WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 745 



of fruit trees; all Spanish varieties yielded abundantly and very 

 early ; wheat, corn, and other cereals gave excellent returns ; every 

 fanega of wheat produced 30, 40, or more, according to the cultivation. 

 This city was the best, the richest, and the busiest trading center 

 in the whole Kingdom of Chile, for besides the abundance of all 

 sorts of products of the soil, it was very rich in high-grade gold ore ; 

 wherever it occurred, and merely from the known mines, the Indians 

 used to extract 25 or 30 pesos' worth of gold every day. This and 

 its excellent harbor normally brought in many ships with merchandise, 

 and there was never any shortage. The location of the city, though 

 level, stood over 3 stades high above the river's backwater, so that 

 it was safe from any flood. It was well provided with delicious fish, 

 for the Indians came in every day with boats full of them, especially 

 on Fridays and in Lent, when 40 or 50 boats would come in. Round 

 about the harbor, near where the city was built, there are large woods 

 and forests of valuable tough timber for ship building, which might 

 have been carried out at low cost, the timber being at the water's edge. 



1972. The city and its environment seemed a bit of Paradise, 

 having bright skies, good soil, and healthful breezes. The tide runs 

 up the river as far as a plain surrounded by mountain ridges and 

 known as Guadalauquen. The Sierra Nevada is 17 leagues distant 

 from the site where the city was built. Its longest day, which was 

 Christmas Eve and the day preceding, was of 14 hours 26 minutes; 

 and the shortest, which was St. John's Eve, 10 hours. Fifteen leagues 

 from where the city of Valdivia was built, there were some hot baths, 

 with springs gushing out, some 2 leagues from the Cordillera Nevada. 

 These were and are very health-giving, curing the bathers of all 

 sorts of illnesses ; people suffering from contractions of a tendon, 

 foot, arm, or leg or other part of the body, had only to bathe in 

 them and the member straightened out and healed. In the district 

 of the city there were very good cattle, sheep, and hog ranches, for 

 the country was suitable and had excellent pasturage. 



Chapter XII 



Describing the District of the City of Osorno. 



1973. From the city of Valdivia to that of Osorno was a very 

 rough journey of 16 leagues with many ridges and steep slopes, as 

 far as the Tenguelen Valley, which was covered with Indian settle- 

 ments and Spanish ranches, with large herds of cattle and fields of 

 wheat, corn, and other cereals. From this valley to the city of Osorno 



