often per-
form extraordinary cures. The virtues of many
plants are known only to them, as-, either from
hatred to the Spaniards, or to enhance their own
consequence, they studiously conceal their proper-
ties : notwithstanding which, near two hundred va-
luable medicinal herbs have been discovered, besides
a great number of shrubs and trees, which at present
form an important branch of foreign commerce, the
most celebrated of which are the cachanlahuen, the
viravira, the retamilla, the payco and the quincha-
mali.

The cachanlahuen (gentian cachanlahuen) called
by M. Bomare and some other authors chancelaguc
and chanchalagua, is not a native of Panama, as is
stated in the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences
for 1707, nor does it grow, as M. Bomare has men-
tioned, in Guayaquil, but only in Chili, from whence
it has been transported to the other parts of Ame-
rica, and to Europe. This plant is a species of
the centaury, and greatly resembles the common
kind, but it differs from it in having a rounder stalk,
a less fibrous leaf, and branches opposed to each

103

other in pairs placed almost horizontally. Its name
in the Chilian signifies the herb for curing the pleu-
risy, in which complaint it is found very efficacious ;
it is also considered as purgative, dissolvent, worm-
destroying, an excellent febrifuge, and a specific for
the sore throat.* The infusion of it is extremely
bitter, and in its smell resembles the balsam of Peru.
The viravira (gnaphalium viravira) is a species of
houseleek very aromatic ; it is recommended in in-
termitting fevers ; the infusion is an excellent sudo-
rific, and the Chilians make use of it in catarrhal
complaints. The leaves are extremely villous, and
appear to be covered with cotton ; the flowers, which
do not exceed four, are composite and flosculated,
they are of a golden colour and placed at the top of
the branches, and the seed resembles much that of
the stoechas citrina.f

* This plant is extremely bitter ; an infusion of it is aperient
and sudorific ; it strengthens the stomach, destroys worms, fre-
quently cures intermitting fevers, and is very serviceable in rheu-
matic complaints. — Feuille, vol. ii.

The cachenlahuen, or the canchalagua, which is called cahenla-
gua in Chili, is very similar in it6 appearance to the smaller Eu-
ropean centaury, although not so high. A decoction of it in warm
water, in the manner of tea, is considered as an excellent purifier
of the blood. This plant is highly celebrated in Chili, from whence
it is exported to other parts, as a febrifuge. I think it preferable
to the European centaury, and it is considered as very efficacious
in complaints of the throat.— -PerncttTfs Voyage, vol. i.

t Among the herbs that cover the mountains there are many
that are aromatic and medicinal ; of the latter, the most in esteem
with the country people is the cachinlagua, or little centaury,
Which appears to me to be bitterer than that of France, and, of
course, more abundant in that salt which is considered as an ex-
cellent febrifuge. The viravira is a species of hoiiseleek, an infu*.

104

The retamilla (linum aquilinum) or gnancu lahuen,
grows usually at the foot of the mountains. The
root is very long and perennial ; it puts forth several
branchy stalks, furnished with small alternate lanceo-
lated leaves ; the flowers are yellow, with five petals,
and are attached by pairs to a common pedicle;
the pistil becomes changed into a membranaceous
pentagonal capsule, containing a number of little
seeds. This plant possesses the same virtues as the
viravira, and is used in the same cases.

The pay co (herniaria payco*) by which name it is
known in many modern medical works, is also deno-
minated tea of the third species, although it apper-
tains to the genus of herniaria. It puts forth seve-
ral trailing shoots, covered with small oval leaves,
notched like a saw, and attached to the stalk without
a petiole. The flowers have many stamina, and
are very numerous; the seed is enclosed in a spheri-
cal capsule ; the colour of the plant is a light green,
and its smell is something like that of a rotten lime.
As a medicine it promotes digestion, is excellent in
complaints of the stomach, and very useful in the
pleurisy.f

sion of which was found to be very serviceable by a French sur-
geon in the cure of tertian fevers. There is also a species of
senna perfectly resembling that of the Levant, in the place of
•which it is used by the apothecaries of St. Jago ; it is called by the
Indians unofierquai.—Frazier's Voyage, vol. i.

* All the plants of the genus herniaria that are known, and
have an affinity to them, as the ilecebrum, the achyrantes, he. have
their leaves entire, without being jagged or indented ; of course

this instance presents an exception from the general rule Frr

Trans.

t The payco is a plant of middling height, whose leaves are a
little deritated, and have a smell like a rotten lime ; a decoctioa

105

The quinchamali (quinchamalium Chilense). As
this plant forms a new genus, I have retained the
name by which it is known in the country ; it pro-
duces a great number of stalks of nine inches in
height, with alternate leaves similar to those of the
linaria aurea tragi ; the flowers are umbellated, yellow
and tubulous, with a border divided into four parts
like the jessamin ; the seed is black, lenticular, and
enclosed in a spherical capsule, containing three
cells. The country people make use of the expressed
juice, or the decoction, as a resolutive after falls or
bruises, and it is found to be an excellent remedy
in cases of that kind.* Feuille, whose memory
will be ever dear to the Chilians, has furnished an
account of a great number of medicinal plants, with
very accurate delineations of them. I shall, howe-
ver, merely mention a few of the principal ones ; as
the pichoa, the cUnclin, the guilno, all of which are
purgative plants; the diuca-Iahuen, a good vulnerary
medicine; the sandia-lahuen, serviceable in men»
strual suppressions ; the corecore, a specific for the

of them are sudorific, and are good in pleuritic complaints.
There is likewise a great quantity of bastard rosemary, which
produces the same effects. — Frazier's Voyage, vol. i.

* A drink made of the decoction of a certain herb called quin-
chamali is esteemed as an infallible remedy for the bleeding of the
nose, when caused by a fall or violent blow. It is a species of the
lavender, which beat's a small red and yellow flower. Many of
the medicinal herbs that we have in France are also natural to the
country ; as several species of the maiden-hair, some of which are
equal to the Canadian, the mallows, the fox -glove, polipody,
spleenwort, and some others whose names I am unacquainted
"with.- — Brazier's Voyage , vol. L

To i.. 1. Q

106

tooth- ach, and the gnilhue, much esteemed as a
purifier of the blood.

Tobacco, called by the Indians puthem, is of two
kinds, the cultivated and the wild. The cultivated
is subdivided into the common tobacco, which is
equal to the best Brazilian, and the little tobacco
(nicotiana minima) whose leaves resemble those of
the Cretan dittany; its fructification is like that of
the common kind, but the tobacco itself is much
stronger, and more violent in its effects.

Sect. V. Grasses.— The banks of the rivers and
other moist places produce in general a great num-
ber of reeds and rushes, many of which are unknown
to botanists. A species of the latter, which I have
called scirpus elichnarius, serves to make wicks for
candles. This rush grows to the height of about
four feet; the stem is round; from the top protrude
three sword- shaped leaves, in the midst of which
are four globulous spikes or heads.

From a species of rush, produced in the vallies of
the Andes, the Araucanians manufacture baskets of
so close a texture as to hold water, which are em-
ployed for many domestic purposes. Of these great
numbers are sold at the annual fairs in the Spanish
provinces. But notwithstanding I have been assu-
red by many that the plant employed in this manu-
facture is a real rush, from examination I am more
inclined to believe it a species of cane, as its fibres
are woody, and the whole substance very solid.

Among those rushes whose characters are well
defined, the. solid rush of Chili deserves to be no-

—ai

107

ticed : of this there are many kinds, comprehended
under the general name of coliu. All these rushes
resemble the bamboo; they have a smooth, hard,
yellowish bark ; the inside is generally filled with a
filaceous substance, a little harder than cork; the.
leaves are long and very slender, and grow upon se-
veral little branches into which the top divides itself.
The three most remarkable kinds are the rugi, the
quila, and the rush of Vaklivia,

The rugi (arundo rugi) is about as large as the
common European rush, which is also well known
in Chili. At the foot of the Andes this plant often
grows to the height of twenty feet, but diminishes
considerably as it approaches the sea, where it scarce-
ly attains twelve.

The quila (arundo quila) is three or four times
larger than the rugi, but its shoots are not more than
a foot distant from each other.

The rush of Valdwia (arundo Valdiviana) has re-
ceived this name from the circumstance of its grow-
ing in the vicinity of that city ; it is of an orange
colour; the shoots are very short, and the joints
almost touch each other. The country people make
of it cages and other little manufactures ; they also
use it for their hedges, and sometimes to cover their
houses, as it is very durable when it has not been too
long exposed to moisture. The Araucanians make
use of the quila for their lances, and the rush of
Valdivia for canes, which are much esteemed.

Sect. VI. Climbing Plants. — Climbing plants,
or creepers, are found in great abundance in all the

108

thickets. Several of the most beautiful are employ-
ed to decorate the trellices of gardens. Among
others, the copiu deserves to be noticed ; its flowers,
each of which is composed of six petals, three inches
in length, are of the most beautiful crimson, spotted
within with white. This plant climbs up the highest
trees; its leaves are disposed by threes, and are of a
beautiful green, and an oval shape; the fruit is an
inch in diameter, cylindrical, of a dull yellow, and
contains a white tender pulp of a sweet and pleasant
taste. In Chili is likewise found the passion-flower
(passiflora tilias folia) the caracol, the sarsaparilla^
the alstroemeria saisilla, and four or five other species
of those vines called by the French lianes, and by
the inhabitants voqiti. One of the most useful is the
cogul (dolichos funarius). The vine is round and
ligneous, and of the size of pack-thread, and its
flowers resemble those of the copiu. It climbs upon
the trees like the ivy, but without attaching itself to
them. When it reaches the top of a tree, it descends
from it perpendicularly, and as it continues to grow
extends itself from tree to tree, until at length it
offers to the eye a confused tissue, exhibiting some
resemblance to the rigging of a ship. This singular
plant produces a leguminous flower of a purple
colour; its pod is an inch thick, and about a foot
and a half long ; it contains an oily pulp of a sweet
and very agreeable taste, and five seeds resembling
those of the cotton. The vine, which is much
tougher and more flexible than osier, serves for
many purposes, and can be procured from one to
two hundred fathoms in length, as when it descends

109

it does not take root in the earth, like another plant
analagous to it, which is a native of the torrid zone.
The husbandmen, before they make use of this vine,
pass it lightly through the flames, which not only
loosens the bark, but at the same time renders it
more flexible. They employ it both in making large
baskets, and as wattling for their hedges ; it is some-
times even used as cables for vessels, which wear
better than those made of hemp, as they are capable
of resisting moisture for a longer time. In the Ar-
chipelago of Chiloe is another plant called pepoi, in
some respects resembling the cogul, which the inha-
bitants of those islands use as ropes for their peri-
augres. The vogui, or vochi, described by Feuille,
which commonly grows in the woods of the mari-
time provinces, is of a distinct species, as is the
urceolaria of the same author, the flower of which is
an inch in length, and is divided into five equal lobes
of a beautiful red.

Sect. VII. Sh?-ubs. — In my catalogue of the
plants of Chili I have noticed more than fifty-three
indigenous shrubs; but I am convinced, if an op-
portunity had been afforded me of exploring a
greater extent of country, that I might have more
than doubled that number. Every province or dis-
trict offers some variety in this class of vegetables
of more or less utility to the inhabitants.

The bark and leaves of the shrubs called deu,
thilco and uthiu, serve to dye black. The berries
of the tar a (poinciana spinosa) and of the mayuy
furnish a black juice which is a good substitute for

110

ink. The guiacum, which in Chili never acquires
the size of a tree, is employed in turnery. The ca-
binet-makers use, for inlaying, the wood of several
shrubs whose appropriate names I am unacquainted
with, but which, from their hardness, are generally
called ebony wood. The wild rosemary and several
other resinous shrubs, are used as fuel in the fur-
naces for melting copper. The wood of the colli-
guay (colliguaja, gen. nov.) when burnt, exhales a
very agreeable smell like roses, without producing
the least inconvenience.

The incense is not inferior to that brought from
Arabia, and is obtained from a shrub that grows in
the province of Coquimbo, to which I have given
the name of thuraria, gen. nov. It usually grows
to the height of four feet; the trunk is of an ash
colour, from whence proceed a great number of
branches loaded with oval leaves that are alternate,
four inches long, rough, very succulent, and of a
pale yellow ; the flowers are small, funnel-shaped,
and of a light green ; the capsule is spherical and
divided into two cells, containing as many elongat-
ed seeds of a brown colour. In the summer the in-
cense exudes through the pores of the bark around
the limbs in the form of little drops or tears, and is
collected in great quantities in the autumn, when
the leaves begin to fall. The globules are hard,
white, transparent and shining, and have a bitter
taste and a highly aromatic smell. In the hills near
Valparaiso is found a species of sun-flower with a lig-
neous trunk, which produces a resinous substance
resembling incense.

Ill

The trunk of the puya (puya, gen. nov.) is used
for cork throughout Chili. This shrub has a great
resemblance to the anana. From its root issue three
or four monstrous shoots of a conical form, as large
as a man's body, but not exceeding twenty inches in
length ; these are covered with a spungy bark dis-
posed in the manner of scales; from the top of these
shoots, or trunks, proceed the leaves ; these are four
feet long, furnished at the sides with crooked prickles
perfectly similar to those of the anana; from the
centre of the leaves rises a stalk nine feet in length
and three inches in diameter, covered with a very
hard green bark, enclosing a whitish spungy sub-
stance resembling cork. At the top the stalk is di-
vided into a number of branches covered with leaves
much smaller than those of the root, and with yellow
flowers four inches long composed of six irregular
petals, which form together a large and beautiful
pyramid. This singular vegetable produces no other
fruit than a triangular capsule containing a great
number of very small black seeds. The nectaries
of the flowers are always filled with honey, which is
eagerly sought after by the children. The Arauca-
nian provinces furnish several varieties of this plant,
from whence the inhabitants collect great quantities
of honey.

Besides the kali of Alicant (salsosa kali) which
grows in great abundance on all the marshes of the
sea- shore, a climbing shrub is found on the coast of
Coquimbo, from whence the soap-boilers obtain
large quantities of alkaline salt.

112

Chili produces seven species of the myrtle, all
estimable for their beauty and fragrance. But the
most valuable is the one called by the Indians ugniy
and by the Spaniards murtilla. The French, who
found it in the Malouine islands, have given to this
shrub the name of facet muscat.* It usually grows
to the height of four feet, and resembles much the
myrtle of Tarentum, its branches and leaves being
placed opposite each other in pairs; the flowers are
white, have live petals, and produce a round or red
berry, the size of a small prune, marked with four
green points like the pomegranate. This fruit con-
tains several seeds that are flat and brown, and has a
very pleasant aromatic smell perceptible at a great
distance. The inhabitants obtain from it a very-
agreeable odoriferous liquor, which is preferred by
foreigners to the best muscat. It requires a long
time to ferment, but, when once clarified, is very-
clear and has a delicious taste. Before the arrival
of the Spaniards and the introduction of the grape,
the natives used to prepare vinous liquors from se-
veral kinds of shrubs at present neglected, among
these were two or three species of the Indian fig, or
opuntia, called by the Chilians tuna, whose fruit is
very fine, and as large as the best European figs.

A great number of shrubs, from time immemo-
rial, have been employed as efficacious medicines by

* Its fruit is of a beautiful appearance and very pleasant taste ;
■by being put into brandy with a little sugar, it forms a very deli-
cious liquor, which has in a slight degree the smell of amber and.
ef musk, by no means disagreeable even to those who dislike those
Berfam.es. — Pernztty's Voyage, vol, ii.

rv ^M

113

the physicians of the country. Among these is the
cullen (psoralea glandulosa) well known in Europe ;
it is considered as a powerful vermifuge and one of
the best stomachics; the leaves are used in infusion,
and from their aromatic taste are by many preferred
to tea, and occasionally serve as a substitute for it.
This shrub is indigenous to Chili, where it grows
spontaneously, and frequently attains the height of a
common sized tree. There is another variety which
is called the yellow cullen, from the colour of its
leaves, which, like those of the other, are disposed by
threes, but are very thin and crisped, and, conglome-
rating towards the end of the limbs, form at the top
of the tree a thick globular tuft that frequently causes
the branches to bend. Its flowers, like those of the
other species, are leguminous, the seed solitary, and
the leaves of both are vulnerary and very balsamic*
The guaicuru (plegorhiza guaicuru, gen. nov.)
grows in the northern provinces. The root is rough
and of a red colour, and is used as a specific for all
kinds of wounds; it puts forth a great number of
leaves resembling those of the myrtle, in the centre

* The albaquilla, in Indian cullen, is a shrub whose leaves emit
an odour like that of the sweet basil, and produce a balsam of
great efficacy in the cure of wounds, as I witnessed in the case of
an Indian at Ircquin, who had received a very deep one in his
neck, and I have also experienced the beneficial effects of it my-
self. The flower is large, of a pale violet, and disposed upon
spikes, and is one of that species comprehended in the class of the
leguminous. Another shrub, called harillo, is employed for the
same purpose. This is different from the harillo of Tucuman,
and its leaves, which are very small, emit a strong smell some-
thing like that of honey, and are so replete with balsam that they
appear to be covered with it. — Frazier 's Voyage, vol. i.

Vol. I. R

114

of which rises a stem of about six inches in height,
divided at the top into many branches covered with
leaves less than the radical, and very small bell-
shaped flowers arranged in an umbellate order.
Pernetty, in his Voyage to the Malouine Islands,
observes, that this plant, particularly the root, is one
of the most powerful vegetable astringents known,
and is likewise very excellent for the cure of ul-
cers and scrophulous complaints, and of great ser-
vice in the dysentery — properties ascertained by the
daily experience of the Chilians.

In the province of Quillota is a species of the
acacia, or mimosa, called by the Spaniards jarilla,
which affords a balsam of great efficacy in healing
wounds. This balsam exudes from the branches
and the leaves, and renders them viscous to the
touch; it exhales a very agreeable odour which is
perceptible at a great distance. The jarilla grows
to about five feet ; the leaves are winged and notched
at the edges ; the flowers are yellow and divided
into five petals, and produce a small berry, contain-
ing two or three kidney- shaped seeds.

The expressed juice of the palqui (cestrum noc-
turnum) is considered as the best known remedy
for inflammatory fevers ; it is bitter and of an un-
pleasant taste, but very cool and refreshing. The
leaves of this shrub were formerly considered
by the husbandmen as poisonous to cattle, but
modern experiments have proved the unfoundedness
of this opinion. In its appearance and smell the
palqui resembles the elder, but the leaves are single,
alternate and oblong; the flowrers are corymbic,

115

yellow, and like those of the jessamin, and the berries
oval and of a purple colour. The wood is very brit-
tle, but is preferred to any other by the Indians
for the purpose of producing fire by friction accor-
ding to their custom. This is done by turning
rapidly between their hands a small stick of this
wood in a hole made in another piece of the same
kind.

Among the shrubs used for medicinal purposes
is also the cassia sena, which is in no way different
from that of the Levant. It grows in abundance
near the source of the river Maypo. Sage is like-
wise found in many places, particularly in the low
grounds near the sea.

Se c t. VIII. Trees.— The forests of Chili offer a
great variety of trees, the most of which never lose
their foliage. Those kinds that are known amount
to ninety-seven, and of these only thirteen shed
their leaves. Among the former are many that are
remarkable for their fragrance,* and are well de-

* The woods are full of aromatic shrubs ; such as sevei-al kinds
of myrtle, a species of laurel whose leaves are of the smell of saf-
fron, but more pleasant ; the boldu, the leaves of which have the
edour of incense, and the bark a biting taste something like that
of cinnamon ; it is a different tree, however, from that called the
cinnamon, which produces a bark similar to that of the East In-
dies. The leaves -f the boldu are like those of the greater laurel,
but rather larger. There is also acother tree called fieumoy a de-
coction of the bark of which is very beneficial in the dropsy. The
fruit is red and resembles an olive, and the wood is very proper
for ship-building ; but the best tree for this purpose is a species of
evergreen oak, very hard and durable, whose bark is a cork equal
to that of the cork tree. On the shores of the river Bio-bio are
great quantities of cedar suitable for building, and excellent for

116

serving* cultivation. Those that are similar or vary
but little from the European trees, or which are to
be met with in almost all botanical gardens, I shall
merely enumerate, reserving my descriptions for
such as are less known, or distinguishable for some
peculiarity.

The vallies of the Andes produce naturally the
white cedar and the red, called alerces, the cypress,
the pine, and thepellinos, which is a species of oak.
All these trees grow to a great height and size, but
none of them can compare in that respect with the
red* cedar which, in the Archipelago of Chiloe,
grows so large, that a single tree will frequently fur-
nish from six to eight hundred boards of twenty
feet in length.

In the other parts of Chili are found the willow,
the molle, the Peruvian taper or cherry, the wild
orange, the fioripondioy the white cinnamon, the
carob tree, the maqui a species of cornel, the luma
a species of myrtle, the mulberry, the chirimoya,
and the tamarind. The island of Juan Fernandes
produces the red, yellow and white sandal, the yel-
low wood, or fagus lutea, and a tree whose genus I
am unacquainted with, that produces a species of
pepper inferior to that of the East Indies.

spars. The bamboo reed is likewise very common in every part
of the country. — Frazier's Voyage, vol. i.

* On my passage from Chili to Europe I observed that the
Water which was in casks made of the red cedar kept sweet for a
much longer time than that in the others. This water had ac*
quired a red tinge, but the taste was not in the least changed, and
ft appeared to be as- fresh as if just taken from the fountain.

P*~*

117

The theige (salix Chilensis) differs from the Eu-
ropean willow in its leaves, which are entire, slen-
der, and of a yellowish green. This tree yields an-
nually a great quantity of manna; the country
people also make use of the bark, which they believe
possesses a highly febrifugal quality.

Of the molle there are two kinds, the common
(schinus mollis) which is usually found in the
marshes, and another called huigan (schinus huigan).
The last grows naturally in any soil, and its leaves
are very small. The inhabitants prepare from the
berries of these trees a kind of red wine of an
agreeable flavour but very heating.*

The Peruvian taper, called in Chili quisco, is of
two kinds, the common (cactus Peruvianus) and
that of Coquimbo (cactus Coquimbanus) the thorns
of which are eight inches long, and are used by the
women for knitting-needles.

The jioripondio (datura arborea) is a tree much
esteemed for its beauty and the fragrance of its
flowers, which diffuse an ambery odour to a great
distance.f The trunk grows to the height of twelve

* The Indians prepare a beverage from the molle as pleasant
and as strong as wine, if not more so, and make use of the solution
of the gum as a purgative medicine. The sap, procured by making
an incision in the bark, is said to be a cure for films, and a liquor
obtained from the pith of the young shoots excellent for clearing
and strengthening the eyes. The fishermen of Concon , and Val-
paraiso boil the, bark, which produces a dye of the colour of burnt
coffee, with which they stain their nets. — Frazier's Foyage,xo\.h

t We have no tree in Europe that equals in beauty the floripon-
dio. When in blossom it far exceeds in fragrance any of our trees,
and one of them.is sufficient to perfume a whole garden.— Feuillt,
vol. ii.

118

feet, but rarely exceeds six inches in diameter, and
is pithy within. The branches unite at the top and
form a spherical crown, which produces a most de-
lightful effect. The leaves are woolly and in the form
of an elongated heart eight or ten inches in length
by three in breadth ; the flowers are turned back in
the form of a funnel, and are divided into five point-
ed lobes; they are white, from eight to ten inches
long and three in breadth. The fruit is nearly round,
of the size of an orange and covered with a greenish
rind, containing a number of oval seeds, but it is
never eaten.

The wild orange tree (citrus Chilensis) is distin-
guished from the cultivated by its sessile leaves,
and its fruit, which is oval and not larger than a fil-
bert, but has the taste of a common orange. This
tree frequently grows to a considerable height, and
the wood is much esteemed by turners on account
of its beautiful yellow colour.

The white cinnamon, called by the Chilians boighe,
and the Spaniards caneilo, may be found in all the
thickets of Chili. It is commonly known by the
name of Winter's cinnamon, from its being first in-
troduced into Europe by Captain Winter.* The
trunk of this tree frequently rises to the height of
fifty feet; the branches are placed opposite each
other by fours, in the form of a cross; the leaves

* The boighe of Chili, or caneilo of the Spaniards, is not the
tree which furnishes the white cinnamon of merchants, and, of
course, not the same with that described by Linnseus under the
name of winteriana canclla. The boighe of Chili is a real drymis,,
and appears to be the same with that described by the Cheval ici-
cle la Mark under the name of drymis punctata..../^. Trans.

119

are large, alternate, and like those of the laurel ; the
flowers are white, quadripetal, and very odoriferous,
the berries oval and of a changeable black and blue.
Like the cinnamon of Ceylon, this tree produces
two barks; the exterior of a greenish brown, the
other, when first taken from the tree, is of a dirty
white, but when dry becomes of the colour of the
true cinnamon, which it very much resembles in
taste, and in Feuille's opinion might serve as a suc-
cedaneum for it.* I am of the same sentiment,
particularly if proper attention was paid to the cul-
tivation of it, which would probably tend to correct
that sharp taste which renders it unpleasant. The
natives employ the timber for building, but make no
use of the bark. The Araucanians from time im-
memorial have regarded the boighe as a sacred tree ;
in their religious ceremonies they carry branches of
it in their hands, and when they conclude a peace
they present them in token of amity and alliance, as
the ancient nations of Europe did those of the olive.

The carob tree of Chili (ceratonia Chilensis) is
distinguished from that of Europe (siliqua Europea)
by its thorns, which are usually four inches long
and so hard that they are used by the country people
instead of nails. Its pod resembles that of the Eu-
ropean carob.

The maqui (cornus Chilensis) does not usually
exceed ten or twelve feet in height, and the wood
is too brittle for use. The leaves are opposite, heart-

* The bark of the boighe may be applied to the same uses as
the cinnamon ; its smell is similar, and it acquires the same colour
when it is dried. — FeuilU, vol. iii.

iso

shaped, denticulated, juicy, and three inches long -,
the flowers are white, with four petals, and the ber-
ries purple. The Indians eat these berries or wild
grapes, which are very sweet, and also prepare from
them a beverage called theca. The juice of the leaves
is esteemed a specific in the sore throat, and I am
convinced of its efficacy from my own experience.
There is a variety of this tree which bears a white
berry.

The luma (myrtus luma) is distinguishable from
the common myrtle by its round leaves and its height,
which is frequently forty feet. Its wood is the best
of any known for the use of coach-makers, and large
quantities of it are annually exported to Peru for
that purpose^ The Indians make from the berries a
pleasant wine, in high repute as a stomachic. There
is likewise another species of lofty myrtle (myrtus
maxima) which grows in the same places with the
luma, and frequently to the height of seventy feet ; the
wood of this is also very valuable.

Among those trees which produce the most use-
ful woods, besides the cedars already mentioned,
are the caveny the quillai, the lithi, the mayteny and
the temu.

The caven (mimosa caven) called by the Spa-
niards espino, resembles much the acacia folio scor-
pioidis leguminosa of Egypt. The trunk is winding
and solid ; the bark black and filled with cracks ; the
branches scattered and furnished with thorns ; the
leaves disposed in pairs on a common footstalk, and
two inches in length ; the flowers are flosculous and
yellow, and form a round bouquet like those of the

121

aeacia nilotica, but differ in beinsf attached with-
out peduncles to the boughs, which they com-
pletely cover, and their odour is sq very fragrant
that they are denominated aromas. The pod is
from three to four inches long; it is cylindrical, of a
dark brown, and contains many oval seeds marked
with a yellow stripe ; these are enveloped in an as-
tringent mucilage, from which a very good ink is
made. The caven grows spontaneously in all the
midland provinces, chiefly between the 24th and 37th
degrees of latitude, where its wocd serves as fuel.
It is more natural to the richest soils, and frequently
grows to the height of an oak. The wood is hard
and compact^ of a dark brown veined with black and
yellow, receives an excellent polish, and is used by
several kinds of artisans for the handles of their tools.
The quillai (quillaja sapoiuria, gen. nov.*) derives
its name from the Chilian word quillcan, to wash. The
trunk of this tree exceeds the middle height, and is
covered with a thick bark of a greyish ash colour;
it divides itself at the top into two or three branches,
which produce leaves like those of the ever-green oak ;
itsflowersare also furnished with stamina, buttheseed
is enclosed in a quadrangular capsule. The wood
of the quillai is very hard and does not easily split,
for which reason the country people make use of it
for stirrups. But what renders this tree really valua-
ble is the bark, which, when pulverised and mixed

* The quillai is a tree whose leaves resemble those of the ever-
green oak. The bark ferments in water like soap, and is preferable
to it for the washing of woollen cloth, but is apt to give linen, a
yellowish hue — -Frazitr's Foyag-e^yoh'i

Wu J, S

122

with a certain quantity of water, foams like soap,
and is as efficacious in cleansing woollens and other
kinds of cloth. A very considerable commerce is
carried on with this bark ; the Peruvians particularly
import every year great quantities of it.

The lithi, (laurus caustica) a species of middle
sized laurel, is scattered over the whole country.
Its leaves are oval, wrinkled, an inch in length, and
of a dark green; the flowers, though much smaller,
and the fruit resemble those of the common laurel.
The effluvium from this tree, especially in summer,
produces painful pustules and swellings on the hands
and faces of those who stop beneath its shade. This
effect is various, however, with various persons:
there are some who £re very little, if at all, incom-
moded by it, while otfiers who merely pass by the
tree are severely affected; though never atten-
ded with fatal consequences, it is nevertheless very
troublesome. Great precaution is requisite in cut-
ting the tree, as its viscous juice is extremely caus-
tic; but when dry the wood loses all its injurious
qualities, and is employed for building. Its colour
is a handsome red veined with brown, and it ac-
quires, after having been for some time under water,
a very great degree of hardness, which might render
it very useful in ship building.* There is another
large tree which I have reason to believe is truly

* The lithi is a tree very proper for building ships ; it is cut
with great care when it is green, but when dry, particularly if it
has been for some time under water, the wood becomes almost as
hard as iron. It is employed by the natives in building their houses.
Its colour when first cut is white, but when it is dried and seasoned
it changes to a very handsome xcL—Feuiile's Journ.

123

poisonous; it usually grows in the vicinity of the
sea, is called the bolleny and is one of the most beau-
tiful trees of Chili. The physicians, however, in
critical cases, direct the buds to be taken in powder
not exceeding half a scruple, as a powerful emetic.
The sap of this tree is a yellow inclining to green,
but is not lacteous. Its flowers and fructification I
shall not pretend to describe, never having seen it
in a flowering state.

The mayten (maytenus boaria, gen. nov.) is a
beautiful tree, and always retains its foliage. It grows
in the same places with the lithi, and is an anti-
dote to its poison. It is rarely more than thirty feet
high; its branches, which are numerous, and com-
mence at the height of eight feet from the root, form
a very beautiful top ; the leaves are denticulated and
pointed, about two inches in length, and of a bril-
liant green; the flowers are monopetalous, bell-
shaped, and of a purple hue, but so small as not to
be distinguishable at a little distance. These flow-
ers entirely cover the young shoots, and are suc-
ceeded by a small round? capsule containing a single
black seed. The wood is very hard, and of an orange
colour spotted with red and green. The cattle are
very fond of the leaves and will forsake any herbage
for them ; and were it not for the hedges and ditches
with which the inhabitants surround the young trees,
the species would probably before this time have
been destroyed.

The temo (tenuis moscata, gen. nov.) is a tree of
very thick foliage. The leaves are alternate, ova!s
smooth, and of a bright green. There are two va-

124

rieties of this tree, distinguished by their yellow or
white flowers, which are divided into eighteen narrow
petals of two or three inches in length. The seeds
resemble coffee, and are not unlike it in taste, but
have a certain bitterness that renders them unplea-
sant. The bark is yellow, the wood grey, very hard,
and much used in various manufactures.

The patagua (cinodendron patagua, gen. nov.)
is much valued for its flowers, which are small, but
resemble in shape and smell the lily. The leaves are
placed opposite in pairs, lanceolated, serrated, and
of a bright green. The trunk frequently grows to
such a size that four men can scarcely encircle it
with their arms; the wood is white and easily
wrought, but held in little estimation.

