187 



known varieties of that species, in its partiality for a particular 

 climate. It does not succeed in the vallies near the coast, 

 where no difficulty is experienced with the common sorts, and 

 I tried in vain to raise it near Valparaiso, although it is 

 said to be abundant at Baldivea, in the south of Chili, where 

 the climate is not unlike that of the higher parts of Peru. 

 My plants grew luxuriantly, and flowered, but they produced 

 no tubers. I did not see any in cultivation in Peru, nor 

 could 1 learn that the mode of culture was different from that 

 of the common potatoe. I merely understood that care is 

 taken to earth up the plants repeatedly; or, when the stems 

 are about a foot high, they are laid horizontally and earthed 

 over, perhaps in order to encourage the formation of tubers 

 from the buds. The people, however, said, that it was 

 not to any particular treatment that they attributed the 

 successful cultivation of the plant, but entirely to the climate 

 of the hilly country, {temperamento de la sierra.) — See 

 Appendix A. 



On the 24th, St. John's day, a great part of the population 

 of Canta and Obrajillo assembled at the church of the latter to 

 hear mass. The walls of the building were decorated with 

 large bouquets and festoons of flowers, and the interior was 

 lighted up by a great number of candles, mostly furnished 

 by the poor Indians, who are taught to consider such con- 

 tributions as part of their religious duties. Among other 

 ornaments, we were struck by a unique display of small 

 flags, formed of coloured cotton handkerchiefs of different 

 patterns, from the looms of Manchester and Glasgow, 

 fastened to canes that were stuck into the walls. There was 

 not room within the church for all those assembled, and many 

 knelt in the open air before the door, where they remained 

 till the mass was said; and during the whole time, six Indian 

 girls were dancing, and singing in the Quichua language, 

 in the midst of them. When the unfortunate aborigines of 

 these countries were first subjugated by the Spaniards, in 

 order to insure their attendance at the festivals of the Catholic 

 Church, the priests allowed them to use the songs and 

 dances they had been accustomed to at their own feasts. 