Chili, in comparison with those countries in Ame-
rica situated between the tropics, produces but few
trees whose fruits are edible ; the principal of those
are the coconut, the pehuen, the gevuin, the peumo
and the lucuma.

In the provinces of Quillota, Calchagua and Maiile
are large forests of the coconut tree (palma Chilensis)
This species differs from the others of the same ge-
nus in the size of its fruit, which does not usually
exceed that of a walnut. The trunk is about the
height and diameter of a date tree, and its growth is
very slow; it is without branches and perfectly cy-
lindrical, but when young is covered with the
footstalks of leaves, which fall off as the tree increases
in size. The leaves and flowers are analogous to
those of the palm ; the last are monoical, and dis-
posed in four clusters which hang around the tree.

125

When in the bud they are enclosed within a spath,
or woody sheath, which opens as the flower expands.
When the fruit begins to form, the spath separates
itself into two hemispherical parts of about three
feet long by two broad. Each of these bunches pro-
duces more than a thousand coconuts, and nothing
can be more beautiful than to see one of these trees
covered with fruit, shaded by the upper branches
which bend over in the form of an arch.

The fruit, like the tropical coconut, has two co-
verings ; the outer is hard externally and of a green
colour, which gradually changes into a yellow, and
the inside is filled with a kind of filaceous wool ; the
interior shell is woody, smooth and round, and so
hard that it would be difficult for the nut to germi-
nate were it not for the two stems which are attach-
ed to the upper part of the shell, and separated from
the nut only by a thin pellicle. The kernel is spheri-
cal, a little hollow in the middle, white, and of a very
agreeable taste, and when fresh contains a milky
liquor which is pleasant and refrigeratory. A great
number of these nuts are exported every year to
Peru, where they are highly esteemed. The oil
obtained from them by expression is well tasted and
much used. The country people make use of the
sheaths as bags for little articles of dress, and with
the leaves manufacture baskets and thatch their
cabins. The buds, if cut when young, yield great
quantities of sap, which is thick, and furnishes a
more agreeable sirop than that of the sugar cane ;
but the tree commonly dies after this operation.

126

The date is found in the province of Copiapo; but
I know not whether it is indigenous or was brought
thither from some other place. The islands of Juan
Fernandez produce a species of palm called chonta.
The trunk, like that of most other palms, is hollow,
and the wood is black and as hard as ebony. Another
tree, which I have called ampelo masa, resembles
the palm, and grows in great quantities in the marshes
of Maule; the leaves proceed directly from the top
of the trunk, and are large and green like those of
the banana; the fruit is disposed in four clusters like
those of the vine, and the resemblance is so perfect
that were it not for a sharp and astringent taste it
might readily be mistaken for a grape.

The pehuen (pinus Araucana) called by the Spa-
niards pino de la tierra, resembles the fir more than
the pine, although in some respects it differs from
both. It is the most beautiful of the trees of Chili,
and grows spontaneously in the Araucanian pro-
vinces, but is cultivated in all other parts of the
country, and, from its properties, partakes of the
nature of the pine, the chesnut and the frankincense.
The trunk is frequently eighty feet in height, and its
usual circumference is eight; the wood is very re-
sinous, and of a yellowish brown, and the bark
smooth and greenish; the tree as it increases in
height shedding all the little branches and leaves
with which it is covered while young. When it
attains the half of its growth it puts forth, in a hori-
zontal direction, four durable limbs opposite to each
other in the form of a cross; the four following
branches are disposed in the same manner but

127

shorter, and at the distance of four or five feet from
the first ; the others decrease in length in proportion
as they approach the top, which terminates in a point.
The extremities of all these branches incline perpen-
dicularly, and give to the tree the form of a quad-
rangular pyramid. This pyramidal shape becomes
still more perfect from the number of little boughs
which project laterally from the principal branches in
a cruciform manner, decreasing gradually from the
common axis. The principal branches as well as
the boughs, are set round with stiff leaves enchased
in each other, of about three inches long by one
broad; these are heart-shaped, convex above, very
shining, and so hard that they appear like wood.
The flower is amentaceous or conical, and perfectly
resembles that of the pine ; the fruit is of the size of
a man's head; it is smooth, spherical, ligneous, sus-
pended to a very short pedicle, and divided within
by thin shells into several cells, which contain the
kernels in pairs ; the kernels are about two inches in
length and as large as the little finger, of a conical
form, a transparent white, and covered with a pelli-
cle like that of the chesnut, which they resemble in
taste, and, though rather harder, are eaten in the
same manner. The gum exudes through the bark,
is yellowish, and its odour very pleasant.*

* This is the dombey of Chili of M. de la Mark. This tree is
not a pine, as M. Molina supposes ; it is a new genus, well defined
by its fructification, and clearly distinguishable from any of those
that are known. In fact, besides its flowers being dicecial, they
have this very singular discrimination, that they grow upon catkins,
.with no other pericarpium than what is produced by the genera-
tive organs — the forked appendages that terminate the props of

123

The gevuin (gevuina avellina, gen. nov.) called
by the Spaniards avellano, or the hazle, from the
appearance of its fruit, grows to a middle height in
marshes and in the vallies of the Andes. Its leaves
are winged and terminated with one dissimilar like
those of the ash, but the leaflets are rounder, more
solid, slightly denticulated, and disposed by four or
five couple upon a common pedicle. The flowers
are white, quadripetal, and attached by pairs to a
spike which proceeds from the hollow part of the
leaves. The fruit is round, nine lines in diameter,
and covered with a coriaceous shell, which is at first
green, afterwards becomes yellow, and at length
black; the kernel is divided into two lobes, and in
taste resembles the European walnut.

The peufrtQ (peumus, gen. nov.) is a tree consist-
ing of four very different species, and a great num-
ber of varieties ; all of these are tall and covered with
stiff" aromatic leaves ; the fruit is like the olive, but
a little smaller, having a kernel more or less hard, ac-
cording to the species. The flowers are white or of
a rose colour, with six petals shorter than the calyx.
The first species (peumus rubra) has alternate leaves,
oval, petiolated, entire and large, like those of the
hornbeam, and bears a red fruit; the second (peumus
alba) has denticulated leaves and a white fruit; the

the stamina forming the pericarpium of the male catkin, and the
two valves of each stigma that of the female.

The fruit is also singular ; it consists of large oval rounded cones,
composed of a great number of elongated seeds, fixed naked around
one common axis. These seeds, of course, are not to be found ia
pairs in the hollow of each shell of the cone as in the pine, since
that of the dombeya has no shells„..i<>. Tram.

129

third (peumus mammosa) has sessile leaves in shape
of a heart, and the fruit is terminated by a kind of
nipple; the fourth (peumus boldus) bears oval leaves
placed opposite in pairs, about four inches in length,
woolly beneath and of a dark green. The fruit of
this last species is smaller than that of the others and
almost round, and the kernel so hard that the inha-
bitants make their rosaries of it. They also give to
the fruit the name of boldo, and use the shells to per-
fume the vessels in which they put their wine. The
fruits of the three first kinds are eaten ; to prepare
them for that purpose they are merely dipped in
warm water, as a greater degree of heat would burn
and render them bitter. The interior pulp is white,
buttery, and of an agreeable taste," and the kernel con-
tains much oil which might be used both for lamps
and for eating, The bark serves for tanning leather,
and is also used in dying.

The lucuma (lucuma, gen. nov.) comprehends
five different species and many varieties, all of them
large trees, with stiff leaves resembling the laurel.
The flowers have a great number of stamina, and
produce a fruit which, in size and taste, has some
similarity to the peach; the outside skin is yellowish
and the pulp sweet, and usually contains one or two
kernels of an irregular shape. Two kinds of lucuma
are cultivated — the lucuma bifera and the turbinata.
The bifera bears twice a year, early in summer and
in autumn; but the autumnal fruits alone produce
kernels; these are two, and have the appearance of
chesnuts. The fruit is round and a little sloped,
but less so than that of the turbinata, which has the
Vol. I. T

130

form of a whipping-top. Notwithstanding both
these fruits ripen upon the tree, it is necessary
to keep them some time in straw, which ameliorates
them and corrects their natural roughness, and by
this means they acquire that pleasant taste which
renders them so much esteemed.

Of the wild lucuma three species are known in
Chili by the names of bellota, keule and chagnar.

The bellota (lucuma Valparaidisea) grows in great
quantities in the environs of Valparaiso, and is dis-
tinguished from the others by its leaves, which are
opposite, and its round or oval fruit, which is usually
bitter.

The keule (lucuma keule) which frequently grows
to the height of a hundred feet, has oval leaves about
six inches long and of a brilliant green. This tree
usually bears a great quantity of fruit which is per-
fectly round and of a shining yellow, forming a fine
contrast with the beautiful verdure of the foliage.

The chagnar (lucuma spinosa) has a trunk about
thirty feet high ; the branches are thorny, the leaves
oval and sessile, and the fruit resembles that of the
keule, but has a more agreeable taste. The wood is
hard, of a yellow colour, and much valued by cabinet
makers.

The different kinds of pulse, flowers, garden
herbs, vines and fruit trees, which the Spaniards
have brought from Europe, thrive as well in Chili as
in their native country.*

* Each house has a garden in which may be found all kinds of
fruit trees, which produce every year such abundance of fruit that
the inhabitants pluck off a great part of it when it first forms, as

131

The melons, of which there are many kinds, arc
almost always long; the rind is very thin and the
flavour excellent. Among them the musk melon
and the scritti, two marked and constant varieties,
are preferred to any other ; and I have seen many
that were two feet in length. The melons begin to
ripen in the month of December, and continue until
the end of May. These last, which I have called
winter melons (invernizi) are green, and will keep
perfectly well during the winter if they are placed
in a situation where the air may have free Access to
them.

The inhabitants cultivate seven species of water
melons of an excellent kind, but the most esteemed
is that called pellata, which has a thin rind like the
skin of an apple. This fruit is a native of Jamaica,
from whence the Spaniards imported it into Europe,
but it is probable that the cuchugna, which is of the
same species and of an excellent flavour, was culti-
vated in Chili long before the arrival of the Spa-
niards.

I have already spoken of the great fertility of the
soil in the production of different kinds of grain ;

otherwise it would not only endanger breaking the limbs, but would
never come to maturity. The fruits are not inferior in quality
to those of Europe, except the chesnut which is much less, but
in place of this there are many other kinds of fruit unknown in
our climate. — Fcuille, vol. ii.

All the houses in Coquimbohave large gardens surrounded with
walls, in which, in their season, are produced apples, pears, prunes,
delicious cherries, nuts, almonds, olives, lemons^ oranges, pomegra-
nates, figs, grapes and many other fruits, peculiar to the country,
not known in Europe. All these fruits are very odoriferous, as T
have myself experienced. — Feuille, vol. ii.

132

and shall merely observe in this place that the spe-
cies of wheat most generally cultivated is one with-
out beard called mutica ; this is sowed in August
and the crop reaped in December. Hemp and flax
grow extremely well in Chili, but as the exportation
of it is rigorously prohibited, the inhabitants raise
no more than is wanted for internal consumption.

The vine produces wonderfully, and the soil ap-
pears to be peculiarly favourable to it, as the thick-
ets are filled with wild vines (the seeds having been
carried thither by birds) from whose grapes the
country people obtain a very good wine ; but the
cultivated vines produce delicious grapes of the best
quality. From the borders of Peru to the river of
Maule, the mode of cultivating the vines is by rais-
ing the sets to the height of three or four feet by
means of props or forked stakes which support them ;
but beyond that river they are planted upon the de-
clivities of hiils and reclined on the ground. The
grapes in the highest estimation are those that grow
upon the shores of the Itata. The wine obtained from
them is the best in Chili, it is called Conception
wine, and is usually red, of a good body, an excel-
lent flavour, and not inferior to the first wines in
Europe.* A great quantity of this wine is annually
exported to Peru, but it loses much of its pleasant
flavour from being put into casks that are daubed
over on the inside with a kind of mineral pitch.

* The country is full of hills, with fine vineyards on their tops,
which produce very excellent wines. — Feuille, vol. ii.

The wines of St.Jago are of several kinds, and although inferior
to those of Conception, are very well tasted, and of a good
body. — American Gazetteer ; article Chili.

W"i

133

The muscadel wine is, according- to Ulloa, of as
good a quality as the best of Spain.* These wines
are in general very strong, and great quantities are
used for distilling brandy. The vintage takes place
in the months of April and May-. About twenty
years since some vines of a black muscadel grape,
of an excellent quality, were discovered in the val-
lies of the Andes, and from tMe%ce transplanted into
the other provinces. As these vailies had never been
inhabited, and until that time no such grape had been
known in any other part of the country, it is difficult
to determine whether it is a native of Chili or brought
from Europe. It has besides some peculiarities that
distinguish it, as the leaves being more indented,
and the clusters perfectly conical, while the gropes
grow so close to each other as to render it impossi-
ble to detach one without crushing several.

All the European fruit trees yield abundantly, and
their fruit is as fine in Chili as in their native coun-
try, f The greater part are also remarkable for their
numbers and the increase of their size. In the south-
ern provinces are forests of apple and quince trees
from three to four leagues in extent, from whence

* Chili has in no less abundance grapes of various kinds, and
among them those which produce a wine more highly valued in
Peru than any other ; it is mostly red, and a muscadel is also
made, which in its smell and the deliciousness of its taste surpasses
any kind known in Spain. — Ulloa's Voyage.

t The plain of Quillota is vsry pleasant. We were there at
the time of the carnival, which occurs in that country in the be-
ginning of autumn, and were much surprised to see a great quan-
tity of all kinds of the best European fruit trees which have been
transplanted thither. They all produced in abundance, particu-
larly the peaches, of which there were large thickets, while the

134

proceeds that great variety of apples, the fruit of
many of which is excellent. Among these, howe-
ver, those of Quillota are the most in estimation.
The quinces are remarkable for their size and eood-

1 o

ness;* like those of Europe they have an acid and
astringent taste, but if suffered to attain perfect ma-
turity, and not gathered until the end of autumn, they
are very sweet, and are called in the country corc'ia.
It is a well known fact that this fruit loses its astrin-
gency by being allowed to remain a long time upon
the tree, but in this country they pretend that the
autumnal rains and the slight white frosts of that
season are necessary to perfect it. There is likewise
a particular species of the quince, improperly called
lucuma. The fruit is very different from that of the real
lucuma, and is always sweet, of a conical shape, and
in a small degree umbilical ; the skin, as well as the
pulp, is of an orange colour, and the tree is a real
quince tree.

The peaches amount to fourteen species, and fre-
quently produce fruit of more than sixteen ounces

only attention paid to their cultivation was by introducing some
small streams of water among them, from the river Chile, to sup-
ply the want of rain during the summer. — Frazicr's Voyage, vol. L
Pears and apples grow so naturally in the bushes, that it is
difficult to conceive, on seeing such quantities of them, how it is
possible for these trees to have multiplied since the conquest to
such a degree, if it is true, as is said, that they were not in the
country before that period.— >Frazier's Voyage, vol. i.

* What I most admired was the size of the quinces, for they
are larger than a man's head. But what was no less an object of
surprise, was the little account made of them by the inhabitants,
who suffered them to rot upon the ground without paying any at
tention to collecting them. — Feziillj, vol. iii.

135

weight. Among the duracines, that kind called in
the country alberchigos, is the most in estimation ;
the fruit is large and very excellent, the pulp is of
a reddish white, and the stone perfectly red. The tree,
like the fig, bears twice ayear; in the month of Janua-
ry it yields large and pulpy peaches, and in April
a small fruit, resembling the almond, of a delicious
taste, called almendruchos. The pears and cher-
ries produce also twice a year, but the latter growth
rarely obtains perfect maturity.* Oranges, lemons
and citrons, of which there are many varieties in
Chili, grow every where in the open fields, and their
vegetation is not inferior to that of the other trees.
Besides the common kind a species of small lemon
is much cultivated, the fruit of which is about the
size of a walnut, and very juicy. The leaves are
small and resemble those of the orange more than
the lemon, a very delicious sweetmeat is made from
the fruit, and the juice is much used in inflam-
matory fevers.

The olive grows very well, particularly in the vi-
cinity of St. Jago, where I have seen trees of three
feet in diameter and of a proportional height. Med-
lars, service apples, the three -grained medlar and
the jujube, are the only European fruits at pre-
sent unknown in Chili.

* The fruit trees brought from Europe thrive very well in that
country, whose climate is so favourable as respects vegetation that
the trees bear fruit there the whole year. I have frequently seen
in the same orchard, what is common in orangeries, the fruit in
all states, in the bud, in flower, green and perfectly ripe at the
same time. — Frazier's Voyage^ vol. i.

136

CHAPTER IV.

Worms, Insects, Reptiles, Fishes, Birds and
Quadrupeds.

CHILI is not quite so abundant in animals as the
other countries of America. The reptiles, for in-
stance, are but few, and the indigenous quadrupeds
do not exceed thirty-six species. The classes of
worms, of fishes and of birds are those that contain
the greatest number of species and of individuals.
From my observations, however, I am led to believe
that insects are less abundant than in Italy, and that
Chili produces a greater number of worms, particu-
larly the marine kind ; the whole coast of the Pacific
Ocean being filled with zoophytes and molluscas,
many of which are wholly unknown to naturalists.

Sect. I. Molluscas. — The pyura (pyura, gen.
nov.) is a mollusca, remarkable for its shape and its
mode of dwelling. This animal, which scarcely
merits the name, is about an inch in diameter, and of
the shape of a pear, or it may more properly be com-
pared to a small fleshy purse, of nearly a conical
form, filled with salt water ; it is of a red colour, and
is furnished on the upper part with two very short
trunks, one of which serves for a mouth the other
as an anus. Between these are two shining black

137

points which I suppose are the eyes. On the strict-
est examination I have not been able to discover any
organs or intestines separate from the flesh compos-
ing the body of this animal, which is smooth on the
outside, and within mammiform. It is not, however,
destitute of sensibility, as, on being touched or drawn
from its cell, it ejects with violence from both
trunks the water which it contains. Several of these
animals live together in a kind of coriaceous hive ;
this is of a different form in different places, and ap-
pears to be completely closed on the outside, but
within is divided into ten or more cells by means of
strong membranes. Each individual has his separate
cell, where he lives a recluse life without any visible
communication with his companions, and in which he
is compelled to remain, though there is no perceptible
ligament that attaches him to it. From this circum*
stance it may fairly be presumed that these animals
are hermaphrodites of the first species, or such as
produce their like without coupling.

The hives, which serve as habitations for these
molluscas, resemble alcyoniums, and are attached to
rocks, covered by the water, from whence they are
torn by the waves and driven on the shore. The in-
habitants of Chili eat the pyures, either boiled or
roasted in the shells, and when fresh they have the
taste of a lobster. Great quantities of them are dried
annually and sent to Cujo, where they are in great
request. I believe the animal which Kolben, in his
description of the Cape of Good Hope, calls the sea
fountain, is of the same family.
Vol. I. IT

138

Various species of the holothuria, especially the
holothuria phy satis, or the galley, are frequently found
upon the shore, whither they are driven by the waves.
This mollusca, called by several authors the sea net-
tle, from its producing an inflammation of the skin
when touched, is of the shape and size of an ox- blad-
der filled with air. It is furnished within with a
great number of branching feelers, or tentacular, in-
tertwined with each other, in the centre of which is
placed the mouth, of a very deformed appearance*

These tentacular are of several colours, red, pur-
ple or blue ; the skin that forms the vesicle or blad-
der is transparent, and appears to consist of different
longitudinal and transverse fibres, within which a
peristaltic motion is perceptible. The top of this
bladder is ornamented with a membrane in the shape
of a crest, which serves the animal as a sail, and con-
tains nothing excepting a little clear water, confined
to one of its extremities by a membrane or dia-
phragm, which prevents it from spreading through-
out the whole cavity of the bladder.

Besides the common cuttle fish (sepia octopodia)
three other singular species are found in the sea of
Chili. The first, the ungulated cuttle fish (sepia un-
g uiculata) is of a great size, and instead of suckers,
has paws armed with a double row of pointed nails,
like those of a cat, which it can, at its pleasure, draw
into a kind of sheatji. This fish is of a delicate taste,
but is not very common. The second I have cal-
led the tunicated cuttle fish (sepia tunicata) from its
body being covered with a second skin, in the form
of a tunic ; thi§ is transparent, and terminates in two

139

little semicircular appendages like wings, which pro-
ject from either side of the tail. Many wonderful
and incredible stories are told by sailors of the bulk
and strength of this fish, but it is certain that it is
frequently caught of one hundred and fifty pounds
weight on the coast of Chili, and the flesh is esteemed
a great delicacy. The third is the cuttle fish with
six feet (sepia hexapodia). This species is of a very
singular figure, and when seen in a state of quies-
cence, appears much more like a broken piece of the
small branch of a tree than an animal. Its body does
not exceed six inches in length, and is of the size of
a man's finger, divided into four or five articula-
tions decreasing in size towards the tail. Its feet
are usually drawn up near the head, but when ex-
tended have the appearance of so many floating roots ;
like those of other cuttle fish, they are furnished with
suckers, but so small as to be scarcely discernible.
The head is misshapen, and supplied with two an-
tennae, or trunks. The black liquor is contained in
a little bladder or vesicle, common to all the genus,
and is very good for writing. The animal, when
taken in the naked hand, produces a slight degree of
numbness, which is not, however, attended with any
disagreeable consequences.

Of the urchins, or sea- eggs, there are several spe-
cies, but the principal are the white and the black.
The white urchin (echinus albus) is of a globular
form, and about three inches in diameter ; the shell
and spines are white, but the interior substance is
yellowish, and of an excellent taste. The black ur-
chin (echinus nigerj is a little larger than the white,

140

and of an oval form j the exterior and the eggs are
black; it is called the devil's hedge-hog, and is
never eaten.

Of the class of vermes, or worms, the order of
testacei are most abundant in Chili ; the sea shore
being covered with all kinds of shells, of which seve-
ral hills are formed, from whence the inhabitants col-
lect great quantities for lime. I have no doubt that
among them might be discovered not only some of
a new species, but of a new genus ; but as the limits
of my work will not permit me to go into a full de-
scription of them, I shall confine myself to those
kinds that are the most esteemed and made use of
by the inhabitants.

Oysters are found in many places on the coast ;
there are several varieties, but the largest and best
are taken near Coquimbo. Escallops are found in
the same places with the oyster, not only those with
convex, but those with flat shells.

The principal species of the muscle are the com-
mon, the pearly muscle (mytilus margaritifer) the
large and small Magellanic muscle, the chorus, and
the black muscle. The large Magellanic muscle is
six inches long and three broad, the shell is covered
on the outside with a brownish skin, beneath which
it is of a beautiful sky blue, crossed transversely with
purple stripes, and within is of a rich mother of pearl
colour striped with red. The little Magellanic
muscle is nearly of the same colour, but of rather a
more oval form. Both these kinds commonly con-
tain some s#all pearls, of little lustre ; those, on the

141

contrary, that are found in the pearly muscle, are of
a fine water, but almost always very small.

The chorus (mytilus chorus) is seven inches long
by three and a half broad. The skin is of a deep
blue, but the shell, when stripped of it, is of a shining
white inclining to blue ; the muscle itself is very
white and excellently tasted. It is principally found
on the island of Quinquina, and the coast of Arau-
cania. The black muscle (mytilus ater) is nearly as
large as the chorus, the shell is rough and of a dark
blue, and the flesh black and never eaten.

Fresh water muscles are also found in abundance
in the rivers and the ponds. I have noticed three
species of them, known by the names of dollumt
pellu and uthif, but they are all of an insipid and
disagreeable taste.

The tellinae are also common in Chili, particularly
the maijco, a species of rayed tellens, or sun beam,
and the chalgua, which is entirely white.

The thaca (chamathaca) is a cockle that is nearly
round, about four inches in diameter ; the shell is
striated longitudinally, and spotted on the outside
with white, yellow and purple, the inner part is of
a beautiful yellow, and the flesh excellent eating.
^The macha (solen macha) is a species of razor-shell,
a genus of shell-fish so called from their form. It is
six or seven inches long, and variegated with sky-*
blue and brown. Both these kinds bury themselves
in the sand, from whence the fishermen take them
in great numbers.

The rocks of Chiloe afford a residence to a species
of pholades (pholus Chilensis) which the inhabitants

142

©all comes. The shell is bivalve, but has some ere*
taceous appendages on the upper part, and is often
six inches long and two broad.

Barnacles of various species are found in abun-
dance upon all the coast. Of these, one called the
parrot-bill (lepas psittacus) is much esteemed by the
inhabitants. From ten to twenty of these animals
inhabit as many small separate cells, formed in a
pyramid of a cretaceous substance. These pyramids
are usually attached to the steepest parts of rocks,
at the water's edge, and the animal derives its sub-
sistence from the sea by means of a little hole at
the top of each cell. The shell consists of six valves,
two large and four small ; the large ones project ex-
ternally in the form of a parrot's bill, from whencfc
the animal has received its name. When detached
from the rocks they are kept alive in their cells for
four or five days, during which time they occasion-
ally protrude their bills as if to breathe. They are
of different sizes, though the largest do not exceed
an inch in length, and are very white, tender, and
excellent eating.

Of the buccinum and the murex there are like-
wise a great number of species. One of the latter,
the loco (murex loco) is highly esteemed. It is very
white, and of a delicious taste, but rather tough, and
In order to render it tender, it is generally beaten with
a small stick before it is cooked. The shell is oval,
and covered with knots or tuberosities ; the animal
is about four or five inches in length, and near the
neck has a small vesicle which contains a few drops
of a purple liquor.

143

As far as I have had it in my power to observe,
there are no naked snails or slugs in Chili, but those
that are covered with a shell are very numerous in
all the thickets. One of the most curious species is
found in the vicinity of Conception ; I have called it
the serpentine, from its skin being hard and covered
with scales like that of a serpent. The shell is coni-
cal, and larger than a turkey's egg ; it is slightly
striated, and of a whitish grey colour, and the edge
of the aperture is turned back and forms a border of
a beautiful red.

Sect. II. Crustaceous Fishes and Insects* — Thir-
teen different species of crabs and craw-fish have
been discovered on the sea coast of Chili, and there
are four kinds inhabiting the fresh waters. Among
the crabs the most remarkable are the talicuna, the
xaiva, the apancora, the hairy, the santolla, and the
crowntd.

The talicuna (cancer talicuna) has a round, smooth
and convex shell, about four inches in diameter. The
claws are denticulated, the head and the eyes very-
protrusive, and the belly is almost entirely covered
with the tail. When alive it is of a dark brown, but
becomes red when boiled.

The xaiva (cancer xaiva) has a shell that is nearly
spherical, about two inches and a half in diameter
furnished with spines upon the edges.

The apancora (cancer apancora) is larger than the
talicuna. The shell is oval and wholly denticulated
the claws are hairy, and the tail of a triangular form
and very long.

144

The hairy crab (cancer setosus) is of the size of the
preceding, and is entirely cloathed with rough hair
like bristles ; the back shell is in the shape of a heart,
and covered with protuberances. The beak is di-
vided and reverted, and furnished with a great num-
ber of hairs.

The santolla (cancer santolla) surpasses all the
others in its size, and the delicacy of its taste. Its
shell is orbicular, convex, and of a coriaceous con-
sistence ; it is covered with large spines, which are
easily detached when it is roasted, and the claws are
very long and large, and covered with a wrinkled
skin.

The crowned crab (cancer coronatus) is furnished
with a shell nearly oval, of about four inches and a half
in diameter, with an excrescence in the centre re-
presenting a mural crown.

Crawfish are no less abundant on the Chilian coast.
Lord Anson mentions having caught them a. Juan
Fernandez of eight and nine pounds weight, that
were of an excellent flavour. Lobsters are also found
in such quantities on the same island, that the fisher-
men have no other trouble to take them, than to
strew a little meat upon the shore, and when they
come to devour this bait, as they do in immense
numbers, to turn them on their backs with a stick.
By this simple method, many thousands are taken
annually, and the tails, which are in high estimation,
dried and sent to Chili.

Of tlie fresh water crabs, the most remarkable is
that called the mason (cancer cementarius). It is
about eight inches long, of a brown colour striped

145

with red ; the flesh is very white, and preferable to
that of any other species of river or sea crab. They
are found in abundance in almost all the rivers and
brooks, on whose shores they build themselves, with
clay, a small cylindrical tenement, which rises six
inches above the surface of the ground, but admits
the water, by means of a subterranean canal extend-
ing to the bed of the river. They are readily caught
by letting down a basket or osier pot, with a piece
of meat in it, into the water.

The insects which I have noticed in Chili were
in general like those of Italy ; a great number, how-
ever, appear to be very distinct, and to merit a par-
ticular description. Among the latter is a singular
species of the c/zrysome/^chrysomelamaulica) which
is found upon the flowers of the visnega. It is of an
oval figure, a little larger than a house-fly, and is en-
tirely of a golden colour, and extremely brilliant. The
country people in the province of M aule, where it is
principally to be met with, string together a num-
ber of these insects for necklaces and other orna-
ments, which preserve their beauty and brilliancy for
a long time.

In the same province is found a black beetle of
more than half an inch in length, called pilmo (luca-
nus pilmus) which is very destructive to leguminous
plants, particularly the bean. But the husbandmen
have succeeded in nearly extirpating this species, by
shaking the plants, upon which they are, over vessels
of hot water placed beneath.

Vol. L X'

146

Chili is much less infested with grasshoppers than
Cujo, and many other countries in America. There
is but one species with which I am acquainted ; it is
found upon fruit trees, and is about six inches long.
When the insect extends its legs, it resembles very
much a twig of the tree upon which it keeps. The
common people, according to the vulgar notion that
every thing deformed has some connection with evil
spirits, c^ll it the devil's horse.* It is not a common
insect, and appears to me to resemble the grillus cle-
phas of Linnaeus. Bed-bugs were unknown in Chili
till within the last sixty years. They are said to have
been first introduced by the European ships, but have
since increased very much in the northern provinces,
particularly in St. Jago. The southern provinces are
as yet exempt from this troublesome insect.

The glow worms that I have seen were in general
similar to those of Italy. But one night as I was
passing a little wood, I observed three insects as large
as the death's head sphinx (sphinx atropos) which gave
a very bright light. My attempts to take them, how-
ever, were fruitless, and I was never afterwards able
to discover any of them, but I am of opinion that they
were a species of the lantern-fly.

Of caterpillars there is a great variety of species ;
and in the summer the fields of Chili are embellished
with the most beautiful butterflies. Among them
are some that are remarkable for their size and the
splendour of their colours. Of these, the most dis~

* From the author's description, this insect appears rather to
u?lung to the genus of mantis than any other Ft. Trans,

147

tinguished is one that I have denominated the parrot
butterfly (papilio psittacus). This is very large and
wonderfully beautiful ; the top of the head is of a fine
vermilion, marked with* yellow ; the back yellow,
with red, azure, and green spots ; the upper part of
the wings is green, spotted with yellow and blue, and
the lower of a pale red ; the belly is blue, speckled
with brown and grey, and the antennae, which are
shaped like a club, are purple. There is another of
the same size (papilio leucothea) called by the chil-
dren palama. This butterfly is entirely of a silvery
white, except the antennae and legs, which are black.

In the vicinity of the sea, between the rivers Rapel
and Metaquito, is a kind of caterpillar said to resem-
ble the silk worm, which forms upon the forest trees
small cocoons of a beautiful silk, not inferior to the
European. Nor can it be doubted, that a climate
so mild as that of Chili should be peculiarly favour-
able to the propagation of the silk worm, but as yet
no attention has been paid thereto, and all the silk
used in that country is imported from Europe.

It would not readily be believed that the rosin,
which is collected in such quantities in the province
of Coquimbo, from a shrub called chilca, a. spe-
cies of origanum, is not a real gum, and, like others,
an exudation of the sap through the bark. But
one of my countrymen, the Abbe Panda, who has
examined with much attention the natural produc-
tions of that province, has lately discovered that this
supposed rosin is produced by a small smooth cater-
pillar, of a red colour, and about half an inch in

14a

length.* These insects collect in great numbers in
the beginning of the spring on the branches of the
c/iilca, where they form their cells of a kind of soft
white wax. In these the}* become changed into a
small yellowish moth, with black stripes upon the
wings, which I have named phalena ceraria. The
wax is at first very white, by degrees becomes yel-
low, and finally brown ; this change, and the bitter
taste which it then acquires, is supposed to be owing
to the fogs, which are very frequent in the provinces
where it is found. It is collected in autumn by
the inhabitants, who boil it in water, and afterwards
make it up into little cakes, in which form it is
brought to market. In order to increase its weight,
many are accustomed to mix it with the rosin ob-
tained from another resinous shrub calledpajaro bobof
and in this state great quantities of it are sold to ship-
masters, who use it for paying their vessels, the only
purpose to which it has hitherto been applied. It
is to be regretted that the situation of the Abbe
would not permit him to pursue his experiments, in
order to determine whether this rosin might not serve
for candles equally as well as beeswax, which it great-
ly resembles.

Upon the branches of the wild rosemary ^s also
found a whitish viscous substance, in globules of the
size of a hazel-nut, containing a very limpid oil,

* I am convinced that this resinous substance is a production of
the tree itself, and that the caterpillar merely facilitates its exuda-
tion, by biting the buds in the spring ; the same circumstance oc-
curs in many of the resinous trees of Europe..../5'/-. Trans.

149

which unquestionably proceeds from that shrub, and
might be found useful for many purposes. These
glands serve at the same time for the habitation of a
kind of caterpillar, which becomes transformed into
a small fly with four brown wings, of the genus of
cynips.

In Chili there are many species of the bee, par-
ticularly in the southern provinces, where those that
produce honey make their hives in hollow trees, or
in holes in the earth ; all the wax used in the Archi-
pelago of Chiloe is the product of these wild bees.
As far as I have been able to ascertain, none of the
common wasps are to be found in Chili, and as tomus-
quitoes, gnats, and other species of stinging flies, so
troublesome to the inhabitants of warm countries,
they are entirely unknown there. In the vicinity of
stagnant waters only have I observed a gnat of the
species denominated by Linnaeus culex ciliaris.

Of the water-fly, there are several species ; they
are always met with in the neighbourhood of dwell-
ings, and differ in no respect from those of Europe,
excepting one of a middle size, found only in the
province of Calchagua. This is remarkable for its
pleasant musky smell, and is used by the inhabitants
to perfume their clothes, from which circumstance I
have named it tipula moschifera.

As to the ants, they appear to me to be of the same
kind with those of Europe, and not to offer any dis-
criminative mark of character.

The Chigua (pulex penetrans) called by the Chi-
lians nigua or pegui, is found only in the environs of
the city of Coquimbo, and so rarely is it met with

150

even there, that I have been assured by a person who
resided there many years, that a single child was the
only instance he had heard of any one's having been
incommoded by this insect. Nigua is a generic
term in Chilian, signifying all kinds of vermin or
animalcule which infest animals, particularly the
feathered tribe; these are precisely similar to those of
Europe. Ulloa appears, therefore, to have been ig-
norant of the extensive signification of this word in
Chilian, as what he says in his voyage, that the chi-
guas, or pricker, is found upon the whole coast of
Chili, is contradicted by universal experience.

Of the spiders there is but one species that is re-
markable ; this is the great spider with fangs, which
I have called aranea scrofa. It is found in the vi-
cinity of St. Jago, and lives under ground ; the body
is as large as a hen's egg, and covered with soft
brown hair, and the claws very long and large ; in the
middle of its forehead are four large eyes, disposed
in the form of a square, and at the sides of the head
two others that are less, and the mouth is furnished
with two pincers of a shining black, about two
lines in length, turned back towards the forehead.
Notwithstanding its formidable appearance, this spi-
der is not dangerous, and serves as an amusement
for children, who pluck out its pincers without ap r
prehension, which are by the common people believed
to be a specific for the tooth-ach.

Scorpions, called in the language of the country
thehuanque (scorpio Chilensis) differ but little or no-
thing in size or appearance from those of Europe.
They are usually met with in some of the secondary

151

mountains of the Andes. The common colour is a
dark brown, but those found under stones upon the
shores of the river Coquimbo are yellow.* It is said
that neither of them are venomous, and that those
who are bitten by them experience no inconvenience.
I was once present when a young man was bit by one
of them, who merely complained of a slight smarting
of the part, which continued inflamed for not more
than half an hour. Such experiments, however, are
too superficial to prove satisfactory.

Se c t. III. Reptiles. — I have already observed, that
there are but few reptiles in Chili ; and, in truth, all
that are known are water turtles, two species of frogs,
the land and water toad, a few lizards of the aquatic
and terrestrial kinds, and one species of serpent ; nor
are either of these venomous.

The turtles are of two species ; one is an inhabi-
tant of the sea, denominated by Linnaeus testudo
coriacea ; the other, testudo lutaria, is found in
fresh water, particularly in the lakes of the southern
provinces.

The frogs are the green frog (rana esculenta) and
the temporary frog (rana temporaria).

The land toads are similar to those of Italy, and
live altogether in moist and wet places. The water
toads are of two kinds, the arunco (rana arunco) and
the thaul (rana lutea). The arunco is a little larger

* The European scorpions are yellow when young, and continue
so while they remain under stones, but on exposure to the air be-
come brown.... Fr. Trans,

152

than the temporary frog, and nearly of the same co-
lour. The body is tuberculated, and the feet web-
bed ; the fore feet have four toes and the hinder
five, all furnished with small nails almost impercepti-
ble. It is called by the Araucanians genco, which
signifies lord of the water, as they believe that it*
watches over the preservation and contributes to the
salubrity of the waters. The thaul is less than the
common or green frog which it resembles in its form.
Its skin is yellow and covered with tubercles, and its
feet are shaped like those of the aranco, but not pal-
mated.

The most remarkable of the terrestrial lizards is
the pallum (lacerta pallum) of whose skin the pea-
sants make their purses. This lizard lives usually
under ground in the plains ; its length, exclusive of
the tail, is a little more than eleven inches, and it is
three inches in circumference ; the tail is as lonp- as
the body, the head triangular, covered with small
square scales, the nose very long, the ears round and
like those of all lizards, placed at the hinder part of
the head. The upper part of its body is covered
with small rhomboidal scales, green, yellow, black
and blue ; the skin of the belly is smooth and of a
yellowish green ; the feet have each five toes, fur-
nished with strong nails, and the tail is round and
of the same colour as the body.

Of the aquatic lizard but one species has been
discovered, to which Feuiile, who saw it, has given
the name of the water salamander (salamandra aqua-
tica nigra). It is fourteen inches and a half in length,
including the tail ; the skin is without scales, rough

153

in a slight degree, and of a black inclining to blue ;
the head is elevated and rather long, the eyes large
and yellow with a blue pupil, and the nostrils open
with a fleshy border ; its nose is pointed, the mouth
wide and furnished with two rows of small crooked
teeth; the tongue is large, of a bright red, and at-
tached at the base to the gullet, in which is a large
crop that the animal can contract and expand at plea-
sure ; like other water lizards it is without ears, and
from the top of its head to the extremity of its tail
extends a kind of indented crest. The fore feet are
much shorter than the hind, they have each five toes,
which, instead of nails, are furnished with round car-
tilages ; the tail is strait and rounded at the base, but
towards the end becomes flattened and expanded
like a spatula ; it is about two inches in breadth, and
the edges are notched like a saw.

The only serpent of Chili is that known to natu-
ralists by the name of coluber esculapii. It is striped
with black, yellow and white, sometimes mingled
with brown. The largest that I have seen was not
more than three feet in length, it is perfectly harm-
less,, and the peasants handle it without the least ap-
prehension.

Sect. IV. Fishes. — The various kinds of escu-
lent fish, found on the coast of Chili, are by the
fishermen computed to be seventy-six, the most of
which differ from those of the northern hemisphere,
and appear to be peculiar to that sea. There are
many, however, that are merely varieties of species
that are common to almost all seas. .£uch, among

Vol. I. Y

154

the amphibious or cartilaginous fishes, are the ray,
the torpedo, scate, dog-fish, saw-fish, fishing-frog,
and old-wife ; and among the spinous fishes, the
electrical eel, the conger, the sword-fish, the cod,
the whiting, the sole, the turbot, the dorado, the bo-
nito, the tunny, the mackarel, the roach, the barbel,
the mullet, the shad, the pilchard, the anchovy, and
several others.

Whether the vast numbers of fish on the coast of
Chili, are owing to some peculiar local causes, or to
the small number of fishermen, it is a fact, sup-
ported by the testimony of the best informed naviga-
tors, that no country in the world furnishes a greater
quantity of those that are excellent,*

The bays, harbours, and, in a particular manner,
the mouths of the large rivers, swarm with them of

* In the road of Valparaiso is caught an abundance of excellent
fish of all kinds, as king-fish, bream, soles, &c. besides an infinite
number of those that are migratory, as pilchards, and a species of
cod that come upon the coast in the months of October, November
and December ; also shad, and a kind of anchovy, which at times
are in such multitudes, that they are caught with baskets on the
surface of the watei*. — Frazier's Voyage, vol. i.

We had also fish in such plenty, that one boat would, with hooks
and lines, catch, in a few hours, as much as would serve a large
ship's company two days ; they were of various sorts, all excellent
in their kind, and many of them weighed from twenty to thirty
pounds. — Hawkes'ivorth's Voyage of Commodore Byron, chap.viii.

This part of Masafttero is a very good place for refreshment,
especially in the summer season ; the goats have been mentioned
already, and there is all round the island such plenty of fish, that a>
boat may, with three hooks and lines, catch as much as will serve
an hundred people ; among others we caught excellent soal fish,
cavallies, cod, halibut, and craw-fish, Sec. — Haivkeetvorth's Voyage
o/Cafit. Carteret, chap, ii,

155

all sizes, and in some places they are caught with-
out any trouble. The river Cauten, which is three
hundred toises broad at its mouth, and of sufficient
depth to admit a ship of the line, is, at certain sea-
sons of the year, so filled with fish, for seven leagues
from its mouth, that the Indians flock thither in
large companies, and take an astonishing quantity
by striking them from the shores with their lances,
formed of a reed, which I have already described,
called coliu ; and an equal abundance is to be found
in the mouths of all the southern rivers.

In the Archipelago of Chiloe, where the fish are
still more plentiful, the inhabitants place in the
mouths of the rivers, and even in certain places on
the sea shore, palisades, leaving an opening towards
the sea, which, when the tide begins to ebb, they
carefully close. On the retiring of the water, the
fish enclosed in these wears are left upon the sand,
and taken without difficulty. There is almost al-
ways a greater quantity enclosed than is wanted by
the inhabitants, who come thither from all quarters
to obtain a supply, so that they frequently open the
gate, and permit the most part to escape with the re-
turning flood.

The cod is as abundant upon the coast of Juan
Fernandez as upon the banks of Newfoundland, and
caught with equal facility, for no sooner is the line
thrown in, than a fish is drawn up. These fish arrive
in large shoals, in the months of November and De-
cember, upon the coast of Valparaiso. The inhabi-
tants formerly paid no attention to this important

156

fishery, but of late have pursued it with great suc-
cess.

In some parts of the coast, great numbers of fish
are occasionally found upon the shore. These fish,
when pursued by the whale, retire to the shallows,
where, unable to contend against the violence of the
waves, they are thrown upon the beach, and become
the prey of birds, or when found alive by the inhabi-
tants, are taken and salted for use. Of the fish, the
most esteemed are the robalo, the corvino, the lisa,
and the king-fish.

The robalo (esox Chilensis) is nearly of a cylin-
drical form, and from two to three feet long. It is
clothed with angular scales, of a golden colour upon
the back, and silver on the belly, the fins are soft and
without spines, the tail is truncated, and the back
marked longitudinally with a blue stripe, bordered
with yellow. The flesh is very white, almost trans-
parent, light, and of a delicious taste. Those taken
upon the Araucanian coast are the most in repute,
where they are sometimes caught of eight pounds
weight. The Indians of Chiloe smoke them, after
having cleaned and soaked them for twenty-four
hours in sea water, and when sufficiently dried, pack
them up in casks of one hundred each, which are
generally sold from two to three dollars. The robalo
prepared in this manner is superior to any other kind
of dried fish.

The corvina (sparus Chilensis) is nearly of the
same size as the preceding ; it is sometimes, how-
ever, found of five or six feet in length. This fish
has a small head, and a large oval body, covered

157

with broad rhomboidal scales, of a mother of pearl
colour, marked with white ; the tail is forked, and
the body encircled obliquely from the shoulders to
the belly with a number of brownish lines. The fins
are armed with spiny rays, and the flesh is white,
firm, and of a good taste, particularly when fried.
It would probably be still better if it were prepared
like that of the tunny.

The lisa (mugil Chilensis) in its form, scales, and
taste, is much like the common mullet, but is dis-
tinguished by the dorsal fin, which in the lisa is en-
tire. There are two species of this fish, the sea and
the river, neither of which exceed a foot in length ;
the first is a very good fish, but the latter is so ex-
quisite that it is preferred by many to the best of
trout.

The king-fish (cyprinus regius) so called from the
excellence of its flavour, is nearly of the size of a
herring ; it is of a cylindrical form, covered with
golden scales upon the back, and with silver upon
the sides. It has a short blunt mouth without teeth,
yellow eyes, with purple irides and blue pupils ; its
fins are yellow and soft, and that of the back extends
from the head to the tail which is divided into two
parts. These fish are caught in such abundance,
that a hundred of them may be bought for a real.

Although the fresh waters do not afford as many
different species of fish as the sea, the number of in-
dividuals is much greater. The rivers, streams,
lakes, and even the small brooks, produce a surpris-
ing quantity, especially those beyond the 34th de-
gree of latitude. The kinds most in estimation are

153

the lisa, which I have already noticed ; the trout ;
the cauqu'i (cyprinus caucus) ; the malche (cyprinus
malchus) ; the yuli (cyprinus julus) ; the cumarca,
or peladilla (stromateus cumarca) ; and the bagre,
or luvur (silurus Chilensis). The bagre has a
smooth skin without scales, and is brown upon the
sides, and whitish under the belly. In its form it
resembles a tadpole, the head being of a size dispro-
portionate to the length of the body, which does not
exceed eleven inches at the most. It has a blunt
mouth, furnished, like that of the barbel, with barbs.
It has a sharp spine on the back fin, like the tropical
bagre, but its puncture is not venomous, as that is
said to be. The flesh is yellow, and the most deli-
cious of any esculent fish that is known. There is
said to be another species or variety of this fish, in-
habiting the sea, that is black, and which I pre-
sume is the same that Commodore Anson's sailors
called, from its colour, the chimney-sweep.

Eels are found only in the Araucanian provinces,
where they are exceedingly plenty, and are taken by
the Indians in a kind of basket, placed against the
current. The river Taken, which waters those
provinces, produces a small fish called paye, which,
as I have been assured by those who have seen them,
is so diaphanous, that if several are placed upon each
other, any object beneath them may be distinctly
seen. If this property is not greatly exaggerated,
this fish might serve to discover the secret process
of digestion, and the motion of the fluids.

Among the great varieties of fish with which the
waters of Chili abound, the three following are more

159

particularly deserving of notice. These inhabit the
sea, and are the gilt chtetodon, the cock-jisk, and the
tollc. The gilt ch^todon (chsetodoh aureusf is flat,
of an oval form, about a foot in length, and covered
with very small scales. It is of a bright gold co-
lour, and marked with five distinct bands, of more
than half an inch in width, some grey, and others
black. The first is black, commences at the back
of the neck, and passes in a circular direction through
the eyes ; the two in the centre are grey, and encircle
the body, and the two last are black and grey, and
surround the root of the tail, which is of a silver co-
lour. This beautiful fish has a small head, an elon-
gated mouth, furnished with small teeth, and the
back entirely covered from the head to the tail with
a large spinous yellow fin. The tail is in the form
of a fan, and is bordered with yellow, and the flesh is
excellent eating.

The cock-fish^ (chimagra callorynchus) placed by
Linnasus among the amphibious swimmers, is about
three feet long. Its body is round, larger towards the
middle than the extremities, and covered with a whitish
skin devoid of scales. Its head is surmounted with
a cartilaginous crest extending five or six lines be-
yond the upper lip, from whence it has obtained the
name of the cock-fish, or clialgua achagual in the
Araucanian language. It has five fins ; the dorsal
commences immediately behind the head, and ex-
tends itself to the middle of the back, it is very
large, of a triangular form, supported by a strong
sharp, spine, five inches in length ; this spine,
which is longer than the fin, is the only bony part of

160

i |j

the fish, all the rest being cartilaginous, even the
backbone, which, like that of the lamprey, is fur-
nished with neither marrow nor nerves. The four
other fins are placed near the gills and beneath the
anus ; these are double, which is very uncommon,
and the tail is shaped like a leaf, with the point
turned towards the belly. This fish, when eaten, is
served up more as an object of curiosity than from
a regard for its flavour, which is very indifferent.

The tollo (squalus Fernandinus) is a species of
dog-fish, a little larger than the cock-fish, and re-
markable for two dorsal spines, like those of the
squalus acanthias. These spines are triangular, bent
at the point, as hard as ivory, and two inches and a
half long, and five lines broad. They are said to be
an efficacious remedy for the tooth-ache, by holding
the point of one of them to the affected tooth.

Notwithstanding the whale belongs to the class of
lactiferous animals, I have thought proper to notice it
in this place, as many authors, from its external
conformation, have ranked it among fishes. The
species that frequent the Chilian seas are the great
whale (balaena mysticetus) called by the Arauca-
nians yene ; the little whale (balaena boops) called
icol, and the three known species of the dolphin.
Both these kinds of whale are very common in that
sea, and at certain seasons they are seen in great
numbers, particularly near the mouths of rivers,
whither they come in quest of fish.'

The late English navigators speak of the great
quantity of whales which they met with upon the
coast of Terra del Fuego, and in the Straits of Magel-

*r~4

161

Ian; and in the account of Captain Cook's last voyage,
the little whale is particularly mentioned. I have
good reason to believe that, besides the two kinds
of whales above mentioned, all the species discover-
ed in the northern may likewise be found in the
southern seas ; but as the Chilians have never paid
attention to the whale fishery, I am not able to as-
sert it with positiveness, nor to determine the dif-
ference, if there be any, between the northern and
southern whale ; this, however, is certain, that the
whales of the south are not inferior in size to those
of the north. I have myself seen a whale that had
been driven ashore on the coast of the Chones, that
was ninety- six feet long, and on the same coast
was also found the rib of another twenty-two feet in
length. I cannot but be surprised that Mr. BufFon,
in contradiction to the testimony of the most re-
spectable navigators, has asserted that the southern
seas produce no whales,* and that the largest animal
that is found in them is the manati ; that learned
naturalist, who too frequently suffers himself to be
misled by his favourite system, should have recol-
lected that the great phoca, improperly denominated
the sea-lion, an animal which he has himself de-
scribed, far exceeds in size the manati.

There are occasionally seen upon the coast of
Araucania, certain animals called by the Indians sea-

* On the 30th we steered for Stateti-land, and on the passage
fell in with so great a number of whales, of the largest size, that
the crew were apprehensive lest they would sink the ship. We
also saw great numbers of sea-wolves and penguins.~7owrw«/ of
Cafitain Cook's second Voyage, page 522.

Vol. I. Z

162

cows. From the imperfect description which I have
received of them, I cannot determine whether they
are manatis, morses, or a species of phocse. I am,
however, more inclined to believe them to be ma-
natis, as great numbers of these animals were found
by the first Spanish settlers of Juan Fernandez on
the shores of that island ; but the immense destruc-
tion which they made of them, as they were eagerly
hunted for their flesh, has entirely driven them from
those shores.

The Indians pretend that in certain lakes in Chili
is to be found an animal of a monstrous size, which
they call guruvilu, or the fox-serpent. They believe
that it devours men, and on that account never bathe
in those lakes. But the descriptions which they give
of its size and form scarcely ever agree : some re-
presenting it as having the body of a serpent with
the head of a fox ; others, as being of a circular
fbrm, and resembling an inflated ox-hide. It is, how-
ever, probable that this animal has no other exis-
tence than in the imaginations of these people.

- Se c t. V. Birds. — After that of insects, the most
numerous class of animals in Chili is that of birds.
Those that inhabit the land alone amount to a hun-
dred and thirty-five species, and the number of those
belonging to the sea, is almost impossible to be esti-
mated. The genus of gulls alone h known to contain
twenty-six different species, andfrmany others are
not less numerous.

That vast chain of mountains, the Andes, may be
considered as the nursery of birds of all kinds. They

163

assemble there in great numbers in the spring, in
order to breed and rear their young in greater
security; and on the falling of the first snows
in winter, they quit them in large flocks, and
seek the plains and the maritime mountains. Tp.
their residence in the Andes, which are almost al-
ways covered with snow, I think may be attributed
that difference of plumage frequently observable in
individuals of many of these species, of which I have
seen some that were perfectly white.

Many of the birds of Chili are merely simple va-
rieties of species that are found in Italy and many
other parts of Europe. Of this number are the geese*
ducks, divers, plovers, herons, kites, falcons, black-
birds, pigeons, crows, partridges, and domestic
fowls.* The sportsmen enumerate sixteen species of
wild ducks, and six of geese. Among the former,
the royal duck (anas regia) is principally distinguish-
able ; it is much larger than the common duck, the
upper part of the body is of a beautiful blue, and the

* The country abounds with an infinity of birds, particularly
wild pigeons, turtle-doves, and partridges, though the latter are
inferior to those of Europe, and with grouse and ducks of all kinds j
among the latter is one called the royal duck, which has a red
comb upon its head. There are likewise curlews, and a kind ©f
widgeon, (resembling the sea-bird called malvis) which has a long,
strait, narrow, scarlet bill, flat upon the upper side, and a stripe
of the same colour over the eyes ; the feet are like those of the
ostrich, and the flesh is very good eating. Parrots are in plenty,
and there ai-e some swans and flamingoes, whose feathers are highly
prized by the Indians for ornamenting their heads upon public oc-
casions ; these are of a beautiful white and carnation, colours that
are in the greatest estimation among them.— Frazier'n Voyage?
yel. i.

164

lower part grey ; the head is adorned with a large
red comb, and the neck with a collar of beautiful
white feathers.

Of the geese, the most remarkable is the coscoroba,
(anas coscoroba). It is highly esteemed both for its
size, and for the ease with which it is tamed, as it
becomes strongly attached to those who feed it, and
follows them around like a dog. The plumage is
entirely white, the feet and bill are red, and the eyes
of a fine black.

The swan of Chili (anas melancoripha) is nearly
of the same size with that of Europe ; its form is
likewise similar, but its plumage is different, that
on the head and upper part of the neck being black,
and the residue of a snowy white. The female has
six young at a brood, which she is careful never to
quit, but takes them with her upon her back when-
ever she leaves her nest.

Of herons there are five very beautiful species.
The first is the large European heron (ardea major).
The second, the red-headed heron, (ardea erytroce-
phala) is of the size of the first ; it is entirely white
excepting the head, which is crowned with a long
red crest that hangs down upon its back. The third,
the galatea heron (ardea galatea) is of a milk white
colour, the neck is two feet and a half long, the legs
are of the same length and red, and the bill, which
is yellow, four inches long. The fourth, the heron
with a blue head (ardea cyanocephala). The head
and back of this species is blue, the wings black
edged with white, the belly of a yellowish green, the
tail green, the bill black, and the legs yellow. The

165

fifth is the thula (ardea thula) a name derived from
the Chilian ; it is entirely white, and its head is
adorned with a beautiful crest of the same colour.

Of the two kinds of eagles in Chili, one is the yel-
low eagle of Europe, called by the Indians gnanca,
and another species called calquin, which appears to
me to differ but little from the itzquauhtll of Mexico,
and the urutaurana of Brasil. This eagle, from the
extremities of its wings, measures about ten and
half feet; its breast is white, spotted with brown,
and the neck, back and wings are black inclining to
blue ; the tail is marked transversely with black and
brown stripes, and the head decorated with a blue
crest.

The turtle-doves are of two species ; the one is
similar to that of Europe ; the other (columba me-
lanoptera) has an ash-coloured body and black
wings.

There are four species of the woodpecker ; the
green, the Virginian, the carpenter, and the pitiu.
The carpenter (picus lignarius) is less than a star-
ling, and has a red crest, and the body is variegated
with white and blue. The bill is so strong that it
perforates with it not only dry but green trees, and
proves very injurious to the fruit trees, by making
deep holes in them, wherein it deposits its eggs.
The pitiu (picus pitius) is of the size of a pigeon.
Its plumage is brown, spotted with white, and its
flesh is held in much estimation. This bird lays four
eggs, but it does not, like others of its species, nest
in the holes of trees, but in excavations which it

166

makes in the high banks of rivers, or on the sides of
hills.

Grey and red partridges, which, according to
Feuille, are larger than those of Europe, are very
numerous throughout the country. They have an
.excellent flavour, particularly during the months of
April and May, when they feed upon the flowers of
the sassta perdicaria. In the marshes is found a
species that is smaller, whose flesh is much less
delicate. Quails are wholly unknown in Chili, al-
though common in many of the American settle-
ments.

The domestic fowl, which the Indians call achw,
is of the same breed as that of Europe, but it is as-
serted on the faith of an ancient tradition, that it has
always been known in the country, and what tends
to confirm this opinion, is the proper name which it
has in the Chilian language, which is not the case
with other birds of foreign extraction, such as the
common pigeon, the tame duck, the goose, and
the turkey. From whence it would seem that the
domestic fowl, the hog and the dog, are animals
destined to accompany man in whatever country he
may be placed. This opinion is confirmed by the
late English navigators, who have met with them in
-almost all the islands of the Pacific.

Among the numerous birds that inhabit Chili, I
shall notice those only that are the most remarkable,
which I shall divide into two general classes, the
palmated or web footed, and the cloven footed. The
first have their toes united by a membrane, and fre-

167

quent the water, where they feed upon fish, aquatic
plants or insects.

Of these, the principal is the penguin (diomedea
Chilensis). This bird, on the part of the feathered
tribe, forms a link of union between the classes of
birds and fishes, as the flying-fish does on that of the
finny race. The feet are palmated like those *)f a
duck, but its plumage is so fine that it appears more
like hair than feathers, and instead of wings it has
two pendent fins, covered with very short feathers
resembling scales, which are of great use to it in
swimming, but much too small for the purpose of
flying. It is of the size of a common duck, but ks
neck is much longer ; the head is compressed at the
sides, and very small in proportion to the size of the
body ; the bill is slender, and bent a little towards
the point ; the upper part of the body, the wings and
the tail, which is nothing more than an extension of
the feathers of the rump, are of a changeable grey
and blue, and the breast and belly are white. The
feet, which have but three toes, are situated near the
anus, and it walks in an erect posture, with its head
elevated like that of a man, keeping it constantly in
motion in order to preserve its equilibrium. This
gives it at a distance the appearance of a child just
beginning to walk, whence the Chilians have de-
nominated it the child-bird.

Although the penguin is an excellent swimmer,
it cannot keep the sea during a storm, and the bodies,
of those which have perished at such times are fre-
quently found upon the beach. I have never known
it eaten in Ghili, though several navigators repre-

> i

$ : 1

168

sent it as very good food. The skin is as thick as
that of a hog, and very easily separated from the
flesh. The female makes her nest in the sand, in
which she lays six or seven white eggs, spotted with
black.

The quethu (diomedea Chilensis) is of the same
genus, size and form as the preceding, but is distin-
guished by^ its wings, which are wholly destitute of
feathers, and by having four toes on each foot. The
body is covered with a very long thick ash coloured
plumage, a little curled, and so soft that the inhab-
itants of Chiloe, where these birds are very com-
mon, spin it, and make bed coverings of it, that are
highly prized in the country.

The thage (pelicanus thagus) called by the Spa-
niards the aicatrace, is a species of pelican of a brown
colour, remarkable for the size of its sack. This
bird is as large as a turkey-cock, the neck is about
a foot, and the legs twenty-two inches long. Its
head is large and well proportioned, and the bill,
which is a little bent at the point, is afoot in length,
and serrated at the edges, a characteristic mark that
distinguishes this pelican from that of Europe, whose
bill is entire and smooth. The lower mandible, at
a little distance from the point, is divided into two
parts, that are very elastic and extensible at the base,
where they open into the membraneous sack. This
is only an enlargement of the skin which covers the
lower jaw and the neck ; it is clothed with a very
short grey down, and is capable of great expansion.
When this sack is empty it is scarcely perceptible,
but when filled with fish, particularly at the time

p»-«

169

when the bird has young, its size is really astonish-
ing. Nature, ever attentive to adapt the mean to
the end, has furnished this bird with a large pair of
wings, which are nearly nine feet in breadth from
one extremity to the other; the quills are very long,
and are preferred for writing to those of the goose
or the swan ; its tail is short and round, and the feet
have four toes united by a strong membrane. It is
a solitary and indolent bird, almost constantly to be
seen upon the rocks, where it makes its nest, and it
has usually five young at a brood. The inhabitants,
after dressing them, make use of these sacks for
tobacco pouches ; they are also employed for lan-
terns, and from their transparency answer the pur-
pose very well.

The cage (anas hybrida) is a species of goose
which frequents the islands in the Archipelago of
Chiloe. . It is remarkable for the difference of colour
between the male and the female; the former being
entirely white, with a yellow bill and legs ; whereas
the female is black, except a narrow white stripe
with which the edges of some of the feathers ara
marked, and the bill and legs are red. In conse-
quence of this remarkable dissimilarity, I have given
to this bird the name of the hybrid, or mulatto. The
cage is of the size of a tame goose, but it has a
shorter neck, and a longer tail and wings; the feet
are shaped like those of the European goose The
male and female appear to be strongly attached to
each other ; they keep in pairs, and are never to be
met with, like other aquatic birds, in large flocks.
During the breeding season they retire to the sea
Vol. I. A a

170

shore, where the female usually lays eight white eggs
in a hole which she makes in the sand.

The^/fowz'^^phsenioopterusChilensis) is one of
the most beautiful birds of Chili. It frequents only
the fresh waters, and is distinguished by its size and
the beautiful flame-colour of its back and wings,
which produces a most pleasing effect when con-
trasted with the pure white of the rest of its plumage.
Its length, from the tip of the bill to the end of the
claws, is five feet, but the body itself does not ex-
ceed a foot in length ; it has a small oblong head,
decorated with a kind of crest ; the eyes are small
but lively ; the bill denticulated, a little bent towards
the point, about five inches long, and covered with a
reddish pellicle ; the feet have four toes, three for-
ward and one behind ; the tail is short and rounded,
and the wings are of a length proportioned to the size
of its body ; the quills are perfectly white, while those
of the flamingos of the other parts of America and
of Africa, are black. It has been said, that when
young these birds are grey ; but as I have myself
seen them of all ages, I can assert that they are
always of the same colour. It is also said that when-
ever these birds feed, one of the flock is placed as a
centinel, to give the alarm in case of danger to the
others. This circumstance I have never witnessed ;
it is, however, true, that they are extremely wild,
and cart ravely be approached within gun-shot. As
the legs of this bird are too long to permit it conve-
niently to cover its nest, it is compelled to obviate
this inconvenience by the position of the latter ; this
is usually constructed at the edge of the water, in

r-m

171

shape of a truncated cone, a foot and a half high ;
on the top of this cone is a little excavation lined
with very soft down. The bird while in the act of
incubation places itself in a standing posture, with
the hinder part of its body supported upon the nest,
as if seated in a chair. The Araucanians value
the flamingo highly, and make use of its feathers
to ornament their helmets and the ends of their
lances.

The pillu (tantalus pillu) is a species of the ibis.
Its plumage is white, mottled with black, and its
general resort is the rivers and the fresh water lakes.
Of all the aquatic birds, the pillu has the longest
legs, which, comprehending the thighs, are two feet
eight inches in length. The size of the body, which
is nearly that of a tame goose, is by no means pro-
portionate to the length of the legs ; the neck is
two feet three inches long, and the region of the crop,
which is small, is destitute of feathers. The head is
of a middle size, the bill large, convex, and sharp-
pointed, about four inches in length, and entirely
bare of feathers ; it has four toes on each foot,
which are united at their base by a very small mem-
brane ; the tail is short and entire like that of almost
all aquatic birds. The Spaniards call it the stork
of Chili ; but it differs from the stork in various
respects. I have never seen it light upon trees or
any elevated object, and it almost always continues
in the marshes and on the banks of rivers, where
it feeds upon reptiles; it usually makes its nest
among rushes, in which it lays two white eggs, a
little inclining to blue

172

Those birds which have the loes separate and not
united by a membrane, are by naturalists denomi-
nated cloven-footed ; these for the greater part in-
habit the plains and the woods, and feed upon in-
sects, fruits or flesh. Of this class I shall select those
that are most remarkable for the beauty of their
plumage, the melody of their song, or any other
quality.

The pigda, known under the different names of
pica-flora, humming-bird, &c. is the trochilus of
Linnaeus, who has described twenty-two species of
it. It is generally very small ; the neck is short, the
head well proportioned, the eyes are black and vivid,
the bill is of the size of a pin and nearly of the same
length as the body, the tongue bifurcated, and the
legs are short with four toes; the tail consists of
seven or nine feathers the length of the body, and
the wings are very long. Their colours vary accord-
ing to their species ; but they are in general very rich,
and combine the splendour of gold and precious stones
with the most beautiful shades of every hue, which
they retain even after their death. They are very
common throughout Chili, and during the summer
are seen like butterflies hovering around the flowers,
and appear as if suspended in the air. They make
a humming noise with their wings, but their note is
nothing more than a low warbling or chattering.
The males are distinguishable from the females by
the brilliancy of their heads, which shine like fire.
These birds build their nests upon trees, and form
them of small straws and down; they lay two white
eggs, speckled with yellow, of the size of a chick-

173

pea

which the male and female cover alternately.
On the approach of winter, this little bird suspends
itself by its bill to a twig, and in this position falls
into a lethargic sleep, which continues the whole
season. This is the time when they are chiefly
taken, for when they are in full vigour it is almost
impossible to catch them.

I have observed three species of this bird in Chili ;
the little, the blue-headed, and the crested humming-
bird.

The little humming-bird (trochilus minimus)
weighs only two grains, and its prevailing colour is
a very brilliant green.

The blue-headed humming-bird (trochilus cyano-
cephalus) has a tail thrice as long as its body, which
is of the size of a filbert; the bill is strait, pointed
and whitish; the head is blue with a golden lustre;
the back of a shining green ; the belly of a reddish
yellow ; and the wings blue, mottled with purple.

The crested humming-bird (trochilus galeritus)
is the largest of these three kinds, and is a little less
than the European wren. Its bill is slightly curved,
and its head adorned with a small crest striped with
gold and purple; its neck and back are green, the
large feathers of the wings and tail brown, spotted
with gold, and all the lower part of the body of a
changeable flame- colour.

The siu (fringilla barbata) called by the Spaniards
giighero, or the goldfinch, is nearly of the size and
form of the canary-bird. It has a strait, sharp-point-
ed, conical bill, which is white at the base and black
at the point. The male has a black velvety head,

174

and a yellow body slightly marked with green ; its
wings are variegated with green, yellow, red and
black, and the tail is brown ; when young its throat
is yellow, but as it advances in years is entirely
covered with a black hair, which begins to be visible
when the bird is six months old, and continues
growing until it attains the age of ten years, the usual
period of its life, at which time it reaches to the
middle of the breast, and its age may be very accu-
rately ascertained by the length of its beard. The
female is entirely grey, with a few yellow spots upon
the wings; it has no beard, nor any song, but only
a kind of occasional whistle ; the note of the male is,
however, very harmonious, and far surpasses that of
the canary-bird ; when it begins to sing, it elevates
its voice by little and little, continues its strain for a
considerable time, and closes with some very sweet
trills ; it sings all the year, and is readily taught to
imitate with remarkable grace the notes of other
birds. In the maritime mountains the siu may be
met with at any season, but it is found in the plains
of the middle provinces only during the winter, as it
quits them in the spring for the Andes, where it
breeds. It makes its nest upon any kind of tree with
small straws and feathers ; it has but two young at a
brood, but I am inclined to believe that it breeds seve-
ral times in a season. This bird multiplies astonish-
ingly, and may be seen every where; and although
the peasants, who eat as well as encage them, take
thousands every year, their numbers are not at all di-
minished; it becomes after a little time very familiar,
and even attached to those whom it is accustomed

-JH

175

to see ; it feeds on several kinds of seeds, but its'
favourite food is the grain of the madia sativa, and
the aromatic leaves of the scandix Chilensis.

The diuca (fringilla diuca) is of the same genus
as the preceding, but a little larger, and of a blue
colour; its note is very agreeable particularly towards
day-break ; it keeps about houses like the sparrow,
which it resembles in many respects, and I think it
highly probable that it is the same bird with the blue
sparrow of Congo, mentioned by Merolla and Ca-
vazzi, and the New Zealand bird of Captain Cook,
which sung so harmoniously at sunrise,

The tfuli, or Chili (turdus thilius) is a species of
thrush which, as I have already observed, appears
to have given its name to the country where it is
found in great numbers. Linnaeus has described
from Feuille the female of this bird under the name
of turdus plumbeus. The female is indeed of a grey
colour, but the male is entirely black except a yel-
low spot which it has under the wings ; it has the
shape of a thrush, but the tail is uniform ; it makes
its nest upon trees near the river with wet mud, in
which it lays four eggs; its song is very sweet and
loud, but it will not bear confinement ; it is never
eaten, as its flesh has a rank and disagreeable smell.
The thenca (turdus thenca) in my opinion is mere^
ly a variety of the Virginian thrush (turdus poly-
glottus) or of the turdus Orpheus, or centzontlatotle
of Mexico, called the four hundred tongues, from
the variety of its notes ; it is of the size of the com-
mon thrush, but its wings and its tail, which is entire
and rounded, are longer ; its eyes, bill and feet are

176

brown ; the upper part of its body is of an ash-
colour, spotted with brown and white ; the ends of
the quills and the tail-feathers are white, and the
breast and belly of a light grey ; it builds its nest
upon trees; this is a foot in length, of a cylindrical
form, lined within with wool and feathers, and com-
pletely guarded upon the outside with thorns, ex-
cept a small opening, by which the female enters and
deposits her eggs, which are four or five, and are
white speckled with brown.

It is not in the power of language to convey an
idea of the song of the thenca, which has the sound
of a great number of birds whose notes are in accord;
it also possesses the property of imitating the note
of any other bird, and its strain is generally much
louder and more harmonious than that of the night-
ingale ; it is a gay and active bird, always in motion,
and even while singing continues hopping from one
bough to another. For this reason it will not bear
confinement, and if shut up in a cage soon dies. It
is usually to be met with near country-houses, and
feeds upon almost any thing, but appears to have a
decided preference for flies and tallow.

The cureu (turdus cureus) appears to be of a spe-
cies between the thrush and the black -bird; to the
latter of which it has some resemblance, and is of the
same size. The bill is a little angular and bent towards
the point, the nostrils are covered with a thin mem-
brane, and the corners of the mouth furnished with
hairs ; the feet and position of the toes are like those
of the black - bird, and its tail is cuneiform and about five
inches long : the whole plumage is of a glossy black,

177

of this colour are also the eyes, bill, feet, and even
the flesh and bones.

This bird is highly prized for the melody and
compass of its note; it imitates very well the song
of other birds, and when in a cage is easily taught to
speak; it feeds upon seeds, worms and flesh,, and
frequently pursues and kills small birds, the brains
of which it eats. Notwithstanding this ravenous
propensity it is easily tamed, and a few days are suf-
ficient to reconcile it to confinement.

The cureu, like the starling, is a social bird, and
is daily to be seen in large flocks feeding in the mea-
dows, which, when at evening they retire to their
roosts, make the air resound with their sprightly
notes. They build their nests, with much skill, of
small twigs interwove with rushes, and cemented
with clay, which they bring in their bills and claws.
When the nest is formed, the female smooths it upon
the outside with her tail, which serves as a trowel,
and lines it within with hair, upon which she lays
three white eggs of a blueish cast.

The loyca (sturnus loyca) is larger than the star-
ling, which it resembles in its bill, tongue, feet, tail,
and manner of feeding. The male is of a dark grey,
spotted with white, except the throat, which is scar-
Jet ; the female is of a lighter grey, and the red on
the throat is paler ; it builds its nest, in a careless
manner, in any hole which it finds in the ground,
and lays but three grey eggs marked with brown.
This bird is also valued for its singing, and is easily
tamed. In its state of freedom, the male, accompa *
nied by the female, rises perpendicularly in the air,
V.ol. I. Bb

178

constantly singing, and descends in the same man-
ner. The Indians entertain some superstitious
opinions respecting the singing of this bird, and they
employ the feathers of its breast to ornament their
head-dresses.

The vara (phytotoma rara, gen. nov.) is about the
size of a quail, and appears to be the only species of
its genus, the passeres of Linnaeus. Its bill is thick,
conical, strait-pointed, serrated at the edges, and half
an inch long, the tongue short and blunt, the pupil
of the eye brown, the tail of a middle length and
rounded, and upon each foot it has four toes, three
before, and one behind, rather shorter; its general
colour is grey, dark upon the back, and lighter upon
the belly; the prime feathers of the wings and the
side feathers of the tail are tipped with black. Its
note is harsh and broken, and sound like the two
syllables that form its name. It feeds upon grass,
which it has a mischievous propensity of pulling up
from the roots, and often, through mere wantonness,
a much greater quantity than it eats. On this ac-
count the husbandmen are at continual war with it,
and the children are rewarded for destroying its eggs.
It builds its nest in dark and solitary places upon
the highest trees, and, by this means, escapes, in a
great measure, the pursuits of its enemies ; but its
numbers have, however, become considerably di-
minished, either from this cause, or from the species
being naturally unprolific.

There are three different kinds of the parrot in
Chili, one of which is constantly to be found in the
country, but the others are birds of passage. The

179

first species, called thecau (psittacus cyanalysios) is
a little larger than a common pigeon, and is decorat-
ed with a superb blue collar; the head, wings and
tail are green spotted with yellow ; but the back,
throat and belly are yellow ; the tail is of a middle
length and equal. These birds are very numerous,
and very destructive to the corn ; they fly in large
flocks, and whenever they light upon a field to feed,
one of their number is stationed upon a tree as a
centinel, who advertises his companions by frequent
cries of the approach of danger. This renders them
difficult to be approached, and the only means of
obtaining a number of them at a shot is by throwing
a hat in the air, which they fly at with incredible
eagerness. They make their nests among the steep-
est declivities, in which they scoop deep and wind*
ing holes, and lay two white eggs of the size of a
pigeon's. Although their nests appear to be inac-
cessible, the peasants take great numbers of their
young. In order to do this, they let themselves
down by a rope to the mouth of the holes, and draw
the young parrots out with a kind of hook made for
the purpose. These are a cheap and excellent food ;
I have seen eight of them sold for the smallest coin
of the country, about three sous. When the first
brood is taken away, they hatch a second, sometimes
a third, and even a fourth ; to this wonderful fecun-
dity is owing the great numbers of these birds, which
frequently destroy the crops. They are easily tamed,
and readily taught to speak.

Those which are migratory are the choroi and the
jaguilma. I call them migratory, from their inhabit-

180

ing the Andes in summer, and not appearing in Chili
until the winter. Both these species are of the size
of a turtle-dove, and belong to the family of parro-
quets.

The upper part of the body of the choroi (psit-
tacus choraeus) is of a beautiful green, the belly is
of an ash colour, and the tail well proportioned. This
bird is taught to speak much better than either of
the others.

The jaguilma (psittacus jaguilma) is entirely
green, excepting the edges of the wings, which are
brown. The tail is very long and pointed. This
species appears to be the most prolific. In the plains
situated between the 34th and 45th degrees of lati-
tude, it is frequently seen in such numerous flocks as
almost to surpass belief. When they quit a field
where they have been feeding, in order to fall upon
another, they frequently obscure the sun, and their
chattering, which is very unpleasant, is heard at a
great distance. Fortunately, this destructive race
does not arrive till after the harvest, and departs be-
fore the trees begin to put forth, otherwise they
would lay waste the whole country. It is incredible
what havoc they make while they stay, as they de-
vour not only the tops of the plants, but even the roots.
An inconceiveable quantity of them is killed in the
fields, but so far from diminishing their numbers, on
the contrary, they appear to be increased at every re-
turn. Whenever these birds alight upon afield, the
husbandmen furnish themselves with long poles, and,
mounted on swift horses, fall upon them unexpect-
edly, and as they are always in large flocks, and keep

*~m

181

very close together, they cannot fly off so quickly
but that great numbers of them are generally left
dead on the ground. The flesh is delicious, and
preferable to that of any other species of the parrot.

In almost all parts of America is found a species of
water hen, with armed wings, especially at Brasil,
where it is called the jacana. That of Chili, called
the theghel (parra Chilensis) is of the size of a pie,
but its legs are longer ; its head is black, ornament-
ed with a small crest, the neck, back and upper part
of the wings are purple, the throat and upper part of
the breast black, and the belly is white. The quills of
the wings and the tail are short and of a deep brown ;
on the forehead it has a red fleshy excrescence, di-
vided into two lobes ; the iris of the eyes are yellow,
and the pupil brown ; the bill is conical, a little bent
towards the point, and about two inches long ; the
nostrils are oblong and very open, and the. hgs,
which are bare of feathers below the knees, have
four long toes that are separate, but more propor-
tionate to its size than those of the Brasil species.
The spur, which is placed on the joint of the wing,
is six lines long and three broad, and is of a yellow-
ish colour and conical form.

A bird as well armed as this cannot want for
means of defence in case of necessity, and it of course
fights with great courage and vigour every thing
that attempts to molest it. It is never seen in ele-
vated places, and never perches upon trees, but lives
wholly in the plains, and feeds upon insects and
worms. It builds its nest in the grass, where it lays
four fawn-coloured eggs, spotted with black, a little

182

larger than those of a partridge. It keeps in pairs,
and the male and female are almost always together,
but it is very rarely to be seen in flocks. When they
perceive any one searching for their nest, they at
first conceal themselves in the grass, without dis-
covering any apprehension, but as soon as they see
the person approaching the spot where the nest is
placed, they rush out with fury to defend it. It is
observed that this bird never makes the least noise
during the day, and that it cries at night only when
it hears some one passing. For this reason, the
Araucanians, when at war, are accustomed to watch
the cry of this bird, which serves them as a centinel
to inform them of the approach of an enemy. They
were formerly accustomed in Chili to hunt these
birds with the falcon, but this mode has been long
out of use, and they are at present shot with fowling
pieces. It is good game, and in no respect inferior
to the woodcock.

The piuquen (otis Chilensis) is a species of bus-
tard larger than that of Europe. It is almost entire-
ly white, excepting its head and the upper part of its
wings, which are grey, and the first quills, which are
black. Its tail is short, >and composed of eighteen
white feathers. It has no excrescence either beneath
the throat, or upon the bill, which resembles that of
the common bustard. Its feet are divided into three
toes before, and a fourth, rather more elevated, be-
hind. It inhabits the plains, where it is almost al-
ways found in flocks ; it feeds upon grass, and does
not begin to breed until two years old ; it lays six
white eggs larger than those of the goose, is easily

183

tamed, and many of the country people have domes-
ticated it.

The cheuque, or American ostrich (struthio rea)
is principally found in the environs of the celebrated
lake of Nahuelguapi, in the valleys of the Andes.
In height it is nearly equal to a man ; its neck is two
feet eight inches long, and its legs of the same
length, its head small and round, and covered with
feathers ; its eyes and eyelids are black, and fur-
nished with eyebrows ; its bill is short and broad
like that of the duck, and the feet have three toes
entirely separate before, and the vestige of a fourth
behind ; its tail is composed of several short feathers
of an equal length, which grow out of the rump. Its
wings are eight feet in length from their extremities,
but not calculated for Eight, owing to the great flexi-
bility and weakness of the feathers. The plumage of
the back and wings is of a dark grey, but that of
the other parts of the body is white. Among these
birds are found some that are entirely white, and
others that are black, but I consider them merely as
varieties.

The cheuque has not, like the African ostrich, a
horny substance upon its wings, nor callosities on
the sternum, but it is quite as voracious, and swal-
lows whatever is offered it, even iron. Its favourite
food is flies, which it catches with much dexterity.
It has no defence but its feet, which it employs
against those who molest it. Its whistle, when it
calls its young, resembles that of a man. It lays
from forty to sixty eggs in a careless manner upon
the ground ; they are well tasted, and so large that

184

they will contain about two pounds of liquor. The
feathers are employed for many purposes ; the In-
dians make of them plumes, parasols, &c. M. de
Pauw, who frequently loses sight of the title of his
work, represents the cheuque as a degenerate species
of the African ostrich, because it has three toes in-
stead of two ; but were these birds of the same
species, which is far from being the case, I am of
opinion that the term degenerate would be more ap-
plicable to the African ostrich, as being less perfect
in its limbs, than to that of America.

The pequen (strix cunicularia) a species of the
owl, is remarkable for the large burrows which it
digs in the ground to deposit its eggs. Feuille
asserts that he himself had endeavoured to dig
&to the end of one of them, but was obliged to
relinquish the attempt. This bird is of the size of
a pigeon, but its beak is very strong and crooked, it
has large nostrils, and large eyes with a yellow iris ;
the upper part of its body is grey, spotted with white,
the lower part of a dirty white ; the tail, which
scarcely extends beyond the quills of the wings, is
of the same colour ; its thighs are covered with fea-
thers, and the feet with tubercles, upon which are
some short hairs ; the toes are strong, and armed
with black crooked talons. It is not so averse to
light as others of its species, and is frequently seen
by day in company with the female, near the mouth
of its hole. Its principal food is insects and reptiles,
the remains of which are often found in small frag-
ments before its hole. Its cry is lugubrious and
broken, and imitative of its name. The eggs arc

185

usually four, and are white spotted with yellow. The
Abbe Feuill6 praises the flesh of this bird, but I ne-
ver could learn that it was eaten by the inhabitants.

The tharu (falco tharus) is a species of eagle very
common in Chili, of the size of a capon. The male is
whitish, marked with black spots, and has upon its
head a kind of crown formed of black feathers, longer
at the sides than the middle. Its back is whitish like
that of the common eagle ; the feet are yellow, and
covered with scales, and the toes armed with crooked
talons ; the great feathers of the wings and the tail
are black. The female is less than the male, is of a
grey colour, and has a black comb upon her head.
This bird builds its nest upon the loftiest trees, with
sticks placed in the manner of a square grate, upon
which it heaps a considerable quantity of wool, tow
and feathers. It lays five white eggs, speckled with
brown, and feeds upon several kinds of animals,
and even upon carcasses, but is never seen openly to
pursue its prey like others of its species, but seizes
it by stratagem. The male walks erect with an air
pf gravity ; his cry is harsh and disagreeable, and
whenever he utters it he throws his head back upon
his rump.

The jota (vultur jota) resembles much the aura,
a species of vulture, of which there is perhaps but
one variety. It is distinguished, however, by the
beak, which is grey with a black point. All the
plumage is black, except the quills of the wings,
which are brown ; its head is destitute of feathers,
and covered with a wrinkled skin of a reddish colour ;
the legs are brown. It acquires its colour with age \

Vol. J. - Cc

186

for when it is young it is almost white, and does not
begin to change until after it has quitted the nest.
The first black spot appears upon the back, and is
very small, but extends gradually over the whole
body. Notwithstanding the size of this bird, which
is nearly that of the turkey, and its strong and crook-
ed talons, it attacks no other, but feeds principally
upon carcasses and reptiles. It is extremely indo-
lent, and will frequently remain for a long time al-
most motionless, with its wings extended, sunning
itself upon the rocks or the roofs of the houses.
When in pain, which is the only time that it is
known to make any noise, it utters a sharp cry like
that of a rat, and usually disgorges what it has eaten.
The flesh of this bird emits a fetid smell that is his:h-
ly offensive. The manner in which it builds its
nest is perfectly correspondent to its natural indo-
lence ; it carelessly places between rocks, or even
upon the ground, a few dry leaves or feathers, upon
which it lays two eggs of a dirty white.

The bird universally known in Peru by the name
of condor (vultur gryphus) is in Chili called manque,
and is unquestionably the largest that has the power
of supporting itself in the air. Linnaeus makes its
wings, when extended, sixteen feet from one ex-
tremity to the other, but the largest that I have seen
was but fourteen feet and some inches. Its body is
much larger than that of the royal eagle, and is en-
tirely covered with black feathers, excepting the
back, which is white. The neck is encircled with
a white fringe, composed of projecting feathers about
an inch in length. The head is covered with short

187

and thin hairs, the irides of the eyes are of a reddish
brown, and the pupils black. The beak is four inches
long, very large and crooked, black at its base, and
white towards the point. The greater quills of the
wings are usually two feet nine inches long, and one
third of an inch in diameter. The thigh is ten inches
and two thirds in length, but the leg does not ex-
ceed six inches ; the foot is furnished with four
strong toes, the hindmost of which is about two inches
long, with but one joint, and a black nail an inch in
length ; the middle toe has three joints, it is nearly
six inches long, and is terminated by a crooked
whitish nail of two inches ; the other toes are a little
shorter, and are armed with strong and crooked
talons. The tail is entire, but small in proportion
to the size of the bird. The female is less than the
male, and of a brownish colour; she has no fringe
about the neck, but a small tuft upon the hinder part
of it. She builds her nest upon the most steep and in-
accessible cliffs, and lays two white eggs larger than
those of the turkey.

The condors feed either upon carcasses, or upon
animals which they kill themselves, and thus supply
the place of wolves, which are unknown in Chili.
They frequently attack flocks of sheep or goats, and
even calves when they are separated from the cows.
In the latter case there are always several of them
together, who fly upon the calf with their wings ex-
tended, dig out its eyes, and in a few moments tear
it in pieces.

The husbandmen make use of every stratagem to
destroy so dangerous a bird. For this purpose they
sometimes envelope themselves in the skin of an ox

188

newly flayed, and place themselves on their backs
upon the ground; the condor, deceived by the ap-
pearance, approaches the supposed dead animal to
devour it, when the person within, whose hands are
protected by strong gloves, dexterously seizes the
legs of the bird, and holds it until his companions,
concealed hard by, run up to his assistance, and dis-
patch it with clubs. Another mode is to form a
small circular enclosure with palisades, in which is
placed the carcass of some animal. The condors,
who possess great acuteness of sight and smell, are
immediately attracted thereby, and, as they are ex-
tremely voracious, they gorge themselves to such a
degree with food, that not being able readily to
rise, and obstructed by the narrowness of the
inclosure, they are easily killed by those who lie in
wait for them. The condor, however, possesses
great strength of wing, and though filled with food,
if it can once raise itself, or is upon an eminence, it
will fly with great swiftness, and soon disappears in
the air. M. de Bomare observes, that there is very
little difference, except in its colour, between the
condor and the laemmergeyer of Switzerland ; and I
am of opinion that it is only a variety of the same

species.

Of bats, an animal that holds a middle station be-
tween birds and quadrupeds, there are but two spe-
cies in Chili : the house-bat, which is in no respect
different from the European, and the mountain-bat,
which is of the same size and shape, and distin-
guishable only by its being of an orange colour.
Neither of these are vampyres, as are those of the
southern torrid zone, but feed entirely upon insects.

189

Sect. VI. Quadrupeds. — I have already estimat-
ed the number of quadrupeds in Chili at thirty-six
species, without including those that have been im-
ported. I have even excepted the hog and the dog,
although I do not consider them as proceeding from
a European stock, as the proper names which they
both have in the Chilian language distinguish them
from foreign animals. Even Acosta, who wrote
shortly after the conquest, does not venture to give a
decisive opinion respecting the origin of the domestic
hog of Peru. The hog of Chili, called by the In-
dians chanchu, is similar in its appearance to that of
Europe ; it is full as large, and generally white, in
which respect it differs from that of Peru, which is
always black.

As to the dog, without pretending that all the
kinds at present found in the country were there be-
fore the arrival of the Spaniards, I have reason to
believe that the little barbet, called kiltho, and the
common dog, thegua in Chilian, the breeds of which
are found in all parts of America, as far as Cape Horn,
were known in Chili before that period. These dogs,
it is true, bark like those of Europe, but this is not
a conclusive reason for supposing them to be derived
from that race. The general opinion that the Ameri-
can dog is dumb, has unquestionably arisen from
the circumstance of the first conquerors having given
similar names to those animals of the new wrorld
which bore some resemblance to those of the old.
This is confirmed by the learned Abbe Clavigero,
who, in his history of Mexico, says that the first
Spaniards who came to that country gave the name

190

of dog* to the techiciy* a dumb animal, resembling-
the dog in its appearance, but of a very different
genus. This external resemblance has given rise
eventually to the opinion that the American dogs
never bark, and many naturalists, who incautiously
adopted this error, have been the means of perpetuat-
ing it to the present day. Another opinion, equally
destitute of foundation, is, that the European dogs
that were left on the island of Juan Fernandez, at the
time it was uninhabited, had lost their voices, and
were unable to bark, which I have been well assured
by the present inhabitants is an utter falsehood.

The erroneous names given to particular animals,
many of which are still retained, have proved very
injurious to the natural history of America. From
this source have proceeded those visionary hypo-
theses of the degeneracy of its quadrupeds, the sup-
posed little stags, bears and boars of that country,
considered as so many pigmy breeds, although they
have no other connection with the pretended primi-
tive race than these ill applied names. A very re-
spectable modern author mentions as a proof of this
degeneracy, the ant-eater, called by some authors the
ant-bear, and considered as a degenerate species of
the bear. But this quadruped differs essentially
from the bear in other respects than its size, and
all well informed naturalists are agreed that this ani-
mal belongs neither to the genus nor the order of
bears ; it is of course ridiculous to bring forward in

* The crab-eater, or dog crab-eater, so called from its feeding;
principally upon crabs.

191

support of this hypothesis, two animals so distinct
as to have nothing in common but a name so impro-
perly given to one of them. I could adduce a great
number of instances of this kind, were I to go through
with the various quadrupeds of America that have
been considered as species of the old continent, al-
tered by the physical influence of the new.

South America possesses but a very few species
of animals that are similar to those of the old world,
and these have preserved their original appearance,
or rather, as might be expected from the influence
of so mild a climate, have improved it. Of this
number, in Chili, are the fox, the hare, the otter,
and the mouse. The foxes are of three kinds : the
guru, or the common fox, the chilla, or the field fox,
and the payne-guru, or the blue fox. This last is
very common in the Archipelago of Chiloe, where
it is black. All these foxes are of the same size as
the European fox.

In its form the hare of Chili resembles that of
Europe, but is superior to it in size, for it is some-
times found of twenty pounds weight, a fact con-
firmed by Commodore Byron, whose sailors killed
several of them upon the coast of Patagonia. These
hares are found in great numbers in the provinces
of Coquimbo, Puchacay, and Huilquilemu. The
flesh is perfectly white, and of a much superiour fla-
vour to that of the European hare. The otter in-
habits the fresh waters of the southern provinces,
and differs in no respect from that of Europe. The
rat has been imported in foreign vessels, and of the
mouse there are various species; the domestic mouse,

192

the ground mouse, and several others, which I shall
more particularly describe hereafter.

In confining the number of quadrupeds in Chili to
thirty-six species, I have reference only to those that
are well known ; but I am fully persuaded that there
is a much greater number, especially in the interior
of the Andes, that are as yet undiscovered or very
imperfectly known. This opinion is confirmed by
the common traditions of the country ; and I have
been informed of eight new species that have been
discovered at various times ; but as the descriptions
I have received of them have been very imperfect,
and the animals have been seen but by few, I have
thought them not sufficiently characterised to merit
a place among those whose economy is well known.

Such, for instance, is the piguchen, a winged
quadruped, or species of large bat, which, if its ex-
istence is real, forms a very important link between
birds and quadrupeds. This animal is said to be
of the size and shape of a tame rabbit, and to be
covered with a fine hair of a cinnamon colour ; the
nose sharp, the eyes round and shining, the ears
almost invisible, the wings membranaceous, the paws
short and like those of the lizard, the tail round at
the root, and ending like that of a fish. It inhabits
holes in trees, which it leaves only at night, and
does no injury to any thing but insects, which serve
it for food.

Of this kind is likewise the hippopotamus of the
rivers and the lakes of Arauco, which is different
from that of Africa, and in its form and stature re-
sembles the horse, but the feet are palmated like

193

those of the seal. The existence of this animal is
universally credited throughout the country, and
there are some persons who pretend to have seen
the skin, which, they say, is covered with a very soft
and sleek hair, resembling in colour that of the sea-
wolf.

But leaving the examination of these animals to
those who have an opportunity of making farther
discoveries respecting them, I shall proceed to treat
of those that are known, which I shall divide into
those that have toes, or are digitated, and those
that are hoofed. This division, although imper-
fect, appears to me to be better adapted than a
more technical one, for the arrangement of so small
a number of species. Those which have toes are
either web footed or cloven footed. The former
live in the water, and feed upon fish. Those who in-
habit the sea are the following :

The urigne (phoca lupina). This species of phoca,
which the French and Spaniards call the sea- Wolf,
differs but little from the common seal ; this differ-
ence principally consists in its size and colour. It
is from three to six and even eight feet in length ;
and its colour is brown, grey, and sometimes whitish,
but all of these are merely varieties of the same
species. This animal is large forward, but gradually
diminishes, like a fish, towards the hinder feet, which
are united within the same skin, and form the ex-
tremity of its body. It is covered with two kinds of
hair, one stiff, and the other soft like that of an ox.
The head is large and round, and resembles that of
a «dog with the ears cut off, and instead of the latter
Vqx. L, d d

■fill

194

it has two oblique holes which serve for the same
purpose. The eyes are large, globular, and furnish-
ed with long eyelashes ; the nose is like that of the
calf, as is the tongue ; the muzzle is short and blunt,
with long whiskers, the lips being of equal size, but
the upper a little channelled like that of the lion.
The teeth are thirty-four in number : ten incisors,
four canine, and twenty grinders. The fore feet, or
more properly fins, have two very perceptible joints,
one corresponding with the shoulder blade, the other
with the elbow ; the metacarpal bones and the toes
are cartilaginous, and enclosed in a membraneous
sheath, which performs the office of a fore paw.
Each of these feet has four toes, which distinguishes
this from the other species of the phoca. The ex-
tremity of the body, which is tapered almost to a
point, is divided into two very short parts, repre-
senting the hind feet, the joints of which are very
visible. These feet are furnished with five fingers
of an unequal length, like those on the hand of a
man, united from the first to the third joint by a
rough membrane, which completely envelops each
finger, and even extends beyond it. At the junc-
tion of the hind feet is situated the tail, which is
about three inches in length. In both sexes the
generative parts are placed at the lower part of the
belly. They usually copulate the latter part of au-
tumn, and the female brings forth her young in the
spring, of which she has generally two, sometimes
three at a birth. She is distinguished from the male
by a longer neck, and -a more delicate and beautiful
form. The urigne abounds in blood, which, when-

195

ever it is wounded, flows from it in great quantities ;
like many other aquatic animals, it has beneath the
skin a covering of soft fat ; this is five inches ip.
thickness, and easily reducible to oil. Notwith-
standing the inconvenient conformation of their feet
for that purpose, they readily climb up the rocks,
on which they are fond of sleeping, though they
walk very badly, or rather draw themselves, when
on shore, from one place to another. It would, how-
ever, be very imprudent to approach them careless-
ly, for although so heavy and clumsy in appearance,
their necks have great flexibility, and they are capa-
ble of inflicting severe wounds with their long teeth.
These phocae swim with great swiftness, and make
use principally of their hind feet, which they extend
in a strait line, so as at a distance to resemble the
tail of a fish. They cannot remain long under water,
andTrequently raise their heads to breathe, or to watch
the approach of penguins and other aquatic birds,
of which they make their prey. The cry of the old
urignes resembles the roaring of a bull or the grunt-
ing of a hog, while that of the young is more like the
bleating of a sheep. They are common upon all
the coast of Chili, and in the islands ; where, every
year, the inhabitants kill a vast number of them with
clubs, a slight blow across the nose, which is their
most tender part, being sufficient to dispatch them.
The skin is employed for various purposes, particu-
larly for making a kind of float, which is used in
fishing and in passing rivers. This consists of two
large balloons, from eight to nine feet in length,
formed of these skins, carefully joined and sewed,

196

and inflated with air ; upon these are placed several
pieces of wood laid transversely, which will contain
one or more persons. When the skin is well dress-
ed it resembles coarse-grained morocco leather, but
is superior to it in point of consistency and durabili-
ty ; shoes and boots are also made of it that are im-
penetrable to water. The oil which is obtained from
the fat forms a considerable article of commerce
with the inhabitants of Chiloe. It is used for dress-
ing leather, and, when clarified, for burning, and is
preferred to that of the whale, as it keeps better, and
retains its clearness for a longer time. The sailors
make use of it for frying their fish, and the taste is
not unpleasant when it is fresh. In the stomach of this
animal is frequently found stones of several pounds
weight, which it probably swallows to triturate its
food, and accelerate the process of digestion.

The sea-hog (phoca porcina) resembles the urigne
in its shape, hair, and manner of living, but differs
from it in the conformation of its mouth, which is
longer, and resembles the snout of a hog. Its ears
are likewise more raised, and the fore feet divided
into five very distinct toes, covered with a mem-
brane. This phoca, which is from three to four
feet in length, is but rarely met with on the coast
of Chili.

The lame, sea-elephant, or elephantine seal (phoca
elephantica) is similar in form to the preceding, but
distinguished from it by very striking characteristics.
It is of a very great size, being frequently fifteen
feet in circumference around the breast, and twenty-
two feet in length. Upon its nose is a comb, or

197

glandular trunk, extending from the forehead be-
yond the upper lip, and serving as a species of de-
fensive armour against blows, which upon that part
are almost always fatal. The tusks of the lower jaw
project at least four inches from it, and this singu-
larity, together with the trunk, give it some faint
resemblance to the elephant. The feet are divided
into five toes, half covered with a coriaceous mem-
brane indented upon the sides, each furnished with
a strong crooked nail. The ears, at first sight, ap-
pear to be truncated, but, on nearer view, are found
to be nearly half an inch long, and in shape like those
of a dog. The skin is thicker than that of the urigne,
and covered with short, thick and soft hair, the colour
of which is various, being a mixture of dun, yellow,
grey, and dirty white. The female is of a less size,
and not so fat as the male, and has but a slight ap-
pearance of a trunk upon the nose.

Lord Anson has improperly called this animal the
sea-lion ; and Linnaeus, from his authority, has de-
nominated it phoca leonina, an appellation much
more appropriate to another animal of the same ge-
nus, but of a very different species. The lames are
found in the greatest numbers on the island of Juan
Fernandez, the Araucanian coast, the Archipelago
of Chiloe, and the Straits of Magellan. They herd
together in large companies, and during the summer
are almost continually in the sea, but on the com-
mencement of winter they go on shore, where they
bring forth their young. They copulate, like the
urignes, by raising themselves on their hind feet,
and have the same number of voung with them.

198

When on shore they frequent miry places, where
they wallow and frequently sleep, placing, as a cen-
tinel, one of their number upon a rising ground,
who gives notice of the approach of any danger by
frightful howlings.

The sea-elephant is the largest of the phbca, and
produces more oil than any of the others ; it is so fat
that, whenever it moves, the oil is seen to undulate
beneath the skin. The males appear to be very
amorous, and frequently fight for the exclusive pos-
session of the females, until the death of one of them
terminates the contest ; from this cause the skins of
so many of them are covered with scars. Whenever
the males fight, the females retire apart, awaiting
the issue of a combat which is to place them in pos-
session of the victor.

The sea-lion (phoca leonina) is of a better pro-
portioned and more elegant form than any other
species of phoca, though like the rest its shape is co-
nical. It is covered with a yellowish hair, which
from the shoulders to the tail is short, but on the
neck and near the head is as long as that of a goat,
and forms a very perceptible mane, that distinguishes
this from every other kind of phoca. The Indians
call it thopel-lame, that is, the lame with a mane.
Its head resembles that of the lion, it has a large
flat nose, without hair from the middle to the tip ;
the ears are almost round, and stand out about two-
thirds of an inch from the head ; its eyes, the pupils
of which are greenish, are very bright and sparkling,
and the upper lip is furnished with long white whis-
kers, like those of a tiger. The mouth is very wide, .

199

and has thirty-four teeth set deep in the jaw, which
are very large and solid, and as white as ivory ; the
middle teeth are about four inches in length, and an
inch and a half in diameter ; the incisors do not pro-
ject from the mouth, like those of the lame, but their
disposition is similar to those of the urigne. In the
conformation of the hinder feet it also resembles
that animal, except that those of the sea-lion are pal-
mated. The fore feet are cartilaginous, very short
in proportion to its size, are divided into five toes,
terminated by nails, and united by a membrane,
in the manner of those of the elephantine seal. The
tail is about nine inches long, and is round and
black.

The female is much smaller than the male, and
has no mane ; it has two teats, and produces but
one young at a birth, towards which it discovers
great affection. The Abbe Pernetty, in the account
of his voyage to the Malouine islands, mentions his
having seen seasons of twenty two: feet in lengths
but the largest that Ihave seen in Chili did not ex-
ceed thirteen or fourteen feet. These animals are
very fat, and no less sanguineous than the urigne.
When wounded, they immediately throw themselves
into the sea, and leave a long track of blood behind
them, which serves as a guide for the lames and
urignes, who in this state of weakness attack and
easily overcome and devour them. This disposition,
however, is not reciprocal, as the sea-lion never at-
tempts to harm any of the other phocas, even when
they are unable to protect themselves.

200

I have been informed by the fishermen that they
have occasionally seen in these seas various other
kinds of phocs, which may be similar to those found
in the North Sea, described by Steller, and very pro-
bably some that are entirely unknown to naturalists,
for I am of opinion that this genus is more abundant
in species than is generally imagined.

The chinchimen (mustela felina) called by the Spa-
niards the sea-cat, is about twenty inches in length
from the muzzle to the root of the tail. It has a
strong resemblance to a cat in its head, ears and eyes,
and in the shape and length of its tail. The nose
is furnished with whiskers, and it has thirty-two
teeth : twelve incisors which are strait and sharp
pointed, four canine teeth, and sixteen grinders.
Each foot has five palmated toes, terminated by strong
erookednails. The skin, like that of the otter, iscover-
ed with two kinds of hair, of a light grey colour, one
very short and soft, the other longer and harsh. This
animal lives almost altogether in the sea, but is only
seen in pairs, and never in companies. In pleasant
weather it is fond of basking in the sun, and is fre-
quently taken in snares upon the rocks, whither at
such times it is accustomed to resort. The chinchi-
men has a hoarse cry like the tiger, it is as ferocious
as the wild-cat, and like that animal springs at any
one that approaches it.

Besides the otter, of which I have already spoken,
the fresh waters of Chili are inhabited by the guillino
and the coypu.

The guillino (castor Huidobrius) which I have
thus named in memory of a deceased friend of great

— m

201

literary attainments, Don Ignacius Huidobrio, Mar-
quis of Casa Reale, is a species of beaver, in high
estimation for the fineness of its fun Its length,
from the end of the nose to the insertion of the tail,
is about three feet, and its height two. The colour
of the hair is grey, dark upon the back, and whitish
on the belly ; of this, like the northern beaver, it has
two kinds, the one short and fine and softer than that
of a rabbit, the other long and coarse and easily de-
tached from the skin. The short fur readily takes
any colour, and I have seen cloth manufactured from
it dyed black and blue, which had all the beauty of
velvet; it is also used for making hats, that are
no way inferior to the real beaver. The head of
this animal is almost square, the ears are short and
round, and the eyes small, the nose is blunt, and the
mouth is furnished with two very sharp incisors in
each jaw, and with sixteen grinders ; on each foot it
has five toes, those before are edged with a narrow
membrane, and the hinder ones are palmated ; its
back is very broad, and the tail long, flat, and cover-
ed with hair. The guillino produces no substance
analogous to the castor ; it inhabits the rivers and
the deepest lakes, and can remain a long time under
water without respiring. It feeds upon fish and
crabs, and is usually surprised and killed by the
hunters when it goes to void its excrements, which
it regularly does every day, like a cat, in the same
place. It is a voracious animal, and so fearless that
it frequently robs the nets and baskets offish in the
presence of the fishermen. The female has two or

Vol. I. . E e

202

three young at a litter, and the period of gestation,
if I am not misinformed, is about five months.

The coypu (muscoypu) is a species of water rat,
of the size of the otter, which it resembles in its hair
and external appearance. It has round ears, and a
long nose covered with whiskers ; the feet are short,
the tail large and of a moderate length well covered
with hair, and in each jaw are two very sharp incisors.
The feet have each five toes, those of the fore feet
are unconnected by a membrane, but those of the
hind are palmated. Though the conformation of
this animal evinces that it is intended as an inhabitant
of the water, it nevertheless lives very well upon the
land, and even in houses, where it is easily tamed,
and soon becomes reconciled to a domestic state.
It eats any thing that is given it, and appears to be
susceptible of much attachment to the person who
feeds it. Its cry is a sharp shriek, but it never ut-
ters it except when hurt. With a little patience and
care, it might be rendered still more useful than the
otter for the purpose of taking fish. The female
has five or six young at a birth, by whom she is al-
ways accompanied.

Of the cloven footed terrestrial quadrupeds of
Chili, some are gramenivorous, or such as feed upon
vegetables, and others carnivorous ; of the latter are
the chinghue, the cuja> the quiqui, the porcupine^ the
culpeu, the gtrigna, the colocolo, and the pagi.

The chinghue (viverra chinga) is of the size of a
cat ; its colour is black inclining to blue, except
upon the back, which is marked with a broad stripe,
composed of round white spots, extending from the

—a

2Q3

forehead to the tail. The head is long, the ears are
broad and well covered with hair, the eyes large with
black pupils, the nose is sharp, the upper lip extend-
ed beyond the lower, and the mouth, which is deeply
cleft, contains twelve incisorial teeth, four sharp
canine, and sixteen grinders. The hind feet are
longer than the fore, and on each foot are five toes
armed with nails, which serve the animal to dig deep
burrows in the earth, where it secures its young.
It always carries its head down, and the tail, which
is covered with long hair, turned over upon its back
like the squirrel.

The urine of the chinghue is not, as is generally
supposed, fetid, but the odour, so disgusting to every
other animal, proceeds from a greenish oil contained
in a vesicle placed, as in the pole-cat, near the anus.
When the animal is attacked, it elevates its posteriors
and scatters this loathsome liquid upon its assailant.
Nothing can equal the offensiveness of its smell ; it
penetrates every where, and may be perceived at a
great distance. Garments that are infected with it
cannot be worn for a long time, and not until repeat-
ed washings ; and the dogs; after having been en-
gaged with the chinghue, run to the water, roll them-
selves in the mud, howl as if they were mad, and
will eat nothing as long as the smell continues about
them.

. The chinghue, when attacked, never makes use
of its teeth or claws, but relies entirely upon this
singular mode of defence. It appears to be attached
to the society of men, and approaches them without
the least apprehension, boldly enters the country

204

houses to search for eggs, and passes fearlessly-
through the midst of the dogs, who instead of at-
tacking him generally fly at his approach. The hus-
bandmen themselves are averse to shooting this ani-
mal on such occasions, lest, should they fail of killing
it outright, they should be annoyed by its nauseous
stench. In order to free themselves from this un-
welcome visitor, they have recourse to another
method, which is attended with less risque. Some
of the company begin by caressing it, until an op-
portunity offers for one of them to seize it by the
tail and hold it suspended. In this position the
muscles becoming contracted, the animal is unable
to eject the fluid, and is dispatched with safety.
The chingue, however, never has recourse to this
mode of annoyance against those of its own species,
but employs in fighting with them its teeth and claws.
It preys upon eggs and poultry, which it is very
dexterous in taking. Its skin is closely covered
with very soft long hair, and retains nothing of that
offensive smell which might naturally be supposed.
The Indians, when they can obtain a sufficient num-
ber of these skins, make of them coverings for their
beds, which they value highly for their beauty and
the softness of the hair.

The cuja (mustela cuja) is a small animal resem-
bling a ferret in its size, form and teeth, and also in
the disposition of its toes, and its manner of living.
The eyes are black, and the nose a little turned up
at the end like a hog's ; its hair is black, thick, and
extremely soft, and the tail, which is of the length
of its body, is closely covered with it. Its principal

205

food is mice, which it is in constant pursuit of. The
female breeds twice a year, and has four or five
young at a birth.

The qaiqui (mustela quiqui) is a species of weasel
of a brown colour, thirteen inches long from the
nose to the tail. The head is fiat, the ears short and
round, the eyes small and sunken, the nose cunei-
form, the nostrils compressed, with a white spot be-
tween them, the mouth broad like that of a toad,
and the legs and tail short. It has twelve incisors,
the same number of grinders, and four canine teeth,
and the tongue is very slender and smooth. - The
paws resemble those of the lizard, and have five toes
armed with very crooked nails. It is naturally fe-
rocious, and so very irascible, that the inhabitants
give the name of quiqui to those persons who are
easily irritated. It lives under ground, and feeds
upon mice and moles like the cuja ; the female breeds
several times in a year, and always produces the
same number at a birth.

The porcupine (histrix Chilensis) is found in the
northern Andes of Chili. The inhabitants kill them
for the sake of their skins. I have never seen this
animal, but from the description which I have had of
it, it differs little or nothing from the histrix prensile,
or coandu of Brasil.

The culpeu (canis culpzeus) is a wild dog, or ra-
ther a species of large fox, differing but little from
the common fox, except in its size and its colour,
which is a dark brown, and in having a long strait
tail covered with short hair like that of the common
dog, From the point of the nose to the root of the

206

tail it is two and a half feet in length, and its height
is about twenty-two inches. The shape of its ears,
the position of its eyes, its teeth, and the disposition
of its toes, are precisely like those of the fox ; like
that animal it also burrows in the fields. Its cry is
feeble, and resembles the barking of a little dog;
and it preys upon small animals. Whenever the
Gulpeu perceives a man, it comes strait towards him,
and at the distance of five or six paces stops and
looks attentively at him. If the person does not
move, the animal remains for some minutes in this
situation, and without attempting to do him any in-
jury retires. This singular curiosity of the culpeu
is so well known to the inhabitants, that no one is
afraid of it, and I have myself several times met
with it in the woods, when it has uniformly acted in
the same manner. The name appears to be derived
from the Chilian word culpem, which signifies mad-
ness or folly, and is strikingly applicable to the con-
duct of this animal, which constantly exposes it to
be shot by the hunters, and is probably the reason
why it is less common in Chili than the fox, though
it is equally prolific. It is mentioned by Commodore
Byron, who saw it in the Falklan<Kslands, and sup-
posed it at first some ferocious wild beast, from the
manner of its approaching his men. Although the
culpeu does not appear to be stronger than the
fox, it is with much difficulty that a dog can over-
come it.

The guigna (felis guigna) and the colocolo (felis
colocolo) are two species of wild-cats which inhabit
the forests. They resemble the domestic cat, but

-Jl

207

have a larger head and tail. The guigna is of a fawn
colour, marked with round black spots about five
lines in diameter, extending along the back to the
end of the tail. The colocolo has a white body,
marked with irregular black and yellow spots, and
the tail is encircled with black rings. They prey
upon mice and birds, and sometimes are seen near
country houses, whither they are attracted by the
.poultry. I have been informed by some of the in-
habitants that there are several other species of the
wild- cat, but I have seen only the two described above.
The pagi (felis puma) called by the Mexicans
mitzli, and in Peru puma , the name by which it is
best known to naturalists, has by the Spaniards been
denominated the lion, which it resembles in its shape
and its roaring, but is wholly destitute of a mane.
The hair on the upper part of its body is of a greyish
ash- colour, marked with yellow spots, and is longer
than that of the tiger, particularly on the buttocks,
but that on the belly is of a dusky white. Its length
from the nose to the root of the tail is about five feet,
and its height from the bottom of the foot to the
shoulder twenty-six and a half inches. It has a round
head shaped much like that of a cat, the ears are
short and pointed, the eyes large with yellow irides
and brown pupils. Its nose is broad and flat, the
muzzle short, the upper lip entire and furnished with
whiskers, the mouth deep, and the tongue large and
rough. In each jaw it has four incisors, four sharp
pointed canine teeth, and sixteen grinders. Its breast
is broad, the paws have each five toes armed with

203

very strong nails, and its tail is upwards of two feet
in length and like that of the tiger.

The number of toes on the hinder feet would alone
be a sufficient characteristic to distinguish it from
the real lion, which has but four. The pagi may,
however, be considered as an intermediate species
between the lion and the tiger. Its cry, although
not so loud, differs not materially from the roaring
of the African lion, but in the season of its loves be-
comes changed into a shrill whistle, or rather a fright-
ful hiss like that of a serpent. The female is rather
less than the male, and is of a paler colour ; like the
African lioness, she has two dugs, and brings forth
but two young at a time. The season of copulation
is the end of winter, and the period of gestation
three months.

Such is the lion of Chili ; it may, perhaps, in
other parts of America, offer some shades of dis-
crimination, as I have been informed that those of
Peru have a longer and more pointed muzzle. The
pagi inhabits the thickest forests and the most inac-
cessible mountains, from whence it makes incursions
into the plains to attack domestic animals, particu-
larly horses, whose flesh it prefers to that of any
other. In its mode of seizing its prey it resembles
the cat; it approaches it by drawing itself upon its bel-
ly, glides softly through the shrubs and bushes, con-
ceals itself in the ditches, or, if it shews itself, as-
sumes a mild and fa wing appearance, and, watching
the favourable opportunity of seizing the animal
which it has marked for its victim, at one leap fastens
itself upon its back, seizes it with its left paw and

209

teeth in such a manner as to render it impossible for
it to escape, while with the right paw in a few mi-
nutes it tears it to pieces. It then sucks the blood,
devours the flesh of the breast, and carries the car-
cass into the nearest wood, where it conceals it with
leaves and boughs of trees, in order to eat it at its
leisure.

As it is a common practice for the husbandmen
to fasten two of their horses together in the fields,
whenever the pagi finds them in this situation it kills
one and drags it away, compelling the other to fol-
low by striking it from time to time with its paw,
and in this manner almost always succeeds in getting
possession of both.* Its favourite haunts are the
streams to which animals usually repair to drink,
where it eonceals itself upon a tree, and scarcely
eVer fails of seizing one of them. The horses,
however, have an instinctive dread of these places,
and even when pressed by thirst approach them
with great precaution, carefully examining upon
every side to discover if there is danger. At other
times one of the boldest goes forward, and on finding
the place secure, gives notice to his companions by
neighing in a sprightly manner.

The cows defend themselves well against the pagi ;
as soon as he appears they range themselves in a

* The wolf is said occasionally to adopt a similar mode of se-
curing its firey. I have been assured by an intelligent foreigner,
that it is not unfrequent in France for that animal, when the pre-
sence of the shepherd, or any other circumstance, prevents it
from killing the sheep which it has singled out for its victim at its
leisure, to seize it by the wool of the neck, and compel it to go off
with it by striking it with its tail. Amer. Trans.

Vol. I. F f

210

circle around their calves, with their horns turned
towards their assailant, await his attack in that posi-
tion, and not unfrequently destroy him.

The mares, when there are a number of them,
place themselves in the same manner, though in an
inverted order, around their colts, and attempt tore-
pel their enemy with their heels, but one of them
almost always becomes a victim to this proof of ma-
ternal love. All those animals that have not young
on the approach of the pagi attempt to save them-
selves by flight ; the ass alone, from his want of
speed, is compelled to defend himself with his heels,
which frequently proves successful ; but should the
pagi notwithstanding his efforts leap upon his back,
he immediately throws himself on the ground and
endeavours to crush him, or runs with al^ his force
against the trunks of trees, holding his head down so
as not to dislocate his neck. By these means he
generally succeeds in freeing himself from his assail-
ant, and there are but few asses destroyed by an
enemy so frequently fatal to much stronger animals.
Notwithstanding his ferocity, the pagi never ven-
tures to attack a man, although he is continually
hunted and persecuted by the latter. He is natu-
rally a coward, and a woman or child will make him
f)y and abandon his prey. He is hunted with dogs
trained for the purpose, and when hard pressed by
them, either leaps upon a tree, seeks an asylum upon
a rock, or, placing himself against the trunk of some
large tree, defends himself in a furious manner, kill-
ing many of his enemies, until the hunter, watching
bis opportunity, slips a noose around his neck. As

211

soon as the animal finds himself taken in this manner,
he roars terribly, and sheds a torrent of tears. The
skin serves for various uses ; good leather for boots
or shoes is manufactured from it, and the fat is con-
sidered as a specific in the sciatica.

Of the cloven footed quadrupeds that feed upon
vegetables, the most remarkable in Chili are the
guanque, the chinchilla, the great wood-mouse, the
covur, the cuy, and the visaccia.

The guanque (mus cyanus) is a species of ground-
mouse, which it resembles in its form and size, but
its ears are rounder and its hair blue. It is a very
timid animal, and digs a burrow in form of a gallery
ten feet long, upon each side of which it excavates
seven cells of a foot in depth opposite each other.
These cells serve as a place of deposit for its winter
provision, which consists of certain grey bulbous
roots of the size of a walnut. Some pretend that
these are a species of truffle, to which they bear
some resemblance in taste, but I am rather inclined
to believe them the roots of a plant. The manner in
which this little animal arranges these roots is really
admirable. They are of an angular form, but in or-
der to leave no vacant spaces, it places them with
such skill that the projecting angles of one root are
fitted to the hollows of another.

In the rainy season, when the guanque can no longer
seek its food in the fields, it has recourse to its win-
ter hoard, and begins with the roots deposited in the
farthest cells, as being the oldest, and in this manner
regularly proceeds from one to the other. Its bur-
row is always very neat, and it is careftil to carry out

212

of it all the fragments of the roots which it has eaten,
The female breeds twice a year, in the spring and in
the autumn, and has six young at a litter. In the
winter the male and female, with the young of the
last breed, inhabit the same burrow, those of the
first being old enough to provide for themselves.
The provisions laid up in their magazines are more
than sufficient for the subsistence of this little family,
as every spring a number of the old roots are found
at the mouths of their holes, which have been brought
out to make room for new. The country- people are
very fond of these roots, and eagerly search for the
burrows, which they plunder and destroy without
regard to the fate of their innocent inhabitants.

The chinchilla (mus laniger) is another species of
ground-mouse or rat. Instead of hair it is covered
with an extremely fine and soft ash-coloured wool,
of a sufficient length for spinning. This ani-
mal is about six inches long ; it has very small
ears, a short nose, teeth like those of the common
mouse, and a tail of a moderate length covered with
silky hair. It lives in the fields under ground in
large companies, and is principally found in the
southern provinces ; its usual food is the bulbous
roots with which that part of the country abounds.
The female breeds twice a year, and has five or six
young at each birth. It is an extremely gentle and
mild animal, and may be handled without the least
danger of its biting, nor will it attempt to escape,
but on the contrary appears to be pleased with being
caressed. It is very neat, has no offensive smell,
and may be kept with very little inconvenience

213

in a house, and the trifling expense attending its
keeping will be amply repaid by its beautiful wool.
The ancient Peruvians employed this wool in the
manufacture of several kinds of cloth, to which they
attached great value.

The great wood-mouse (mus Maulinus) is an ani-
mal of more than twice the size of a marmot, and
was 'first discovered in 1764 in a wood in the pro-
vince of Maiile, and so vigorous was the defence
that it made, that the dogs who attacked it had much
difficulty in overcoming it. Its hair is of the same
colour as that of the marmot, but its ears are more
pointed, the nose is longer, the whiskers are dispo-
sed in four rows, it has four toes on each foot, and
it has a longer tail, and closer covered with hair.
The number and order of the teeth are the same as
those of the common mouse.

The degu (sciurus degus) is a species of dor-
mouse, a little larger than the house-rat. Its colour
is a dirty white, except a blackish line upon the
shoulders which reaches to the first joint of the leg ;
e tail is terminated by a little tuft of hair of the
same colour as the body. The head is short, the
ears round, the nose sharp and furnished with whis-
kers ; of the upper jaw the two incisors are cunei-
form, those of the lower flat ; the fore feet have four
toes, the hinder five. The degu is a social animal,
and is found in the vicinity of St. Jago in numerous
companies near the hedges or bushes, where they
dig burrows that have a communication with each
other, and feed upon roots and fruit, of which they
lay in an ample store for the winter. It does not,

214

like the dormouse and the badger, sleep daring the
winter, which is probably in a great measure owing
to the mildness of the climate. These animals were
formerly eaten by the inhabitants, but at present
they make no use of them whatever.

The covur, known to naturalists by the name of
tatoiiy and by the Spaniards called the armadillo, from
the upper part of its body being covered with a kind
of bony armour, is very common in Cujo, where it
is called quiriquhicho. It is of various sizes, being
from six to thirteen inches long, a magnitude, how-
ever, much inferior to what it attains in the tropical
regions. In its external appearance, its fatness, and
the bristles which cover the lower part of the body,
the covur resembles the guinea-pig. Its head is long,
but the nose is short ; it has no teeth except grind-
ers ; the eyes are small, the ears naked, and the tail is
long and scaly like that of a rat. The number of the
toes var}^ according to the species. The bony ar-
mour which covers the body of the animal is com-
posed of two parts, divided into several bands let into
each other, so that the animal can at its pleasure
dilate or contract them. The females are very pro-
lific ; they have four young at a birth, and breed
every month. The flesh is delicate, and much pre-
ferable to that of the guinea-pig.

In the vallies of the Andes are found four species
of this animal :

The pichi, or four banded covur, which is about
six inches in length.

The hairy, or the eight banded, which is seven
inches long, and covered with hair as well above as
below.

215

The mutillps, or the eleven banded, which is very
little larger than the preceding, but its ears are
much longer.

The bolas, or the eighteen banded, which is the
largest, and is thirteen inches in length from the nose
to the root of the tail.

These four species belong to the quir'iquinci of
Buffon, a name which has been given them from
their possessing the property of contracting and roll-
ing themselves up like a ball. When they are hard
pressed by the hunters, they frequently contract and
roll themselves down a precipice, like the hedge-
hog, and usually escape without injury, being pro-
tected by their coat of mail. But they have not
the same means of escape when they are found in
the plains ; they are then easily taken, and when they
roll themselves up are compelled to resume their na-
tural form by means of fire. The three first kinds run
very fast in a strait line, being prevented by the con-
formation of their armour from making turns. When
they get at a Gertain distance from their pursuers,
they endeavour to dig a hole in the ground to con-
ceal themselves, and hold so fast with ^heir fore paws
that it is almost impossible to force them away ; upon
these occasions the hunters have contrived a singu-
lar expedient to make them quit their hold, by intro-
ducing the point of a small stick into the anus.

The cuy (lepus minimus) is a species of small
rabbit, which has been by some confounded with
the guinea-pig, though it is not only distinguished
from that animal by its form, but by its generic cha-
racter. It is a little larger than the field-mouse, and

216

its shape is nearly conical. The ears are small,
pointed and hairy, the nose is long, and the teeth are
precisely like those of the hare and the rabbit; its
fore paws have four toes, and the hinder five, and
the tail is so short that it can scarcely be seen.
This animal has been domesticated in Chili, and is of
various colours, white, brown, grey and spotted.
Its hair is very fine and silky, but too short for spin-
ning ; the flesh is very white and delicately tasted.
The female breeds every month, and has from six
to eight young. The cuy, though it resembles the
rabbit, avoids its society, and never copulates with
it. It is very much afraid of cats and rats, which
appear to be its destroyers. In Peru there is an ani-
mal which bears the same name, and is also domesti-
cated, but as I have never seen it, I cannot deter-
mine whether it is of the same species or otherwise.
It may be proper, however, to observe, that cuy is
a general name in America for a number of little
animals like rabbits, which are mostly of the genus
of the cavy.

The viscacha (lepus viscacia) is an animal resem-
bling both the rabbit and the fox. It is rather lar-
ger, but has the head, ears, mouthy whiskers, teeth,
feet, and-nearly the same manner of feeding as the
rabbit. In its colour and tail it resembles the fox ;
the hair on the body is very line and soft, and is ca-
pable of being advantageously employed for many
purposes. The ancient Peruvians made beautiful
cloths of it, and it is now used in Chili for the manu-
facture of hats. The tail, with which it defends it-
self against its enemies, is very long, turned up,

217

and covered with long coarse hair. The viscacha
breeds in the same manner as the rabbit. It lives
under ground, in a burrow consisting of two stories,
which communicate by means of a winding stair-
way ; the first story serves for a magazine for its
provisions, the other for a place of residence for it-
self and its young. In this it remains during the
day, and only goes out at night, when it brings to
its hole whatever it meets with, even such articles of
wearing apparel as have been dropped by travellers.
Its flesh is very white and tender, and is preferred to
that of the hare or the rabbit.

Of the horny-footed animals, or those that have
hoofs, whether single or divided, Chili furnishes but
five species that are indigenous. The puda, the vi-
cugna, the chilihueque, the guanaco, and the guemul
or huemul.

TJtie puda (capra puda) is a species of wild goat,
with brown hair, of the size of a six months kid ;
the male is furnished with very small horns, but
the female is destitute. The Spaniards call it
the roe-buck, but very improperly, as it has no re-
semblance to that animal, but every characteristic of
the goat except the beard, and in having its horns
round, smooth and diverging. On the approach of
winter, these animals, in very numerous flocks, come
down from the Andes, in order to feed in the plains
of the southern provinces. Great numbers are then
killed by the inhabitants for food, and caught for
the purpose of domesticating them, which is easily
done, as this animal is extremely mild, and is much
delighted in playing with children.

¥0"L. I.

218

The vicugna, the chilihueque, and the guanaco may
be considered as so many inferior species of the camel,
to which may be added the alpaca and the llama of
Peru. All these animals have a great resemblance
to the camel, although they are smaller, and their
forms are more elegant and better turned ; like the
camel they have a small head without horns, a very
long neck, middle-sized ears, large and round eyes,
a short muzzle, the upper lip more or less cleft, the
legs longer than the size of the body appears to re-
quire, the feet divided, the tail short, and the hair
long and of a sufficient fineness for spinning. Their
genital parts are similar to those of the camel, and the
males in like manner void their urine backwards.
In their internal conformation they differ but little
from the camel, and, like all ruminating animals,
have four stomachs ; the second of which contains,
between the two membranes that compose it, a great
number of cavities which appear to be intended
solely for reservoirs of water.

These American camels resemble those of the
old continent also in their dispositions and their mode
of living ; like them, they are extremely docile, and
generally very mild. The alpaca and the llama are
employed, like the camel, to carry burdens, and pos-
sess the following properties in common with that
animal: they kneel in order to receive or discharge
their loads ; their hoofs are so firm as not to require
shoeing, and their skins so thick as to render a pack
saddle unnecessary, and their step is slow, but sure
even in the steepest mountains. The chilihueque
was formerly employed by the Chilians, as the paco
is by the Peruvians ; but the introduction of the use

219

of mules, which have now become very numerous,
has entirely superceded that of the chilihueque. All
these animals pass a great part of the night in rumi-
nating, and whenever they wish to sleep, fold their
legs under their belly, and support themselves upon
the breast.

Though these quadrupeds are analogous to the
camel, they have likewise some peculiar characteris-
tics which distinguish them from that animal. Des-
tined by nature to live among ice and snow, their bo-
dies are covered with a thick fat betweeh the skin and
the flesh, like almost all polar animals ; like them too
they abound in bldod, which is the more necessary to
them, as they require a greater degree of warmth than
those animals which inhabit the plains : the fat pre-
venting the evaporation of the heat, and thereby keep-
ing up that temperature of the blood without which
they would not be able to endure the severity of the
cold. The lower jaw, like that of the camel, is fur-
nished with six incisors, two canine teeth, and several
grinders ; but the upper is wholly destitute of in-
cisors and canine teeth } a character which appears
to me sufficiently marked to constitute a separate
genus. Besides this distinction, their ears are smaller
and more elegant than those of the camel ; the nose
is smooth, the neck straiter and better proportioned,
the back more level, except the guanaco's, which is
a little arched, the tail handsomer, and supplied
with a greater quantity of hair, the legs are better
shaped and fitted for running, and the hair on
their bodies is longer, softer, and more like wool.
Placed by the side of one of these animals, the ca-
mel would appear like a monster. Their natural

220

cry resembles the neighing of a horse. To defend
themselves they employ their saliva, which they
throw upon those who molest them. It is asserted,
but it appears to be without foundation, that this sa-
liva is naturally caustic, and produces blisters upon
the skin.

They are in heat in the latter part of summer,
daring which time they become very thin, and shed
their hair. Before copulation they make much noise,
throw out their saliva, and appear to be mad. The
female has two dugs, which are always well filled
with milk ; her period of gestation is five or six
months, and she produces but one" young at a birth.
These three kinds of animals mutually avoid each
other, nor have they ever been known to copulate.
To what age they live I am unable precisely to de-
termine, though I believe them shorter lived than
the camel ; the period generally assigned them by
the Chilians is thirty years,

I consider these animals as intermediate species
which unite the goat, sheep, stag and the camel ;
and from the following descriptions it will be seen
that my opinion is not unfounded

The vicugna (camellus vicuna) is, according to
M. BufFon, only the paco in its original state of li-
berty ; but in this, as well as in many other particu-
lars which concern America, that great naturalist
has been misinformed. The paco, or the alpaco> and
the vicugna are two animals of the same genus, but
of very different species. It is certain that they ne*
ver copulate, although they live upon the same
mountains, and the wild paco, as well as tlie tame,
is very common in Perth The vicugna is nearly the

221

size of the tame goat ; it resembles it particularly
in the shape of its back, rump and tail, but differs
from it in having a much longer neck, which is fre-
quently twenty inches in length, in its head which is
round and without horns, in its ears which are small
and strait, in its muzzle which is short and without a
beard, and in its legs which are twice the height of
those of the goat. It is covered with a very fine wool of
the colour of dried roses, which will take any dye,
and is used in the country in the manufacture of £
variety of cloths. This wool is known in Europe,
and very highly valued. The paco is more robust
and of a thicker make than the vicugna, its muzzle
is longer, and its wool is also longer and not so fine.
The Peruvians keep numerous flocks of pacos, whose
wool they employ in the manufacture of several
kinds of cloth which have the brilliancy of silk. But
the paco is not found in Chili either in a domestic,
or savage state.

The vicugnas appear to be more particularly at-
tached to that part of the Andes which appertains
to the provinces of Copiapo and Coqiumbo, where
they are found in the greatest numbers, and inhabit
the highest and most inaccessible ridges of moun*.
tains perpetually covered with ice and snow. This
cold climate seems to be best adapted to their nature,
for all those which the inhabitants have attempted to
raise in the plains have been attacked by a species of
mange, which has soon destroyed them ; and it is most
probably owing to this cause that the methods which
have been hitherto used to transport this animal to
Europe have failed of success. The vicugnas are

222

always in flocks, and, like the goats, are seen feed-
ing on the tops of rocks. As soon as they perceive
a man they run off, taking their young with them.
The hunters, when they go in pursuit of them, en-
deavour to surround the mountains upon which they
are found, and by pressing them closer and closer,
they at length collect the whole within a small com-
pass, when they encircle the spot with a rope, to
which they tie a great number of pieces of cloth.
The vicugnas, who are very timid, dare not pass this
cord, and easily fall into the hands of their pursuers,
who usually kill the whole of them. As the wool of
these animals is the chief inducement for hunting
them, instead of killing, it would, perhaps, be more
prudent merely to shear them, an operation which
might be repeatedly performed. Their numbers,
however, notwithstanding these massacres, do not
appear to be diminished, which induces me to believe
that they have more young at a birth thanis generally
supposed. The inhabitants have never yet been able
to domesticate this useful animal, but I do not doubt
it will be effected, when the national industry, which is
beginning to exert itself, attains a greater degree of
activity. The vicugna is excellent game, and its flesh
is preferred to veal ; it is used as a specific in cases
of the ophthalmy, by external application. The be-
zoar which is found in its stomach is in high re-
pute with those persons who have confidence in such
things.

The chilihueque (camellus Araucanus) was origi-
nally called hueque, but the Araucanians, with whom
this animal lived in a domestic state, in order to dis-

223

tinguish it from the European sheep, which has be-
come very common since the arrival of the Spaniards,
gave it the name of chilihueque or rehueque, which
signifies the sheep of Chili. This name is well ap-
plied to it, for excepting the length of its neck and
legs, it has considerable resemblance to the sheep.
The head of the chilihueque is very much like that
of the sheep ; its ears are also oval and flaccid, the
eyes large and black, the nose long and bunched, the
lips thick and hanging, the tail of a similar form but
shorter, and the whole body covered with a very
long and soft wool. The length of the chilihueque,
from the upper lip to the root of the tail, is about
six feet, . and its height, measured from behind, is
nearly four feet. The individuals of this species
vary in colour ; there are some of them which are
white, others brown, black and grey.

The ancient Chilians made use of these animals
as beasts of burden, and were accustomed to lead
them by a rope fastened to a hole made in the rim
of the ear, from whence has arisen the errors of seve-
ral geographical writers, who have asserted, that the
sheep which had been carried to Chili had so far en-
creased in size; that they were loaded and employed
as mules in the transportation of merchandise. Some
writers pretend that, before the arrival of the Spa-
niards, the Chilians employed the hueque in the cul-
tivation of their lands, and for drawing a kind of
cart which they called quetahue. • This agrees with
the account of Admiral Spilsberg, who says that the
inhabitants of Mocha made use of them when he
landed there. The chilihueqiies are highly valued

224

by the Araucanians, who, though they are fond of
their flesh, never kill them except upon festivals, or
on some solemn sacrifice. Before the conquest they
employed the wool of this animal to make their
clothes, but since sheep have multiplied so much,
they make use of the wool of the chilihueque only
for the most valuable cloth.

What M. de Buffon and the celebrated Linnaeus
have said respecting the paco and the vicugna being
of the same species, they have likewise asserted of
the guanaco and the llama. Both these naturalists
have taken the llama for the domesticated guanaco,
but I have good reasons for being of a different
opinion. Besides the natural aversion which sub-
sists between these two animals, and which prevents
them from ever mingling, they also offer some very
striking differences which can never be attributed to
the change of situation alone. The llama has a strait
back, all its legs nearly of an equal length, and an
excrescence on the breast which is almost always
moistened with a yellowish oily exudation. The
guanaco, on the contrary, has a bunched or rather
an arched back, the hind feet are so long that when
it is pursued it never attempts to ascend the moun-
tains, like the llama, the paco, and the vicugna, but
descends them leaping like the buck and the deer, a
course well suited to the peculiar conformation of
its legs.

The guanaco (camellus huanacus) exceeds the
chilihueque in size, and I have seen some of them
that were the height of a horse. Its usual length,
however, from the nose to the tail, is about seven

225

feet, aad the height, measured before, four feet
and three inches. The body is covered with very-
long hair, of a reddish colour upon the back, and
whitish under the belly ; its head is round, the nose
pointed and black, the ears strait like those of a
horse, the tail short, and turned back like that of the
stag. The name guanaco, by which it is commonly
known, is Peruvian ; it is called luan in Chili. The
guanaco appears to be less attached to a cold cli-
mate than the vicugna. In the beginning of winter
these animals quit the mountains they inhabit du.-
ring the summer, and appear in the vallies in large
herds, usually of a hundred or two hundred. The
Chilians hunt them with dogs, but they commonly
take only the youngest, which are the least swift ;
the old ones run with astonishing rapidity, and it is
difficult to overtake them with a good horse. When
they are pursued, they turn from time to time to
look at the huntsman, neighing as loud as they can,
and then set off anew with increased velocity. It
sometimes happens that the Indians who are mount-
ed upon very swift horses, take them alive, by means
of a noose or sling, which they throw from a distance
l>etween their legs. This noose, which the Indians
call laquij is made of a strip of leather about five or
six feet long, to each end of which is fastened a stone
of about two pounds weight. The huntsman, who is
on horseback, holds one of these stones in his hand,
and whirls the other around like a sling, as swift as
possible, in order to hurl it with more force ; when
, he throws it at the animal he has singled out, whom
he is almost certain of striking, frequently at more
Hh

226

than three hundred paces distance. In order to take
the animal alive, the sling must be thrown so dex-
terously, as only to twist itself around the feet. The
guanaco is naturally gentle, and readily becomes ac-
customed to a domestic state ; it can be tamed to
such a degree as to follow its master wherever he
wishes. The meat, especially when the animal is
young, is excellent, and as good as veal ; that of the
old ones is tougher, but is very good when salted ;
it keeps well on long voyages, and is often put up for
the use of seamen. Very good hats are made from
the hair, and it may be used in the manufacture of
camlet.

The guemul, or huemal (equus bisulcus) is an ani-
mal which I have classed with the horse, although
it ought to form a separate genus, in consequence of
its hoofs being divided like those of ruminating ani-
mals. Its teeth, and the manner in which they are
disposed, are precisely like those of the horse ; but
its size, hair and colour give it a greater resemblance
to the ass, with which it might readily be confound-
ed, were it not for the ears, which are short, strait
and pointed like those of the horse. It also wants
the black stripe upon the back which is peculiar to
that species. The huemul is farther distinguished
from the ass by a handsomer head, and a more ele-
gant appearance ; the neck and buttocks are also
better formed. A great difference likewise prevails
in its internal conformation, and its voice is more
like the neighing of a horse than the braying of an
ass. This animal is more unruly than the vicugna,
and far exceeds it in swiftness ; it inhabits the

227

most inaccessible parts of the Andes, which is the
reason of its being so difficult to be taken. It is the
same animal which Captain Wallis found at the
straits of Magellan, and, in my opinion, forms the link
between the ruminating and single-hoofed animals.
Horses, asses, cattle, sheep, goats, many kinds
of dogs, cats, and even mice, have been brought
hither by the Spaniards. All these animals have
multiplied exceedingly, and have increased in size,
as might be expected from so favourable a cli-
mate. The horses of Chili possess all the good quali-
ties of their species : they have spirit, vigour and
swiftness. Those which are bred in the plains re-
semble the Arabian horses ; they are of a middle
size, but remarkably active. The mountain horses
are stronger and closer set, and are very good for the
harness ; they have, in general, an elegant appearance,
a small and handsome head, the tail well furnished
with hair, and a little raised, the chest broad and
well turned, the thighs round and plump, the legs
slender and nervous, and the hoof so hard as not to
require to be shod except in cities. The great num-
ber of horses, and their cheapness, is the reason why
they are worse treated in Chili than almost any coun-
try in the world. A common horse will cost a fe-
lippo (four livres tournois) a mare about five Roman
paolis, or nearly forty-two sous. They are fed en-
tirely upon grass, and are kept in the field through-
out the year. It is very uncommon to see a peasant
walk half a league ; the moment he rises he goes
and saddles one of his horses, and uses him the whole
day, without allowing him any time to rest or to feed.

228

To this may be added the long journeys of a hundred
leagues and more, which these people make with the
same horse, during the whole of which, the horse is
only permitted to rest at night.

Horses capable of enduring such hardships, must
be naturally of a firm and strong constitution ; but
it is perhaps, in a great measure, owing to their be^
ing early accustomed to severe fatigue, and the na-
ture of their food, as I have seen those which were
very old, and had been in constant service. The
horses, in consequence of their different gaits, are
divided into three breeds, the most common of which
is the trotters. The horses of this breed, as the most
robust and vigorous, are principally used by the
country people. The second are the pacers, who
are more easy gaited than the best Andelusian
horses. It is said that this step is peculiar to this
breed, and that it is observable even in the colts ;
it is the best supported, and the quickest upon a
long journey, for which reason this breed is in more
request than either of the others. The parade horses
constitute the third breed ; these never go out of a foot?
pace, move with much grace, and are particularly in
demand in Peru, where they are employed on occa-
sions of parade and ceremony ; the price of them
is from one hundred to five hundred crowns.

The Chilians are very careful to preserve the
breed of their horses pure, and not suffer any inter-
mixture. During the winter almost all the horses
are kept at pasture in the vallies of the Andes,
from -whence they return in the spring very fat and

229

vigorous. When the inhabitants train their colta,
which is commonly done at three years of age, they
begin by scoring the upper muscle of the tail, to pre-
vent the motion of it, which operation they call
castige.

The asses of Chili are so strong and tall, that it is
difficult to recognise in them the original stock. I
scarcely know to what circumstance to attribute this
favourable alteration, unless it may be the state of
liberty in which these animals live, for they are made
but very little use of ; in the vallies of the Andes
they are even found in a wild state, and are hunted
by the Chilians for the sake of their skins ; among
these are some that have hair sufficiently long to be
spun with ease. The mules are an excellent breed ;
they are very strong, and are particularly distin-
guished for being very sure footed and active.

The horned cattle, upon which the influence of
climate appears to be greater than on others, have
in Chili, owing to its favourable temperature, ac-
quired a larger size, while their flesh has become
better and more nutritive. The oxen of the mari-
time are, however, of an inferior size to those of the
middle provinces, nor can these last be compared to
those which are bred in the vallies of the Andes.
These cattle are kept the whole year in the open field,
and their food, which never fails them, consists en- •
tirely of the different kinds of herbs and grasses
which follow each other in succession. The species,
far from exhibiting any degeneracy, has improved
considerably, and though I have observed that the
cattle of the maritime provinces are small, it is only

in relation to the others, for I have seen some of
them which weighed near two thousand pounds.

There are some landholders in Chili, whose farms
are sufficient to keep twelve thousand head of cattle.
At the end of each winter they usually select a thou-
sand head, either cows or oxen, in order to fat them ;
for this purpose, they drive them to the richest pas-
tures, where they usually keep them till about
Christmas, when they kill them. This slaughter,
which is always a great festival for the peasants, is
expected with the utmost impatience, and they con-
duct it as follows. The herdsmen drive twenty or
thirty of these fat cattle into an enclosure made with
stakes, which is always erected upon a plain ; the
peasants, well mounted, surround the enclosure,
and when thay have taken their stations, one of the
cattle is let out. As soon as the beast finds himself
at liberty he takes flight, and all the company pursue
him, each endeavouring adroitly to hamstring him
with a sharp iron shaped like a crescent attached to
the end of a lance. Whenever a beast falls, the
butchers immediately dispatch him, by thrusting a
kind of long knife into the nape of his neck. When
all the beasts are killed, they are dragged to one
spot, where they are flayed, and the tallow separated
from the beef. This last they usually cut up into
long narrow strips, salt it a little, and dry it in the
sun. A very considerable commerce is carried on
in this beef, especially with Peru and the mines. It
keeps very well, and, as it is not strongly salted,
is preferred to the salt provisions received from
Holland and England. The tallow is mostly ex-

231

ported to Peru, very little being used in the coun-
try ; it is the same with the hides, the greater part
of which are sold to strangers. The milk is of the
best and richest quality, and the inhabitants make
excellent cheese from it, which is no way inferior to
the best of Lodi. Of the cheese, that of Chanco,
in the province of Maiile, is the most celebrated.
The cattle are not employed in labour till three years
old, and never more than two are tackled to a plough,
even in breaking up new grounds. Instead of a
yoke being suspended to their necks, a rope, agree-
able to the Spanish custom, is run through their
horns, by which they draw the plough. The common
price of cattle throughout the country is from three
to four filippi (fifteen or twenty francs) but in the
sea-ports the price is fixed by an ancient regulation
at ten crowns, of which the commandant of the port
receives four and the owner six.

The sheep imported from Spain have lost no-
thing in Chili ; they are of the same size, and their
wool is as beautiful as that of the best Spanish
sheep. Each sheep yields annually from ten to fif-
teen pounds of wool ; the mutton, especially that
of the wethers, is very fine. They generally breed
twice a year, as is common in temperate climates,
and frequently have two at a birth. The sheep have
no horns, but rams are frequently seen which have
four and even six horns. The owners leave them
the whole year in the open fields, without any shel-
ter, and only shut them up in a kind of pen to se-
cure them from the wild beasts. Those which

232

are bred in the Andes are larger, and produce a
longer and finer wool. The Pehuenches, a nation
which inhabits a part of these mountains, have crossr
ed the breed of the sheep with the goat, and this
mixed breed is much larger than the other sheep ;
their hair, which is more or less curled, has the firm-
ness and the softness of wool, and is frequently two
feet long; it resembles much the hair of the Angora
goat.

The goats have also multiplied astonishingly ;
they live almost always in the mountains ; their
skins are employed for manufacturing morocco, of
this much is consumed in the country, and great
quantities are sent to Peru.

Man in Chili enjoys all the. advantages which re-
sult from a mild unchangeable climate, and those
persons who do not shorten their lives by irregulari-
ties, attain to a very advanced age. Notwithstanding
what M. de Pauw has asserted,, I have myself known
several old men of a hundred and four, a hundred
and five, and one instance even of a hundred and
fifteen years of age« It is but a few years since that
Don Antonio Boza died there at the age of one hun-
dred and six. My grandfather and my great grand-
father, both Creoles, lived, the first to the age of
ninety-five, the other to ninety-six. These instances
are not uncommon among the natives of the country.
The women are generally prolific, and there are few
countries where they more frequently give birth to
twins. This fecundity, and the abolition of some
practices which were injurious to the propagation of

233

the human species, will explain the rapid increase of
population, which has taken place within the last
thirty years.

The inhabitants of Chili are either aboriginal, or
the descendants of Europeans or Africans. Those
descended from Europeans are well shaped, particu-
larly the women, some of whom are very beautiful.
The aborigines form but one nation divided into
many tribes, all of whom speak the same language,
which they call Chiliduga, or the Chilian tongue.
This language is soft, harmonious, expressive and
regular, and possesses a great number of Words not
only expressive of natural objects, but also of moral
and metaphysical ideas. The colour of the natives
is a reddish or coppery brown, excepting the Ba-
roanes, who live in the midst of the Araucanian pro-
vinces, in the thirty-ninth degree of latitude ; these
are white, and as well formed as the northern Euro-
peans. Nothing appears to me to be more ridiculous
than the assertion of several authors, that all the
Americans resemble each other, and that from seems:
one you are able to judge of the whole. These gentle-
men seem to have been led into this error by a very
slight resemblance arising from their colour. It is only
necessary to see different individuals to be convinced
of the contrary. A Chilian is as easily distinguish-
able from a Peruvian as an Italian from a German. I
have seen natives of Cujo, of Paraguay, and of the
Straits of Magellan, and I can confidently affirm that
their countenances present a very striking difference.
The Chilians, like the Tartars, have but little beard.
Vol. I. I i

254

and the custom which they have of plucking out the
hair as fast as it grows makes them appear as if
beardless ; for this purpose they always carry with
them a small pair of pincers, which forms a part of
their toilette. There are some of them, however,
who have as thick a beard as the Spaniards. The
hair which marks the age of pui^rty they have in
still greater quantities than the beard. The opinion
that a thin beard is the mark of a feeble body is not
verified in the case of these people. The Indians
are generally vigorous, and are better able to endure
fatigue than the Creoles, for which reason they are
always preferred in those employments that require
strength.

Those who inhabit the plains are of the same
height as the Europeans ; but the natives of the
mountains are distinguished by a taller stature, and
I am well convinced that these are the famous Pata-
gonians of whom so much has been said. Lord An-
son is of the same opinion, and the description given
by Byron, Wallis, Carteret, Bougainville, Du Clos,
and De la Giraudais, of these pretended giants, agree
perfectly well with the appearance of the moun-
taineers of Chili. What confirms me in my opinion
is, that their language, from the specimens of it
which those navigators have given, is the Chilian ;
I have elsewhere showed that the Chilian language
does not extend beyond the limits mentioned in the
commencement of this work, besides which, the
Patagonian contains a great number of Spanish
words, which proves fully a communication be-

235

tween the two nations. The usual height of these
inhabitants of the mountains is five feet seven
inches ; the tallest that I have seen did not exceed
six feet three inches ; but what makes them ap-
pear much larger is the enormous size of their limbs,
which do not appear to be adapted to their height,
except the hands and feet, which, in proportion
to the rest, are very small. The tout ensemble of
their countenances is not bad ; they have usually a
round face, a nose rather large, very sprightly eyes,
remarkably white teeth, black and coarse hair, and
some of them wear whiskers. They have generally
a browner complexion than the other Chilians, from
their being constantly in the open air.

The dress of those who live in the western vallies
of the Andes, consists of various kinds of woollen
cloth ; but those who inhabit the eastern, or the true
Patagonians, cover themselves with the skins of
guanacos and other wild animals. Some of them
wear the poncho of the Araucanians, which is a kind
of cloak of an oblong form, with a hole in the middle
to put the head through. The Pehuelques, who oc-
cupy the southern Andes, wear a leathern hat, deco-
rated with feathers ; they paint their bodies and faces
of various colours, particularly their eyelids. The
women, who are all of a lofty stature, dress much
like the men, except that instead of breeches they
wear a small apron.

All these people live under tents made of skins,
which they easily transport from one place to ano-
ther, whither they remove for the convenience of pas-

256

turage. They are divided into several tribes, each
of which has its particular chief, to whom they
give the name of Ulman ; like the other Chilians they
are idolaters. Their language is every where the
same, except that the eastern tribes have rather a
guttural pronunciation. These people are almost
constantly during the day on horseback ; their saddles
are made like the pack-saddles of our asses, the
bridle is a leather string, the bit, stirrups and spurs
are of wood, but notwithstanding the rudeness of this
equipage they are good horsemen, and almost always
ride upon the full gallop, followed by a great num-
ber of dogs who are trained to hold the horse by
the bits when the rider alights. The eastern Chili-
ans have no horses that exceed the middle size, pro-
bably from their riding them when very young, and
allowing them too little rest. Although they are not
in want of cattle for food, they prefer game to any
thing else ; and they are almost always to be seen in
chase of the guanaco or the ostrich, in the vast plains
that extend from the north of Plata to the eastern
part of the straits of Magellan. The weapon which
they employ in hunting and in war is the laqui, of
which I have already spoken. It was with this that
they killed forty Spaniards in a skirmish at Saint
Luis della Punta, in 1767. These mountaineers
sometimes attack the caravans which pass from
Buenos Ayres to Chili, and frequently the country
houses belonging to the capital.

Between the southern boundaries of Chili and the
straits of Magellan there are no nations except the
Pojas and the Caucaus. The Pojas are of a gigantic

237

stature, but their language is entirely different from
that of the Chilians, and they never approach their
territories. The Caucaus are of a middle stature,
and their language is also very different from the
Chilians ; these last dress themselves in garments
made of the skins of sea- wolves.

The above sketch will serve to give some idea of
the inhabitants of Chili; but in my second part, which
I intend publishing shortly, containing the civil histo-
ry of those people, I shall treat more fully of their
manners and customs as well as of their military
expeditions.

MAMMALIA.

BRUT A. — Dasipus quadricinctus cingulis quatuor, pedibus pen-
tadactylis.

Dasipus octocinctus cingulis octo, palmis tetradactylis, plantis
pentadactylis.

Dasipus undecimcinctus cingulis undecim, palmis tetradactylis,
plantis pentadactylis.

Dasipus octodecimcinctus cingulis duodeviginti, palmis tetradac-
tylis, plantis pentadactylis.

Ferae. — Phoca Lufiina capite subauriculato, palmis tetradactylis.
Phoca Porcina capite auriculato, rostro truncate- prominente.
Phoca Elefihantina capite antice cristate-.
Phoca Leonina capite postice jubato.

Canis Culfiams cauda recta elongata, apice concolore ]<evi.
Felis Puma cauda elongata, corpore cinereo subtus albicante.
Felis Guigna cauda elongata, corpore maculis omnibus orbiculatis.
Felis Colocola cauda elongata, corpore albo maculis irreg. atris,

stavisque.
Viverra Chinga atro caerulea, maculis quinque dorsualibus rotun-

dis albis.
Mustela Felina plantis palmatis pilosis, cauda tereti elongata.
Mustela Cuja pedibus fissis, corpore atro labio superiore sub-

truncato.
Mustela Quiqui pedibus fissis, corpore fusco, rostro cuneiformi.

Glires. — Lepus Viscacia cauda elongata setosa.

Lepus Minimus cauda brevissima, auriculis pilosis concoloribus,

240

Castor Huidobrius cauda longa compresSo-lanceolata, palmis lo-

batis, plantis palmatis.
Mus Cyanus cauda mediocri subpilosa, palmis 4-dactylis, plantis

5-dactylis, corpore ceruleo subtus albido.
Mus Laniger cauda mediocri, palmis 4-dactylis, plantis 5-dactylis,

corpore cinereo lanato.
Mus Maulinus cauda mediocri pilosa, auriculis acuminatis, pedi-

bus pentadactylis.
Mus Coyfius cauda mediocri subcompressa pilosa, plantis palmatis.
Sciurus Degus fusco-stavescens, linea humerali nigra.

Pecora. — Camelus Huanacus corpore piloso, dorso gibbo, cauda

erecta.
Camelus Vicugna corpore lanato, vostro simo obtuso, cauda erecta.
Camelus Araucanus corpore lanato, rostro superne curvo, cauda

pendula.
Capra Puda cornibus teretibus laevibus, divergentibus, gula im-

berbi.

BeLluae. — Equus Bhulcus pedibus bisukis.

AVES.
A ccipitre s.-~Vultur Jota niger vemigibus fuscis, rostro cine-

raceo.
Vultur Gryfihus maximus, caruncula verticali longitudine capitis,

gula nuda.
Falco Tharus cera, pcdibusque luteis, corpore albo-nigrescente,

vertice cristato.
Strix Cunicularia capite laevi, corpore supra fusco, subtus albo,

pedibus tuberculatis pilosis.

PlCAE. — Psittacus Jaguilma macrourus viridis, remigibus apice

fuscis, orbitisfulvis.
Psittacus Cyanalysios brachiurus luteo-virens, collari caeruleo,

uropygio rubro.
Psittacus Chorus brachyurus viridis, subtus cinereus orbitis in-

carnatis.
Picus Lignarius pileo coccineo, corpore albo, caeruleoque vittato.
Picus Pitius cauda brevi, corpore fusco maculis ovalibus albis

guttato.
Trochilus Cyanocefihalus rectirostris capite remigibus, recti ici-

busque cacruleis, abdcmine rubro.

241

Trochilus Galeritiis curvirostris viridi-aureus, remigibus, rectri'ci-

busque fuscis, crista purpurea.
Trochilus Minimus rectirostris, rectricibus lateralibus margins

exteriore albis, corpore viridi nitente, subtus albiro.

An seres. — Anas Melancorypha rostro semicylindrico rubro,

capite nigro, corpore albo.
Anas Hybrida rostro semicylindrico, cera rubra, Cauda acuti-

uscula
Anas Regia caruncula compressa frontali corpore caeruleo subtus

fusco, collari albo.
Diomedea Chilensis alis impennibus, pedibus compedibus trydac-

tylis, digitis omnibus connexis.
Diomedea Chilensis alis impennibus, pedibus compedibus tetradac-

tylis palmatis, corpore lanuginoso cinereo.
Pelecanus Thagus cauda rotunda, rostro serrato, gula saccata.

Grallae.— Phaenicopterus Chilensis ruber, remigibus albis.

Ardea Erythrocephala crista dependente rubra, corpore albo.

Ardea Galatea occipite subcristato, corpore lacteolo, rostro luteo
pedibus coccineis.

Ardea Cyanocefihala vertice cristato caeruleo, remigibus nigris
albo marginatis.

Ardea Thula occipite cristato concolore, corpore albo.

Tantalus Pillus facie, rostro, pedibusque fuscis, corpore albo, re
migibus rectricibusque nigris.

Parra Chilensis unguibus modicis, pedibus fuscis occipite subcris-
tato.

Otis Chilensis capite, juguloque laevi, corpore albo, vertice rectri
cibusque cinereis, remigibus primor. nigris.

Struthio Rea, pedibus tridactylis, digito postico l-otundato mutico.

Passeres. — Columba Melancofitera cauda cuneata, corpore

caerulescente, remigibus nigris
Sturnus Loyca fusco, alboque maculatus, pectore coccineo.
Turdus Thilius ater, axillisluteis, cauda cuneata.
Turdus Thenca fusco-cinereus, subtus pallido-cinereus remigibus

rectricibusque apice albis.
Turdus Curaeus ater nitens, rostro substriato cauda cuneata.
Fringilla Barbata lutea, alis viridibus nigro rubroque maculati?-

gula barbata.
Fringilla Diuca caerulea, gula alba.
K k

242

Pltitotoma (gen. nov.) rostrum conicum, rectum, serratum.

Nares ovatae.
1 Phitotoma Rara.

Lingua brevis obtusa.

AMPHIBIA.
Reptilia. — Rana Arunco corpore verrucoso, pedibus palmatis.
Rana Lutea corpore verrucoso Iuteo pedibus subpalmatis.
Lacerta Palluma cauda verticillata longiuscula, squamis rhom-

boideis.
Lacerta Aquatica Nigra, (caudiverbera) cauda depresso-plana,

pinnatifida, pedibus palmatis.
Nantes. — Chimsra Callorinchus rostro subtuslabroinflexoloevi.
Squalus Fernandinus pinna ani nulla, dorsalibus spinosis, corpore

tereti ocellato.

PISCES.

Apodes — Stromateus Cumarca dorso caeruleo, abdomine albo.
Thoracici. — Chaetodon Aureus cauda integra, spinis dorsalibus

11, corpore aureo, fasciis 5 discoloribus distincto.
Sparus C/iilensis cauda bifida, lineis utrinque transversis fuscis.
Abdominales — Silurus Luvur pinna dorsali postica adiposa, cir-

ris 4, cauda lanceolata.
Esox Chilensis maxillis aequalibus, linea laterali caerulea.
Mugil Chilensis dorso monopterygio.
Cyprinus Regius pinna ani radiis 11, dorsali longitudinal!.
Cyprinus Caucus pinna ani radiis 13, corpore tuberoso argenteolo.
Cyprinus Malchus pinna ani radiis 8, corpore conico subcaeruleo,
Cyprinus lulus pinna ani radiis 10, caudae lobatae.

INSECTA.

Coleoptera— Lucanus Pilmus exscutellatus ater, corpore de-

presso, thorace striate
Chrysomela Maulica ovata aurata, antennis caeruleis.
Lepidopter a.— Papilio Leucothea D. alis integerrimis rotundatis

albis concoloribus, antennis, aterrimis.
Papilio Psittacus N. alis dentatis virescentibus, luteo caeruleoque

maculatis, subtus fiavis.
Phalaena Ceraria B. elinguis, alis deflexis flavescentibus, fasciis

nigris.

243

Hymenoptera. — Cynips Rosmari?ii Chilensis.
Tipula Moschifera alis incunibentibus cinereis, thorace, abdomi
neque flavis.

Apteka. — Aranea Scrofa abdomine semiorbiculato fusco,*denti-

bua laniariis inferioribus exsertis.
Scorpio Chilensis pectinibus 16 dentatis, manibus subangulatis.
Cancer Talicuna brachyurus thorace orbiculato laevi integer rim i,

chelis muricatis.
Cancer Xaiva brachyurus, thorace laevi lateribus tridentato,

fronte truncata.
Cancer Aftancora brachyurus, thorace laevi ovato ufrrinque den-

ticulato, cauda trigona.
Cancer Setosus brachyurus, thorace hirsuto obcordato tuberculato,

rostro bifido inflexo.
Cancer Santolla brachyurus, thorace aculeate arcuato subcoriaceo,

manibus pelliculatis.
Cancer Coronatus brachyurus, thorace obovato, apophyci dorsali

crenata.
Cancer Cementarius rnacrourus, thoraci laevi cylindrico, rostro

obtuso, chelis aculeatis.

VERMES.

Mollusc a. — Pyura {gen. nov.) Corpus conicum nidulans : Pro-
boscides binae terminales perforatae. Oculi inter proboscides.

1. Pyura Chilensis.

Sepia Unguiculata corpore ecaudato, brachiis unguiculatis.

Sepia Tunicata corpore prorsus vaginante, cauda alata.

Sepia Hexafiodia corpore caudato segmentate

Echinus Albus hemisphaerico globosus, ambulacris denis : areis
longitudinaliter verrucosis.

Echinus Niger ovatus, ambulacris quinis : areis muricatis verru-
cosis.

Testacea. — Lepas Psktacus testa postice adunca, sexvalvi>

rugosa.
Pholas Chiloensis testa oblonga depressiuscula, striis longitudi-

nalibus distantibus.
Solen Macha testa ovali oblonga antice truncata, cardine altero

bidentato.
Chama Thaca subrotunda longitudinaliter striata, ano retuso.
Mytilus Ater testa sulcata postice squamosa.

244

Murex Locus testa ecaudata obovata antice nodosa, apertura

edcntula suborbiculata.
Helix Serpentina testa subcarinata imperforata conica, longitudi-

naliter striata, apertura patulomarginata.

REGNUM VEGETABILE.

DIANDRIA.

Monogynia. — Rosmarinus Chilensis foliis petiolatis.

Maytenus {gen. nov.) Cor. 1 peteia campanulata. Cal. 1-phyilus.

Caps. 1 sperma.
1 Maytenus Boaria.

TRIANDRIA.

Monogynia.— Scirpus Ellychniarius culmo tereti nudo, spicis
globosis quaternis.

Dyginia.— Arundo Rngi calyc. trifloris, foliis subulatis glabris.
Arundo Quila calyc. trifloris, foliis ensiformibus serratis.
Arundo Valdiviana calyc trifloris, foliis subulatis pubescentibus.

TETRANDRIA.

Monogynia. — Rubia Chilensis foliis annuis, caule subrotundo

laevi.
Corpus Chilensis arborea, cymis nudis, foliis cordatis dentatis.

PENTANDRIA.

Monogynia.— Nicotiana Minima foliis sessilibus ovatis, floribua

obtusis.
Solanum Cart caule inermi herb. fol. pinnatis integ. nect. campa-

nulato subaequante petala.

Digynia. — Herniaria Payco foliis serratis.

Solsola Coquimbana fruticosa, caul, aphyllis, calyc. succulentia

diaphanis.
Gentiana Cachanlahuen Cor. quinquefidis infundib. ramis oppositis

patulis.
Heracleum Tuberosum fol. pinnatis, foliolis septenis, fior. radiatis.
Scandix Chilensis semin. rostro longissimo, foliolis integris ovato-

lanceolatis.

Trigynia.-— Quifichamalium {gen. nov.) cal. 5-fidus. Cor.5-fida.
Caps. 3-loculatis poly sperma.
Quinchamalium Chilense.

245

Pentagynia. — Linum Aquilinwn fol. alternis lanceolatis, pedun-
culis bifloris.

HEXANDRIA.

Monogynia.— -Peumus {gen. n<rv.) Cal. 6-fidus. Cor. 6-petala,
Drupa 1-sperma.

1 Peumus Rubra fol. alternis, petiolatis, ovalibus, integerrimis.

2 Peumus Alba fol. alternis, petiolatis, ovalibus, dentatis.

3 Peumus Mammosa fol. alternis, sessilibus, cordatis, integerrimis,

4 Peumus Boldus fol. oppositis, petiolatis, ovalibus, subtus villosis.
Puya {gen. nov.) Petala 6. insequalia, tribus major, fornicatis.

Cap. 3-locularis.
1 Puya Chilensis.

OCTANBRIA.

Monogynia.— Sassia {gen.nov.) cal. 4-phyllus. Cor. 4. petala.
Caps. 2-locularis, 2-sperma.

1 Sassia Tinctoria fol. ovatis, scapo multifloro.

2 Sassia Perdicaria fol. cordatis, scapo unifloro.

ENNEANDRIA.

Monogynia. — Laurus Caustica fol. ovalibus rugssis, perennan-

tibus, flor. quadrifidis.
Panke {gen. nov.) cal. 4-fidus. Cor. 4-fida. Caps. 1-sperma.

1. Panke Tinctoria caule erecto racemifero.

2. Panke Acaulis racemo acauli.

Plegorhiza {gen. nov.) cal. 6. Cor. 1-petala. Caps. 1-locularis,

1-sperma.
1. Plegorhiza Gauicuru.

DECANDRIA.
Monogynia.— Hippomanica {gen. nov.) cal. 5-partitus. Petala

5-ovata. Caps. 4-locularis.
1. Hippomanica Insana.

Digynia.— Thuraria {gen.nov.) Cor. 1-petala. Calyc. tubulosua.

Caps. 2-locularis, 2-sperma
1. Thuraria Chilensis.
PENTAGYNiA.—Oxalis Tuberom pedunc. umbelliferis, caule ra-

moso, radice tuberosa.
Oxalis Virgosa scapo multifloro, fol. ternatis ovatis.

246

ICOSANDRTA.

Monogynia. — Cactus Coquimbanus erectus, longus, 1 0-angularis,

angulis obtusis, spinis longissimis rectis.
Myrtus Ugni flor. solitariis, ramis oppositis, foliis ovalibus subses-

silibus.
Myrtus Luma flor. solitariis, fob suborbiculatis.
Myrtus Maxima pedunc. multifloris, fob alternis subovalibus.

Digynia. — Lucuma (gen. nov.) Cab 4-fidus duplicatus. Cor. 6.
Drupa 1-seu 2-sperma.

1. Lucuma Bifera fob alternis, petiolatis, ovato oblongis.

2. Lucuma Turbinata fob alternis, petiolatis, lanceolatis.

3. Lucuma Valfiaradis&a fob oppositis, petiolatis, ovato-oblongis.

4. Lucuma Keule fob alternis, petiolatis, ovalibus, subserratis.

5. Lucuma Sjiinosa fob alternis sessilibus, ramis spinosis.

POLYANDRIA.
Digynia. — Temus (gen. nov.) Cab 3-fidus. Cor. 18-petala. Bacca

dicocca.
1. Temus JMoschata.

DIDYNAMIA.

Gymnospermia. — Ocymum Salinum fob ovatis glabris, caule
geniculate

Angiospermia. — Gevuina (gen. nov.) cab 6. Cor. 4-petala.

Caps. 1-locularis coriacea.
1. Gevuina Avellana.

MONADELPHIA.

Decandria.— Crinodendron (gen. nov.) Monogynia. Caps. 3-go-

na sperma.
1. Crinodendron Patagua.

DIADELPHIA.
Decandria.— Phaseolus Pallar caule volubili, leg. pendulis, cy-

lindricis, torulosis.
Phaseolus Asellus caule volubili, fob sagittatis, semin. globosis.
Dolichos Funarius volubili caule perenni, legum. pendulis penta-

spermis, fob ovalibus utrinque glabris.
Psoralea Lutea fob ternatis fasciculatis, foliolis ovatis rugosis, spic.

pedunculatisi.

247

POLYADELPHIA.

Icosandria. — Citrus Chiknsis fol. sessilibus acuminatia,

SYNGENESIA.

Polyg. ./Equal. — Eupatorium Chilense fol. oppositis amplexj*
caulibus, lanceolatis, denticulatis, calycis quinquefloris.

Santolina Tinctoria pedunc. uniflor. fol. linearibus integerrimis,
caulibus striatis.

Polyg. Superf — Gnaphalium Viravira herb. fol. decurrentibus,

spatulatis, utrinque toinentosis.
Madia (gen. nov.) Recept. nudum, pappus nullus : cal. 8-phillus :

sem. planoconvexa.

1. Madia Sativa fol. lineari lanceolatis, petiolatis.

2. Madia Mellosa fol. amplexicaulibus lanceolatis.

Polyg. Frustr.— Helianthus Thurifer caule fructicoso, fol. line
ari-lanceolatis.

MONOECIA.

Triandria. — Zea Curagua foliis denticulatis.

Polyandria.— Colliguaja {gen. nov.) Masc. Cal. 4-fidus, cor. 6-
Stam. 8.
Fem, Cal. 4-fidus. Cor.d. Styli 3-Caps. angularis, 3-sperma.
I, Colliguaja Odorifera.
Quillaja (gen. nov.) Masc. Cal. 4-phyllus. Cor. 6. Stam. 12.

Fem. Cal. 4-phyllus. Cor. d. Styli 4-Caps. 4-locularis. Sem.
solitaria.
1. Quillaja Safionaria.

Adelphia. — Pinus Cufiressoidea fol. imbricatis acutis.

Pinus Araucana fol. turbinatis imbricatis hinc mucronatis, ramis

quaternis cruciatis.
SYNGENEsiA.-^Cucurbita Siceraria fol. angulato sublobatis to-

mentosis, pomis lignosis globosis.
Cucurbita Mammeata fol. multipartitis, pomis spharoideis raam-

mosis.

DIOECIA.

Diandria— Salix Chilensis fol. integerrimis glabris, lanceolatis,
acuminatis.

Dec andria.— Schinus Huygan fol. pinnatis : foliolis serratis peti-
olatis, impari brevissimo.

248

POLYGAMIA.

Monoecia. — Mimosa Balsamica inermis fol. bipinnatis, partial!-;

bus 6-jugis subdenticulatis, flor. octandris.
Mimosa Cavenia spinis stipularibus patentibus, fol. bipinnatis, spi-

cis globosis verticillatis sessilibus.

Trioecia. — Ceratonia Chilensis fol. ovalibus cai'inatis, ramis
spinosis.

PALM.E.
Cocos Chilensis inermis, frond, pinnatis, foliol. complicatis ensifor-
mibus, spadicibus quaternis.

REGNUM LAPIDEUM.

PETR-E.

Calcaria. — Gypsum Vulcanicum particulis indeterminatis cae
rulescens.

Argillaceje. — Mica Variegata membranacea fissilis, fiexilis,

pellucida, variegata.

Aggregate. — Saxum Chillense impalpabile, luteum, maculis
spatosis rubris caeruleisque.

Sulphura.

MINERiE.
-Bitumen Andinum tenax ex atro caerulescens.

Metalla. — Cuprum Campanile mineralisatum staanosum cine-

reum.
Cuprum Laxense zinco naturaliter mixtum.

FOSSILIA.

Terrje. — Arena Cyanea ferri micans caerulea.
Arena Talcensis ferruginea in aqua durescens.
Argilla Bucarina fusca, luteo-punctata, odorifera.
Argilla Maulica nivea, lubrica, atomis nitidis.
Argilla Subdola atra, aquosa, tenacissima.
Argilla Rovia aterrima, tinctoria.
Calx Vulcania solubilis, pulvereo-granulata.

A SUPPLEMENT

TO THE

TABLE OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM,

CONTAINING SEVERAL SPECIES NOT INCLUDED THEREIN,
AND DESCRIBED OR MENTIONED IN THIS WORK.

Page 91 — Chenopodium folio sinuato, saturate virenti, vulgo Qui-

nua. Feuille.
Page 92 — Oxalis roseo fiore erectior, vulgo Culle. Feuille.
Page 93 — Fragraria (Chilensis) fructu maximo, foliis carnosis

hirsutis
Page 96 — Bermudiana bulbosa, fiore refiexo coeruleo. Feuille.
Alstroemeria (Ligta) caule ascendente. Hemerocallis fioribus

striatis. Feuille.
Page 105 — Tithymalus fol. trinerviis et cordatis, vulgo Pichoa.

Feuille.
Polygala ccerulea angustis et densioribus foliis. Clinclin. Feuille.
Gramen bromoides catharticum. Guilno. Feuille.
Virga aurea leucoi folio incano. Diuca-lahuen. Feuille.
Lichnidea verbence tenui folice, folio. Sandia-lahuen. Feuille.
Geranium columbinum, corecore. Feuille.

Page 106 — Jacobcea leucantherai vulgaris folio, Gnilgue. Feuille
Page 108 — Bochi liliaceo, amplissimoque, fiore carmesino. Copiu,

Feuille.
Page 109 — Urceolaria foliis carnosis scandens. Feuille.
Coriaria (ruscifolia) fol.cordato-ovatissessilibus. Deu.
Lonicera (corymbosa) corymbis terminalibus, fol. ovAtis, acutis.

Uthiu.
Poinciana spinosa, vulgo Tara. Feuille.
Pseudo-acacia foliis mucronatis, fiore luteo, Mayu. Feuille.

* It having been found difficult from the imperfect descriptions
of several of these species to arrange them under their proper
classes and orders, this collocation has been adopted inpreference
to any other Amer. Trans.

Vol. I. L 1

250

Page 113— Psoralea glandulosa, fol. omnibus ternatis, foliolis ova-
to-lanceolatis, spic. pedunculatis, vulgo Cullen.

Page 114— Cestrum nocturnum fioribus pedunculatis, vulgo Pal-
qui*.

Arbuscula 8-pedalis. Caules plurimi, fistulosi, erecti, teretes, acu-
leati, superne dichotomi. Folia alterna, petiolata, oblonga,
integra, venosa, carnosa, 4-pollicarea. Flores corymbosi pe-
dunculati. Calyx 5-fidus. Corolla brevior. Corolla mono-
petala, infundibuliformis, limbo piano 5-partito, flavescens.
Bucca ovalis violacea.

Page 117^-Datura arborea, pericarp ; glabris inermibus nutanti-
bus, caule arboreo. Floripondio.

Page 118— Boiglie cinamomifera olivse fructu. Fenille.

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES,

ILLUSTRATIVE OF

THE HISTORY OF CHILI,

EXTRACTED FHOM AN ANONYMOUS WORK, ENTITLED,
COMPENDIUM OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL, NATURAL,
AND CIVIL HISTORY OF CHILI, PRINTED
IN BOLOGNA, 1776.

THE Spaniards have divided that part of Chili belonging to
them, between the Andes and sea, into fourteen provinces, to
which may be added the Archipelago of Chiloe, the islands of
Juan Fernandez, and the province of Cujo. Each of these, ex-
cepting Valdivia and the islands of Juan Fernandez, is the re-
sidence of a prefect called the Corregidor, who presides over the
civil and military officers of his department, and on whom the
Cabildo, or magistrate, is dependant. These provinces, commen-
mencing on the side of Peru, are :

1st. COPIAPO.

THIS province is bounded on the North by the desarts of Peru,
on the East by the Andes, on the South by Coquimbo, and on the
West by the Pacifick Ocean. It is in length from North to South
about one hundred leagues, and in breadth from East to West
forty-four. It is watered by the rivers Salado, Copiapo, from
whence it derives its name, Castagno, Totoral, Quebradaponda,
Guasco and Chollai. It abounds with gold, lapis lazuli, sulphur,
and fossile salt, which is found in almost all the mountains that
terminate it to the East. Its capital, of the same name, is situated
upon the river Copiapo, in 26. deg. 50. min. S. latitude, and 305. 5.
W. longitude. It contains a parish, a convent of Mercedarii, and
a college which formerly belonged to the Jesuits. On the river
Guasco are situated the towns of Santa Rosa and Guascoalto, both
in 29 deg. of latitude, the first at four leagues distance from the
sea, and the second in the neighbourhood of the Andes. This
province has two ports, one at the mouth of the river Copiapo, and
the other at that of the Guasco, which are known by the names of
those rivers.

252

2d. COQUIMBO.

COQUIMBO, bounded on the North by Cqpiapo, on the East
by the Andes, on the South East by Aconcagua, on the South
West by Qnillota, and on the West by the sea, is forty-five leagues
in length, and forty in breadth. Its rivers are the Coquimbo,
Tongoi, Limari and Chuapa. It is rich in gold, copper, iron, wine,
olives, and other fruits, both those of European origin, and such as
are natural to the country. Its capital is Coquimbo, otherwise
called la Serena, which was founded in the year 1544, by Pedro de
Valdivia. This city is the residence of several noble and ancient
families ; it is pleasantly situated upon the river Coquimbo, in 29.
deg. 49. min. of latitude and 304. 22. of longitude. The fields
around it are in a constant state of verdure, though it seldom
rains there, and the temperature of the air is very mild. It has
been several times taken and plundered by the English. Besides
the parochial church, it contains several convents of monks of dif-
ferent orders, and a college formerly belonging to the Jesuits,
There are two ports in this province, that of Coquimbo, near the
mouth of the river of that name, at two leagues distance from the
city, where some vessels from Peru load annually ; and that of
Tongoi, towards the confines of Quillota.

3d. QUILLOTA.

THIS province is bounded by that of Coquimbo on the north, on
the east by Aconcagua, on the south by Melipilla, and en the west
by the sea. It is twenty-five leagues in length, and sixteen in
breadth. Its rivers are the Longotoma, Ligua, Aconcagua, and
Limache. This district is one of the most populous and the richest
in gold of any in Chili. Its hemp and honey are much esteemed.
The capital, Quillota, or St. Martin, is situated in a pleasant
valley on the borders of the river Aconcagua, in 32. 56. of latitude,
and 304, 20. of longitude. It has a parish, with the churches of St^
Dominick,St. Francis, St. Augustine, and a college formerly of the
Jesuits. This province contains also the cities of Piazza, Plazilla,
lugenio, Casablanca, and Petrorca. This last is very populous, in
consequence of the great number of miners who resort thither to
work in the gold mines in its vicinity. It is situated on the river
Longotoma, in 31. 30- southla titude, and 305. longitude. Quillota
contains a number of ports, the most considerable of which are
Papudo, Quintiro l'Erradura, Concon, and Valparaiso. The
four first are not frequented ; Valparaiso, or Valparadiso, the

25S

most commercial port of Chili, from whence all the trade to Spain
and Peru is carried on, is in 33. 2. of latitude, and 304. 11. of
longitude. The harbour is very capacious, and so deep that ships
of the largest size can lie close to the shore. Its convenience for
traffick, and the salubrity of its atmosphere, have rendered it a place
of considerable population. A governor from Spain resides there,
who has the command in the civil and military departments, and
is amenable only to the President of Chili. Besides the college,
which formerly belonged to the Jesuits, Valparaiso contains a parish
church and several convents of monks. Upon the shore which
forms the harbour is a well peopled town, three miles distant
from Valparaiso, called V AlmendraL

4th. ACONCAGUA.

ACONCAGUA is enclosed between the provinces ©f Ccquimbo,
Quillota, Santiago, and the Andes. It is of the same size as Quil-
lota, and is watered by the same rivers. It produces great quan-
tities of grain and fruits, and much copper is procured from its
mountains. The famous silver mines of Uspallata are situated ia
that part of the Andes corresponding to it. Its capital is Aconcagua,
or St. Philip.^ upon the river of the same name in 32. 4S. of latitude,
and 305. 50. of longitude. Besides a parochial church, it contains
several convents of various religious orders, and a house which
belonged to the Jesuits. Near the Andes is a village called Curimon,
where the strict Franciscans have a numerous convent.

5th. MELIPILLA.

MELIPILLA is bounded on the north by Quillota, on the east
by Santiago, on the south by the river Maypo, which divides it
from Rancagua, and on the west by the sea. This province is of
small extent upon the sea, but is about twenty-live leagues from
east to west. Its rivers are the Mapocho and Poangue, and
it abounds with wine and grain. Melipilla, or St. Joseph de Lo-
gronno, situated not far from the Maypo, in 32. 32. of latitude,
and 304. 5. of longitude, is the capital. Although the situation of
this place is beautiful, and the land near it very fertile, yet
from its vicinity to St. Jago, where the greater part of the proprie-
tors reside, it is but thinly peopled. Notwithstanding, besides a parish
church, the Augustines and the Mercedarii have establishments
there, and the Jesuits had also a college. Near the river Mapocho
is the town of St. Francis del Monte,, so called from- an ancient

254

convent of Franciscans, around which a number of poor families
having collected, formed the population of this place. In its
vicinity are several country houses belonging to some of the princi-
pal inhabitants of St. Jago. Not far from the mouth of the river
Maypo is the port of St. Antonio; this was much frequented at an
early perjod of the Spanish settlement, but since the trade
has been transferred to Valparaiso, few or no vessels continue to
load there.

6th. ST. JAGO, OR ST. JACOPO.

THE province of St. Jago is bounded by that of Aconcagua to the
north, the Andes to the east, the river Maypo to the souths and
Melipilla to the west. It is fifteen leagues in extent from east to
west, and twelve from north to south, and is watered by the rivers
Mapocho, Colina, and Zampa, and by several other beautiful
streams. It also contains the lake Pudaguel, which is about three
leagues in length. It is the most fertile of any part of Chili, pro-
ducing great quanties of corn, wine and fruits, particularly peaches
which in size and flavour surpass any others of the country. The
mountains ofCaren abound with mines of gold, and that part of the
Andes which is attached to it with silver. But the chief impor-
tance of this province is derived from its being the seat of the capital
of the kingdom, founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia. This beautiful
city called St. Jago stands on an extensive and delightful plain on the
southern shore of the river Mapocho, which separates it from the
suburbs of Chimba, Cannadilla and Renca. It is supplied with
water by a great number of aqueducts which are carried to all
the houses. On each side of the river mounds of stone have been
built as a security against inundations, and over it is a beautiful
bridge that connects the city with the suburbs, It is situated in 33 deg.
31 min, south latitude, and in 305. 40. longitude, at the distance of
thirty leagues from the sea, and seven from the Andes, whose
lofty snow-clad heights form a beautiful contrast with the verdure
of its scenery. The streets, like those of all the other cities and
villages in Chili, are strait and intersected at right angles, and are
thirty -six geometrical feet in breadth. The great square is quad-
rangular, being four hundred and fifty feet on each side. In the
midst is a handsome fountain of bronze. The north side is occupied
by the palaces of the presidents of the audience and of the city,
beneath which are the public prisons. On the opposite side is the
palace of the Count de Sierra-bella. On the western are the cathe-

25;

clral, and the palace of the Archbishop, and on the eastern three
houses belonging to noblemen. The most remarkable edifices are
the cathedral, the churches of St. Dorainick, and that of the great
college formerly belonging to the Jesuits. The private houses are
handsome and pleasant, but, on account of earthquakes, are usu-
ally of but one story. Besides the suburbs on the other side of the .
river, there is one to the south, called St. Isidore ; it is very large,
and separated from the city by a street four times as broad as
the others, called Cannada. In the eastern part of the city is a
hill, called St. Lucia, which formerly served as a fortress against
the Indians. The inhabitants > amount to forty-six thousand, and
their numbers increase rapidly, in consequence of the great com-
merce of the place, which is very extensive in poportion to its
population, as the houses are in general very commodious. The
parochial churches are but four, the cathedral, St. Anna, St. Isidore,
and Renca. There are, however, several convents of monks, two
Dominican, four Franciscan, tWoAugustin, two of the Mercedarii,
and one belonging to the brothers of Charity with a hospital, be-
sides seven nunneries, a house of correction for women, a foundling
hospital, several private endowments, a college of nobility, which
was under the direction of the Jesuits, and a Tridentine seminary.
The Jesuits had likewise here a house of devotion, and three col-
leges with public schools, wherein were taught the various branches
of learning. St. Jago also contains a royal university, a mint for
coining gold and silver and barracks for the soldiers, who are em-
ployed to maintain the police and as guards to the president, and
is the seat of the grand tribunals of the kingdom. The principal
court is composed of twelve Regidores, or perpetual senators, and
of all the other officers who form the magistracy of the other
cities of the country. It has a numerous nobility, consisting of
several dignities of Castile, grandees, knights of the military or-
ders of Spain, and honorary officers of his Catholick Majesty. Being
the centre of all the commerce of Chili, it abounds with every
convenience of life, and as all kinds of meat, fish and other ar-
ticles of food are obtained from the neighbouring provinces in*
great quantities, provisions are very cheap.

7th. RANCAGUA.

R ANC AGUA is enclosed between the rivers Maypo and Cacha-
poal, and extends from the Andes to the sea. Its breadth between
these rivers is very unequal, being from seventeen to only eight

256

leagues. It is watered by the rivers Codegua, Chccalan, and
several others that are of less importance ; it contains also the
lakes Aculeu and Bucalemu. The first, which is near the centre
of the province, is about six miles in circumference, and the other,
in the neighbourhood of the sea, is from six to seven miles in
length. From another lake, not far from the latter, large quantities
of salt are obtained. The lands of Rancagua are very fertile and
produce much grain. Santa Croce di Trianna, or Rancagua, the
capital, is in 34. deg. of latitude, and 305. 32. longitude. It has a
parish church, a convent of Franciscans, and another of Mercedarii.
Algue, a town recently founded, at eight leagues from the capital
towards the sea coast, has a very rich mine of gold.

8th. CALCHAGUA.

THIS province is situated between the rivers Cachapoal and
Teno, and between the Andes and the sea. Its breadth from north
to south near the Andes is twenty-five leagues, and near the sea
about fourteen. Its rivers are the Rio-clarillo, Tinguiririca, and
Chimbarongo. In it are also the great lakes Taguatagua, and
Caguil, the first of which is full of beautiful islands, and the other
abounds with large clamps, that are highly esteemed. This pro-
vince is very fertile in grain, wine and fruits, and produces much
gold. It forms a part of the district occupied by the Promaucians,
a name, signifying people of delight, derived from the beauty
of the country which they inhabit. The capital is St. Ferdinando,
which was built in the year 1742, not far from the pleasant river'
Tinguiririca in 34. 18. deg. of latitude, and 305. 30. of longitude^
Besides the parish church, it has a convent of Franciscans, and a
college with a handsome church, which belonged to the Jesuits.
The towns of Rio-clarillo, Malloa and Roma, are also situated ia
the same province.

9th. MATJLE.
MAULE is bounded on the north by Caleb agua, on the east by
the Andes, on the south east by Chilian, the south west by Rata,
and on the west by the sea, This province is forty-four leagues
long, and forty broad, and is watered by the rivers Lantue, Rio-
claro, Pangue, Lircai, Huenchullami, Maule from which it de-
rives its name, Putagan, Achiguemu, Longavi, Loncomilla, Pura-
pel and others of inferior consideration. This province, as well as
the preceding, abounds m grain, wine, fruits, gold, salt, cattle, and
sea and river fish. The cheese made here is the best in Chili, and

257

is no way inferior to that of Placentia or Holland. Its inhabitants*
who are mostly the descendants of the ancient Promaucians, are
courageous, robust, and warlike. The capital Talca, or St. Au-
gustin was built in the year 1742. It is situated among hills on the
river Rioclaro, in latitude 34. 47. and 304. 45. of longitude. Its po-
pulation is very considerable, owing, not only to the rich mines of
gold that are found in its mountains, but to the plentifulness of pro-
visions which are cheaper than in any other part of Chili. This
latter circumstance has induced several noble families from St.
Jago and Conception, whose finances had become diminished, to re-
tire thither ; an emigration which has been denominated in deri-
sion the bankrupt colony. It contains a parish with convents of
monks of the Franciscan, Dominican, Augustin and Mercedarii
orders, and a college that belonged to the Jesuits. In this province
are also the towns of Cui-ico, Cauquenes, St. Saverio di Eella-Isla,
St. Antonio della Florida, Lora, and three or four other Indian vil-
lages. Curico, or St. Joseph of Bueno Vista, was built in the year
1742, and is situated in a pleasant plain at the foot of a beautiful
hill, in 34. 14. degrees of latitude, and 305 degrees of longitude. It
contains a parish church, a convent of Mercedarii and another of
strict Franciscans which is very large. Cauquenes, was built the
same year, and lies in 35. 40. degrees of latitude, and in 304. 30. of lon-
gitude, between the two small rivers Tutuben and Cauquenes. Be-
sides the parish church, it has a convent of Franciscans. St. Save-
rio di Bella Isla and St. Antonio della Florida, were founded in
the year 1755 ; the first is in 35. 4. degrees of latitude and 304. 59.
of longitude, and the second in 35. 20. of latitude, and 304. 41. of
longitude. Laro, situate near the disemboguement of the i-iver
Mataquito, is a numerous settlement of Promaucian Indians, and
is governed by a Cacique or Ulmen.

10th. IT AT A.

THE province of Itata lies upon the sea coast, between Maule
and Puchacay, and is bounded on the east by Chilian. From east
to west it is twenty leagues in length, and from north to south eleven,
and is intersected by the river Itata, from whence it derives its
name. The best wine of any in Chili is obtained from this pro-
vince, which from its being produced from lands belonging to the in-
habitants of Conception, has received the name of Conception
wine. Much gold is also found in the mountains, and in the sands
of the rivers. Its capital, Jesus of Coulemu, is situated near the

Vol. I. M m

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258

month of the river Itata, in 36. 2. degrees of latitude, and 305. 41.
of longitude, and was founded in the year 1743.

11th. CHILL AN.

CHILLAN is bounded on the north by Maule, on the east by the
Andes, on the south by Huiiquilemu, and on the west by the pro-
vince of Itata. It is of the same extent as the preceding, and is
watered by the rivers Nuble, Cato, Chilian, Diguillin, and Danni-
calquin. This whole district is a plain, and very favourable to the
raising of sheep, which are highly esteemed for their wool through-
out the kingdom. Corn and fruits are also produced there in great
quantities. The capital is called St. Bartholomew of Chilian. It
was founded in the year 1580, and is situated on the river Chilian,
in 36 degrees of latitude, and 305. 2. of longitude. It has been
destroyed several times by the Araucanians, and in the year 1751
was overthrown by an earthquake. In consequence of this acci-
dent, the inhabitants transferred it the succeeding year to a more
commodious site and one less exposed to the inundations of the
river. This city is well peopled, notwithstanding which it con-
tains but one parish church, with convents of the Franciscan, Do-
minican and Mercedarii orders, and a college which belonged to
the Jesuits.

12th. PUCHACAY.

PUCHAC AY is bounded on the north by the province of Itata,
on the east by Huiiquilemu, on the south by the river Bio-bio, and
on the west by the sea. From north to south it is twelve leagues
in extent, and twenty from east to west. It is irrigated by the
river Andalien and several other small streams. It produces gold
dust in abundance, and also great quantities of straw-berries both
wild and cultivated, which are the largest in Chili. Gualqui, or
St. John the Baptist, founded in the year 1754, upon the northern
shore of the river Bio-bio, in 36. 44. degrees of latitude, and 304.
48. of longitude, is properly the capital, and the residence of the
Prefect or Corregidor. This province comprehends the Prefec-
turate of Conception, which extends a little beyond the city of that
name.

Conception, called in the language of the country Ponco> was
founded, by Pedro di Valdivia, in a dell, or valley, formed on the
sea coast by some beautiful hills, iu latitude 36.42. and longitude

259

303. 23. This city is the second in the kingdom. At its commence-
ment it flourished greatly, from the vast quantities of gold that
were dug in its vicinity ; but after the unfortunate battle of Mar-
riqueno in the year 1554, it was abandoned by Villagran the go-
vernor, and the inhabitants, on the approach of Lautaro, the Arau-
canian general, and by him taken and burned. It was, however,
rebuilt in the month of November of the following year after a
period of six months, but Lautaro, returning, again rendered him-
self master of it, slew in the assault the greater part of the garri-
son, and razed it to its foundations. Don Garcia de Mendoza, af-
ter his victories over Caupolican, restored it anew and fortified
it strongly. Having successfully resisted the attempt of the Arau-
canians to take it, who besieged it for fifty days, it continued to
flourish in great splendour until the year 1603,. when, with the other
southern cities of the Spaniards, it was taken and burned by the
Toqui Paillamachu. It soon, however, began to rise again from
its ashes, and resume its former lustre, in consequence of the
great commerce which was carried on there ; and becoming more
strong and populous than ever the Araucanians ceased to molest
it. But in the year 1730 a calamity of a new kind assailed it. It
was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake, attended by an
inundation of the sea which ovei-flowed the greater part, and
swept away every thing that it met in its course. Notwithstand-
ing these repeated misfortunes, the inhabitants obstinately re-
solved to persevere, and built it anew in a handsome manner, but
did not enjoy it long, for in the month'of May of the year 1751,
this devoted city was again destroyed by an earthquake and an
influx of the sea, which entirely covered it. They fortunately
escaped and took refuge on the neighbouring hills, but continued for
thirteen years in an unsettled state, not being able to agree among'
themselves in rebuilding the city. At length they resolved to
abandon its former site, and founded a new city, at the distance of
a league from the sea, in a beautiful plain, called Mocha, upon
the northern shore of the Bio-bio. The Prefect, or Corregidor
is at the same time, by the royal decree, commander of the
army, this being the principal place for the rendezvous of the
militia of the country. It has for many years been the residence
of the camp-master-general, and of late that of the serjeant
major. The royal treasury in this place, from whence the sol-
diers of the frontiers, as well as those belonging to the city, are
paid, is confided to the care of a treasurer, a cashier, and an
inspector. The Audienza, or royal council, was first established

260

in Conception in the year 1567, but was afterwards abolished, and
re-established some years after in the capital of St. Jago. The
president is, however, obliged to ieside in this city for six
months, and has a palace in it built at the expense of the go-
vernment. After the destruction of the city of Imperial, in the
year 1603, it was erected into a bishopric. Besides containing
convents of all the religious orders established in Chili, it has one
of the sisters of the Trinity, a college which belonged to the Je-
suits, with public schools, in which were taught the sciences of hu*
manity, philosophy and theology, a college of nobility, which was
likewise under the direction of the Jesuits, and a Tridentine semi-
nary. The inhabitants, in consequence of so many misfortunes,
scarcely amount at present to thirteen thousand. The temperature
of the air is at all seasons very mild ; the soil fertile, and the sea
coast abounds with every kind of fish of the most delicious kinds,
both scaled and testaceous. The harbour, or bay, is spacious, ex-
tending full three leagues and a half from north to south, and as
many from east to west. The Quinquina, a beautiful and fertile
island, situated at its mouth, forms two entrances to it, the east-
ern of which, called Bocca Grande, is two miles wide, and the
western, called Bocca Chica, is but a little more than a mile. The
harbour affords good and safe anchorage for vessels of any bur-
den, especially in a port called Talcaguano, where ships at
present lie, as the new city is not far distant.

13th. HUILQUILEMU.

THE province of Huilquilemu, commonly called Estanzia del
Rei, the royal possession, is situated between Chilian, the Andes,
the river Bio-bio and Puchacay, and is in length and breadth the
same as the preceding. Its rivers are the Itata, Claro, Laxa and
Duqueco. This district is rich in gold dust, and produces an ex-r
cellent muscadel wine. The inhabitants are valiant and warlike,
having been accustomed to fight with their formidable neighbours
the Araucanians. The capital is called Estanzia del Rei, or St.
Lewis cli Ganzaga, and was built not many years since, near the
Bio-bio in 36 deg. 45 minutes of latitude, and 304. 48. of longitude.
Besides the parish church there is an ancient college of the Jesuits
To protect this province from the incursions of the Araucani-
ans, the Spaniards have erected, upon the shore of the Bio-bio
within their territory, the forts of Jumbey Tucapen, St. Barbara
and Puren. Their barrier, however, is situated on the southern

261

bank of that river, and consists of the forts of Arauco, Colcura,
St. Pedro, St. Joanna, Nascimento and Angeles.

14th. VALDIVIA.

THIS province is entirely separated from all the others possess-
ed by the Spaniards in Chili, being situated in the midst of the
country occupied by the Araucanians, which comprehends a tract
of about seventy leagues in length. It lies upon the sea coast, on
both sides of the great river Valdivia, and on the south is bounded
by the Guinchi, or Ciinchi, who are in possession of its southern
part. It is about twelve leagues long and six broad, and abounds
with valuable timber, and with gold dust, esteemed the purest of any
in Chili. Its capital is the famous city, fortress, and port of Valdi-
via, situated on the southern shore of the river of that name, at
three leagues distance from the sea, in 39. 58. degrees of latitude,
and 305. 2. of longitude. This city was founded in the year 1551,
by the conqueror Pedro de Valdivia, who gave it his name, and ob-
tained immense sums of gold from its vicinity. Its wealth allured
many inhabitants thither, and it became, even at its commence-
ment, one of the most populous cities in the kingdom. It was tv/ice
besieged ineffectually by the Toqui Caupolican, but it was not so
fortunate in resisting the talents and activity of the celebrated
Paillamachu. In the year 1599 it was surprised at night by that
general with four thousand men, who killed the greater part of the
garrison, consisting of eight hundred soldiers, and, having burned
the city, carried off a million in gold, and a valuable booty, con-
sisting of the effects of the inhabitants, together with a great num-
ber of prisoners. The Spaniards, convinced of the importance of
this situation, rebuilt it anew, and fortified it so strongly, that it re
sisted all the attempts of the Araucanians. It was, however, ta-
ken in the year 1640 by the Dutch, who, notwithstanding they were
determined to keep it, were compelled to abandon it, being
frustrated in their attempts to form an alliance with the Arauca-
nians and the Cunchi, who even refused to supply them with pro-
visions, of which they were in great want. The Spaniards, who
had fitted out a considerable fleet to retake it, finding it on their
arrival abandoned, repaired and fortified it in a better manner
than before, adding four strong castles or forts upon both sides of
the river towards the sea to defend it from foreign invasion, and
another on the north to protect it from the incursions of the Arau-
canians. These precautions have hitherto succeeded in secuiungit

262

against external enemies, but it has suffered severely from fire*
which has twice almost entirely destroyed it. The harbour is situ-
ated in a beautiful bay formed by the river, and is the safest, the
strongest from its natural position, and the most capacious of any
of the ports in the South Sea. The island of Man zera, situated
just in the mouth of the river, forms two passages, bordered by
steep mountains, and strongly fortified. As this is a post of the
most importance of any in the Pacific, a governor is always sent
from Spain, who possesses reputation as a military officer, and is
under the immediate direction of the president of the kingdom.
He has under his command a considerable number of troops, who
are officered by the five castellans, or commanders of the castles, a
serjeant major, a pi-oveditor, an inspector, and several captains.
For the pay of the soldiers thirty-six thousand crowns are annu-
ally sent hither from the royal treasury of Peru, and the provi-
sions requisite for their subsistence from the other ports of Chili.
The Jesuits had formerly a college here ; there are besides some
convents of Franciscans and of the Brothers of Charity, with a
royal hospital, and the parish church.

THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHILOE

IS a great gulph or bay at the southern extremity of Chili,
scooped out, as it were, in a circular form by the South Sea to the
skirts of the Andes. This gulph extends from latitude 41. 20. to
44. 40. and from longitude 303. to 304. 50. The islands that it
contains amount to forty-seven, of which thirty-two have been
peopled by the Spaniards or Indians, and the remaining are unin-
habited. Among the former there is one that is very large, some
that are of a moderate size, being from twelve to fifteen leagues in
length, but the others are small. The large island, which is cal-
led Chiloe, has in later times communicated its name to the Archi-
pelago, which was formerly known by that of Ancud. This island,
whose western coast runs from north to south, the same course as
that of the continent, is situated in the very mouth of the gulph,
leaving only two passages, one of which, between its northern ex-
tremity and the shore of the continent, is little more than three
miles in breadth ; but the other, between its southern point and the
foot of the Andes, is more than twelve leagues. This island is situ-
ated between the forty-first and a half and the forty -fourth degrees
of latitude, and is about sixty leagues in length, and twenty in its
greatest breadth. The land, like that of all the other islands, is

263

mountainous, and covered -with almost impenetrable thickets. The
rains are excessive, and only in the autumn do the inhabitants en-
joy fifteen or twenty days of fair weather in succession. During
any other season, were eight days to pass without rain, it would be
esteemed a singular phenomenon. The atmosphere, of course, is
very humid, and streams and rivers are to be found in every part.
The air, notwithstanding, is very salubrious, and the temperature
so mild, that it is never known tobe either hot or very cold. Owing
to the great degree of moisture, grain and fruits produce but very
indifferently in these islands ; the corn, however, that is raised there
is sufficient for the supply of the inhabitants. Barley, beans and
flax produce very well. Of kitchen herbs, the cabbage and gai*-
lic are the only ones that grow there. The grape never attains
to maturity, and the same is the case with all other fruits, except
the apple and some wildings. Beef, though not so plenty as in Chili,
is by no means scarce. Horses, though not in such numbers as
on the continent, are yet common, and there is scarcely a per-
son who is not the owner of one or two. Asses die in a short time
after they are transported thither, whence there is not a mule to
be found throughout the whole of the Aixhipelago. The animals
that are met with in the greatest abundance are sheep and hogs,
in which the inhabitants carry on a considerable trade. The wild
animals, natural to the country, are deers, otters, and a species of
black fox. Domestic fowls, as well as wild, are produced there in
great numbers. In addition to these, the benevolent author of na-
ture has, as an indemnity for those things of which they are desti-
tute, provided all these islands with vast quantities of excellent
fish of all kinds. Ambergris of a superior quality is also found
there, and much honey, which is made by the wild bees. Wood is
likewise very plentiful, and of a kind fitted for every sort of man-
ufacture and ship-building.

This Archipelago was first discovered in the year 1558, by Don
Garcia de Mendoza, goveraor of Chili, but no attempt was then
made to conquer it. But in 1565, Don Martino Ruiz Gamboa was
sent there, who, with only sixty men, subjected its inhabitants to
the number of seventy thousand, without experiencing the least re-
sistance, and founded in the principal island, the city of Castro and
the port of Chaca. These Indians, called Chilotes, remained sub-
missive to Spain, until the present century, when they threw off the
yoke, but were soon brought under subjection, through the conduct
of general Don Pedro Molina, who was sent from Conception to
reduce them to obedience. Although descended from the Chilians,

264

whom they resemble in appearance, custom and language, these
people are extremely timid and very docile. They are remarka-
ble for their ingenuity, and readily acquire a knowledge of any
thing to which they apply themselves. There are among them
very expert carpenters, cabinet-makers, and farmers. In the
manufacturing of flax and Wool they display much skill, and make
beautiful bed coverings from these materials mixed with feathers,
and also some cloths, which they embroider with various colours*
They have a strong attachment to a sea life, and become excellent
sailors. Their barks, called piragues, consist of three or four
large planks sewed together, and caulked with a kind of oakum
or moss, collected from a shrub. These are very numerous through-
cut the Archipelago, and are managed with sails and oars, and
voyages are often made in them as far as Conception. The Chi-
lotes educate their sons well, and accustom them to labour at an
early age. When taught, they make a rapid progress in learning.
Some years since* a school was established for them in a village
called Chonchi, into which one hundred and sixty were admitted,
and all of them in the space of a single year were taught to read
and write, the first rules of arithmetic, the doctrines of Christiani-
ty, and the Spanish language. They were easily converted to
Christianity, and they live in such strict regard to its duties,
that the purity of the primitive church appears to be revived in
them. Some tribes of savages, have likewise settled in these
islands, who have been persuaded by the missionaries to leave the
Magellanic districts in order to establish themselves in the Archi-
pelago.

The government is vested in a governor, who is dependant
upon the president of Chili, and resides at Chacao, a Cabildo,
or magistrate, with his Prefect, or Corregidort in the city of
Castro, who have conjunctively cognisance of the private suits
of the Indians, and a commandant in the island of Calbuco,
situated in the northermost part of the Gulph. The Archipelago
is divided into three parishes, dependant upon the diocese of Con-
ception, the bishops of which, except one and a bishop infiartibus,
never go there, because of the danger of the voyage. It contains
seventy-five towns, mostly inhabited by Indians, who are under
the government of their Ulmenes, in each of which, the Jesuits
had a misionary church. The two principal places are Castro and
Chacao.

Castro, the capital of the whole Archipelago, is situated in the
eastern part of the gi-eat island, upon an arm or gulph of the sea,
in, 42. 58. degrees of latitude, and 303. 15. of longitude. The houses,

265

Jike those in all the other islands, are built of wood. The inhabi*
tants, who are not numerous, usually live upon their own possessions*
Besides the parish church and the college, formerly belonging to the
Jesuits, there is a convent of Franciscans, and another of Mer-
cedarii, in which two or three monks reside. The port of Chacao
lies nearly in the middle of the northern coast of the same island,
upon the principal channel, which runs between that shore and the
continent, in 42 degrees of latitude, and 307. 37. of longitude. This
port has good anchorage, and is well defended from the winds, bnt
the entrance is very difficult, oAving in some measure to the currents
and eddies that prevail in the channel, but principally to a rock
that rises in the narrowest part of it, and is not visible except at
ebb. The whole commerce of the Archipelago is carried on from
this port, in four or five ships that come here annually from Peru^
or from the ports on the continent of Chili. This traffic is entirely
conducted by bartering the productions of the country for those
articles that are brought, money being very scarce in these islands*
Upon the arrival of the ships, the Cabildo, or magistrate of Castro,
has the privilege of sending two deputies, to tax the goods brought
in them, and make an estimate of their prices, Which is to regulate
the sale. This trade, by the royal grant, is not subjected to the
duties that are paid in the other ports.

,16th. THE ISLANDS OF JUAN FERNANDEZ.

THESE islands are about one hundred and thirty leagues dis-
tant from the coast of Chili. They are situated in about 32. 42. de-
grees of latitude, and 297. 32. of longitude. The island of Fuera
is about three miles in length ; the land is very high, or rather a steep
mountain, rising abruptly from the sea, having no harbours, or
stations, where ships may remain secure, in consequence of the
great depth of water that surrounds it. This island is full of beauti-
ful trees and streams of good water, according to the informa-
tion of the fishermen, who are in the habit of landing there. The
island of Terra is eleven or twelve miles long by three broad. The
land is principally mountainous, broken, and intersected by ra-
vines, caused by the frequent torrents, and streams which descend
from the mountains. It abounds with excellent wood, amcng
which are the sandal, the yellow wood and the chonta, a species
of the palm, which produces a fruit that is far from unpleasant ;
the wood of the trunk, which is hollow like a reed, becomes of a
beautiful black, and is nearly as hard as iron. Lord Anson repre-
sents this island as a terrestrial paradise, but in reality its soil is

Vol. I. N n

266

infested with worms that destroy every thing. The coast abounds
with lobsters, cod and other fish, and with aquatic animals, in
which its trade, which is very considerable, consists. This island
was first discovered by Juan Fernandez, from whom it received
its name, and who formed a settlement there, and brought over
from the continent some goats that multiplied to an astonishing de-
gree. After his death it was deserted, in which state it continued
for some time, but the Spaniards perceiving of what importance to
them the possession of these islands had become, in 1750 made a
permanent establishment in that of Terra, and settled the port call-
ed Juan Fernandez, on the south-west coast. The president of Chili
appoints its governor, who is usually one of the commanders upon
the Araucanian frontier. Besides the port of Juan Fernandez,
there is another, lying towards the south, called the English harbour,,
from the circumstance of Lord Anson's squadron having anchored
there, but it is insecure, being too much exposed to the winds.

irth. CUJO.
ALTHOUGH Cujo is not strictly within the limits of Chili, yet
as it is dependant upon the presidency of that kingdom, it will
not be improper to take a brief notice of it in this account. It is
bounded on the north by Tucuman, on the east by the Pampas, or
deserts of Buenos Ayres, on the south by Patagonia, and on the
west by the Andes, which separate it from Chili. Its length from
east to west is one hundred and eleven leagues, and its breadth
from north to south about one hundred and ten, being compre-
hended between the 29th and 35th degrees of latitude. In its
temperature, as well as in the greater part of its productions, this
province differs materially from Chili. The winter, although it is
there the dry season, is very cold ; in the summer the heat is
excessive as well during the night as the day, and storms of thun-
der and hail are very frequent. In the western part of the pro-
vince these storms commonly rise and disperse in the space of
half an hour, and the heat of the sun, bursting with increased
radiance from the clouds, in a few minutes dries up the moisture.
In consequence of this sudden exsiccation the land, if not watered
by artificial means, becomes arid, and will bear neither grass nor
trees, but when irrigated by canals it produces almost every ve-
getable in astonishing abundance. The fruits and grains of Europe
thrive there extremely well, and come to maturity a month earlier
than in Chili, and the wines are rich and of an excellent body.

267

This province is intersected by three rivers from the Andes,
that of St. Juan, and those of Mendoza and Tunujan.' The two
first receive their names from the cities that they lave, and after a
course of from twenty-five to thirty leagues become stationary and
form the celebrated lakes of Guanasache, which extend more than
fifty leagues from north to south ; and, at length, through a channel
that receives the river Tunujan, lose themselves in the Pampas.
These lakes abound with excellent trout and king-fish, and all the
salt that is used in Cujo is obtained from them. The eastern part of
this province, called la Punta, presents an appearance entirely
different from the rest, and is watered by the rivers Contara and
Quinto, and by several other streams. The plains are covered
with beautiful trees, and the herbage grows to such a height, as in
many places to conceal the horses ; but thunder storms are more
violent than in any other part of Cujo, and continue for hours
accompanied with immoderate rain. -

Of the trees of Cujo, one of the most remarkable is that called
Palma, from its resembling, in its branches and fruit, the palm of
Chili ; it differs, however, in its height, which never exceeds
eighteen feet, and in the manner of putting forth its branches,
which are so near the ground as to prevent the trunk from being
seen. Its leaves are hard and terminate in a point as sharp as that
of a sword. The fruit, though similar in appearance to the cocoa-
nut, contains no kernel or substance that is edible, but merely a
few round hard seeds. The most singular part of this tree is the
stem, or trunk, which is very large. The outer bark is blackish
and is easily detached, this is succeeded by five or six interior
layers, of so perfect a texture that they appear as if wrought in a
loom. The first is of a yellowish colour and of the consistency of
sail cloth ; the others regularly decrease in thickness and become
gradually whiter to the innermost, which is as fine and white as
cambric, but of a looser texture. The thread of these cloths is
strong and flexible, but not so soft to the touch as that of flax. Cujo
also contains great quantities of the Opuntia, a species of Cactus
that furnishes the cochineal. The natives have a practice of
stringing these insects upon a thread with a needle, which commu-
nicates to them a blacki-h tint. This plant produces a woolly
fruit of the size of a peach, of a glutinous substance, containing a
great quantity of seeds. It is sweet and well flavoured, and is
easily preserved by cutting it into slices and drying them in the
sun. The tree that produces the Greek or Turkey bean, is common
throughout the province ; it is of four kinds, two of which are

268

good eating ; of the others, one is used as provender for horses,
and the other in making ink. Among the plants of Cujo, is
one that is very singular ; it is called the fewer of the air, from
its having no root nor ever being fixed to the earth. Its native
situation is an arid rock or a dry tree around which it entwines
itself. This plant consists of a single shoot, resembling the stalk, of
the gillyflower, but its leaves are larger and thicker, and so hard
that they seem to the touch like wood. Each shoot, or stalk,
produces two or three white transparent flowers, in size and shape
resembling the lily ; they are full as odoriferous as that flower, and
may be preserved fresh for more than two months on their stalks,
and for several days when plucked off. But the most wonderful
property of this plant is, that it may be transported without any
difficulty for upward of three hundred miles, and will produce
flowers annually if only suspended upon a nail.

This province abounds with birds, among which are two parrots
that are different from those of Chili. The first is a little less than
the turtle dove, and has a greenback and whitish belly ; the other,
called fieriauito, is rather larger. Its plumage is a dark green, ex-
cept the head, which is black, and a mixture of red upon the back.
The partridges are of two kinds. The first called martinetta is of
the size of a domestic fowl, has a beautiful tuft upon its head, and
is adorned with handsome plumes of various colours ; its flesh is
very delicate, and its eggs are green. The common partridge is
in great abundance, and so tame that a man with a reed, to which a
snare is fastened, will take twenty or thirty of them in a few hours.
The abbanil, or mason, so called from the manner of constructing
its habitation, is a snuff coloured bird, of the size of a thrush ; be-
fore it begins to build, it mixes clay very carefully with feathers and
pieces of straw, then dividing it into little balls, carries them in its
claws and bill to its mate, who first forms the bottom upon the trunk
of a tree, into a circle of eight or nine inches in diameter, making
it perfectly smooth ; upon this it raises a wall about a hand's breadth
in height, leaving a small aperture to go in at ; it next proceeds
to lay a second floor, which contains the nest, and also an opening
communicating with the lower room ; when this is completed it
continues tfie surrounding wall to the same height as the first, and
covers the whole with a handsome arch. This edifice becomes,
when dry, so firm as to resist the most violent winds and rain. In
the northern parts of this province is a species of pheasant called
chunna, which is as large as a hen, and of an ash colour ; the flesh
is as delicate as that of the European pheasant. This bird is easily

269

domesticated, and performs in houses the office of a cat, freeing
them from mice, which it eats very readily ; but it is kept by few
on account of its disagreeable note, and a mischievous propensity
of carrying away in its beak and concealing whatever it finds. Of
turtle doves, besides the common species, there is one that is not
larger than a sparrow. Ostriches are common, and bees are found
every where, particularly in the eastern plains, and produce ex-
cellent honey. Grasshoppers appear there occasionally in such
numbers that they cover many miles of country, and destroy every
green thing that they meet with ; these are usually three inches
in length, but they are sometimes to be seen as large as a pilchard,
and from seven to eight inches long.

There are many animals in Cujo that are not to be found in
Chili, as tigers, boars, stags, the land tortoise, the viper, Iguana,
and several others. The tigers are ferocious like those of Africa,
and as large as an ass, but with shorter legs ; the skin is mottled
with white, yellow and black. The inhabitants kill them with
lances of five or six feet in length, armed with a sharp iron. The
method they adopt is for two persons to be in readiness, while a
third, who has the spear, provokes the tiger, who rushes upon him
with inconceivable fury, and impales himself upon the weapon,
which the hunter keeps constantly directed towards him, when the
two others come up and dispatch him. The Iguana is an animal
of the lizard kind, about three feet in length ; the colour is black-
ish, the eyes round, and the flesh white and tender. It feeds upon
grass and wild fruits. The country people, who eat it, think its flesh
far preferable to that of a chicken.

In the northern parts of this province are mines of gold and
copper, but they are not worked, owing to the indolence of the in-
habitants. There are also rich mines of lead, vitriol, sulphur,
salt, coal, gypsum and talc. The mountains in the neighbourhood
of St. Juan are wholly composed of strata of white marble, from
five to six feet in length, and from six to seven inches thick, which
are regularly cut and polished by the hand of nature. The inhabi-
tants make from it a beautiful lime, and employ it in building bridges
over their canals. Between the cities of Mendoza and La Punta,
upon a low range of hills, is a large stone pillar, one hundred and
fifty feet high, and twelve feet in diameter. It is called the giant,
and contains certain marks or inscriptions, resembling Chinese
characters. Near the Diamond river is also another stone, con-
taining some marks, which appear to be ciphers or characters, and
the impression of a man's feet, with the figures of several ani-

270

mals. The Spaniards call it the stone of St. Thomas, from an
account which they pretend the first settlers received from the

Indians, that a white man, with a long beard formerly preached
to their ancestors a new religion from that stone, and as a proof
of its sanctity, left upon it the impression of his feet, and the figures
of the animals that came to hear him. This man, they suppose to
have been St. Thomas, from a tradition of his having preached in
America.

The aboriginal inhabitants of Cujo, of whom there are at present
but a few remaining, are called Guarpes, they are thin, brown and
of a lofty stature, and speak a different language from the Chilians.
The Peruvians were the first who conquered these, people, after
having possessed themselves of the northern provinces of Chili.
On the road, over the Andes, from Cujo to Chili, are still to be seen
some small stone edifices, erected for the accommodation of the offi-
cers and messengers of that empire. The first Spaniards who
entered this province were commanded by Francis Aguirre, who
was sent from Chili by Valdivia, and who quitted it on learning
the death of that general. In the year 1560, Don Garcia di Men-
doza, sent thither Pedro Castillo, who subdued the Guarpes, and
founded the cities of St. Juan and Mendoza.

Mendoza, the capital, is situated on a plain at the foot of the
Andes, in 33 degrees 19 minutes south latitude, and in 308. 31. west
longitude. The number of its inhabitants is estimated at six
thousand. Besides the parish church, it contains a college, which
belonged to the Jesuits, convents of the orders of St. Francis, St.
Dominic, St. Augustine and the Mercedarii. This city carries
on a considerable commerce, in wine and fruits, with Buenos
Ayres; and its population is continually increased, from its vicinity
to the famous silver mine of Uspallata, which the inhabitants
work to great profit.

St. Juan, which is forty-five leagues from Mendoza, is also situa-
ted near the Andes, in 31. 4. degrees of latitude, and 308.31. of lon-
gitude. It has the same number of inhabitants, churches and con-
vents as Mendoza ; and trades with Buenos Ayres, in brandy, fruits
and Vicugna skins. The pomegranates of its vicinity are greatly
esteemed in Chili, for their size and sweetness. This city is go-
verned by aCabildo, and a Lieutenant of the Prefect, or Corregi-
dorof Mendoza.

In the year 1596, the small city of La Punta, or St. Lodovico of
Loyola, was founded in the eastern part of Cujo ; it received its
name from Don Martin Loyola, at that time governor of Chili,

271

and is situated in 33.47. degrees of latitude, and in 311. 32. of longi-
tude, at the distance of about 62 leagues from Mendoza. Notwith-
standing it is the thoroughfare of all the commerce between Chili,
Cujo and Buenos Ayres,it is a miserable place, and the inhabitants
scarcely amount to two hundred. It has a parish church, one that
belonged to the Jesuits, and a convent of Dominicans. The civil
and military government of this city, as well as of its jurisdiction,
which is very extensive and populous, is administered by a Lieu-
tenant, or Vicar of the Corregidor of Mendoza. Besides these
cities, Cujo contains the towns of Jachal, Vallofertil, Mogna,
Corocorto, Leonsito, Calingarta and Pismanta, but these do not
merit particular attention.

The Patagonians, who border upon Chili, and of whose gigantic
stature so much has been written in Europe, from the most accu-
rate information, differ not materially in this respect from other
men. The Pojas, who form one of their tribes, live under the go-
vernment of several petty princes, independant of each other.
These people acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being, and
believe in the immortality of the soul. A singular kind of polygamy-
prevails among them, the women being permitted by their laws
to have several husbands. As to the Cesari, the supposed neigh-
bours of the Chilians, of whom such wonderful stories are told,
they are merely an imaginary people, who have no existence but
h\ the fancy of those who take a pleasure in the marvellous.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS.

Page 5,

128

line 9, (author's preface)/or « those provinces that me-
rits" read its provinces meriting.

8, (author's preface) for "these" read the latter.

9, for " which" read these.
26, for " those" read these.

20, for " is" read are.

21, a/er " clouds" insert thus.

26, /or " provinces" read countries.

28 a'/ter "two" insert provinces.

6, (note)/0r « was no greater, if any," read if any,

was no greater.
14, for " is" read are.

1, /or « gangas" read gangues.
19, /or " tail" read culle. ,

29 after " gourd" insert or pumpkin,
l' (note) for " doical" read dioecial.
4, deZe " or red tail."

11, after " sassia" mserf tinctona.

6, (note) /or " shell" read scale.

7, (note) for " shells" read scales.
9, a/er " and" insert a.

mser* the following note to the Thage or Pelican .-i he
Xchmentof the pelican to its young is proverbial,
futfrom a fact communicated by a gentleman who was
an eye witness, it would seem that the affectionate care
of this bird is extended to all its species. The native,
of California, in order to procure themselves fish, fre-
quenTly Lte'n a disabled pelican to a J^^g*
means, from the vast quantities brought it by others of
its species, they are abundantly supplied,
line 17, for " sound" read sounds.
' 14, for " digs" read makes.

21, after " with" dele a.
10, dele " are."
! 13, for " is" read are.

15 for " Baroanes" read Boroanes.
18 for "white, and as well formed" read fair and
' J ruddy, have blue eyes and red hair, and are
as well featured, &c.
b 20 for " description" read descriptions,

j 3 for " Ulman" read Ulmen.

21, /or " north of" read mouth of the.
5 27, oe/ore " sperma" insert 3.

5 3, dele " that."

6 5, /or "miles" read leagues.

i 5, /or " farmers" read turners.

18, for « sixty" read fifty.

«aa

*i«n' tt.i oavunpah Georgian.
MASTER Ma SON'S tiYMN.
'Composed by Brother John H. Skeppatd,
Master or Lincoln Lo4ge.
TUNE-— GERMAN HIMtf.
Ah ! when shall wh three meet like tbete,
Wi.o la>t were at Jerusalem,
Pur three there were, and one M not-*
He lies where Cassia marks the spot !

Tho' poor he wan, with King* he trod,
Tl.o' great he him.bly knelt to God :
Ah ! when shall those restore again,
The broken link -of friendship-* rhainl

B hold ! where -mourning beauty bent,
Jo silence o'er bis monument,
At'd widely spread in «o< row there,
7 he ringlets of her flawing hair.

The future Sons of grief<hall sigh,
While standing round in mystic tie,
And raise their bands alas ! to heaveo,
In anguish that uo hope is given.

From whence we came, or whither go,

A-"k me bo more, nor seek to know,

«'l ill three shall meet, who formed like

them.
The Grand Lodg'k at Jerusalem i

From the Metropolitan.

The following lines were written As see-
ing a wreath of Hoj^ and Roses on the bon*

net of Miss R , of Georgetown.

Sweet girl— may Hymen's joys be thine,
And l^t the wieath thy head entwines,

An emblem oft remain :
And may thy life as fruitful he.
As the sweet plant entwined by thee*

To grace thy bridal train.

As the line tendrils of the vine.
Around the oak in circles ciaib-;

So round thy hushand*? heart
Should thou unveil thy tender mind,
A"d gathering force a.id strength by tiine.

His love will never part.

And may a numerous progeny.

Prove tint thy wreath was chose by thee,

A ppropriate both and neat ;
But let the rose Out forms a part.
Be cleaned from thoru and rankling daft.

Which often hidden meet.

May health thy children's portion be,
-And as they climb thy partuer's knee,

incline his heart to thine;
Anil should old age come o'er thy life,
A happy couple Without strife,

Way both conspicuous shine.

MERRIMACK.

^»pj»«irtreii»,

195

Committee o

D AYRRS,
* CHRISTY,
A. A. (Til AY.
A. F'-Rtt,
J.SNELL,
Arrangements.

1 HE Directors of the Central Asvlnrrj
-~- for the Deaf and Dumb,at Canajnbar-
»e, io the courtly of Montgomery, sire no-
tice that the following vacancies for indigent
pupils exist in said Institution, viz :

Prom the first Senate District, 2

From the second do

From the third do \

From the seventh do 1

From the eijhth db 2

^ In order to entitle an indigent pupil, to
admittance into this Asy>m, it is neccs^r^1
that a certificate be produced from the 6«
verseers of the poor, of the town where tflfe
pupil resides, ol the inability of the parent
or guardian, to-pay for hi* or her board and
tuition.

If the inability Is not total, the ce ftficate
must state the degree of it, and this Will b«
borne^ by the asylum.

Unless applications are* made from tfee
above Districts, within the time 'prescribed
by law, applicants. from otbei- D-stricts will
be entitled to admittance.

The indigent pupils, are requested to find
their Own clothing only: as ail teeir other
expenses while at the Asylum, Will be gra«
tuitously. defrayed.

The price of board and tuition at this
icbbol, including washing and mending, is
eighty dollar* per annum.

Those in the school are making rapid pros
gress, and are under experience ri teacbvrt,
and strict attention igpaiflrto lh(jm.

The females board in tbe Asylum, and
the male* at a house not far distant.
By order of the Directors,

Juries O. Motse, President.
T. Cortkli'»g, Setfy.

May 9. 1825 fcjj^f

SNOW'S

NEWLY INVENTED

ITCH OIVTMENT.

rHlSi Ointment is a safe and certain cure
for the Itch, io all its stag -s, as ha* been
abundantly proved. It is aisn tt»a best rem*
edy yet discovered for aim »st all kiods ol
Humors, (St. Anthonys Fire except*<i)aod
has been very successfully applied in ctiimg
green wounds, swellings, and b»ui«es l|
bag beea highly approved of for bnujN. if ap.
plied immediately. It has also hero ap-
plied oq borse flesh, wifh good sttccexs, tor
wouuds, Nweliintts and br»i«es h»

«*a

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Full text of "The geographical, natural and civil history of Chili."

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