246 A VOYAGE TO Book VIII. 



fnakes are found m the fields and woods, their bite is 

 not dangerous. Neither are the country peafants under 

 any appichenfions from ravenous beads; fo that nature 

 may be faid to pour her treafures on this country, with- 

 out blending them with the ufuai inconveniences. 



The fruits which moflly abound in ChiH, are of the 

 fame kind as thofe known in Europe j its cherries in 

 particular are large, aid of a fine taile. The ftraw- 

 berries are of two kinds, one called frutillas, and are 

 larger than thofe of Qnito, wanting little of being 

 equal to a hen's egg in magnitude. The other, which 

 in fize, colour and taue, perfectly refemble thofe of 

 Spain, grow wild, on the fide of the eminences with 

 which the plains are intcrfperfed And here alfo grow 

 all kind of flowers, without any other culture, than that 

 of benign nature. 



Among the remarkable herbs, of which many 

 are medicinal, and others applied to divers ufes, is 

 the panqué, of great icrvice in tanning leather. Ic 

 abounds every where, and grows to about four or five 

 Teet from the ground. The principal item, which is 

 of a foft fubflance, is betwixt four and five inches in 

 diameter, and about two (etz and a half in height, fe- 

 parating there into feveral branches, bearing round, 

 fcrrated, rough, and thick leaves, and fo large that 

 their diameter, when full grown, is feldom lefs than a 

 foot and a half, and fometimes two feet. Before the 

 plant is fit to be cut, vvhen the leaves begin to turn 

 reá^ the peafants make an incifion into the bark, and 

 fuck the juice, which is very cooling and aftringenti 

 but as foon as ever the leaf is obferved to turn white, 

 3n indication of decay, they cut the plant down at 

 the root, take off the branches, and divide the ftaik 

 into ihort pieces, which being dried in the fun, make 

 an excellent tan. 



Besides this rich variety of produiiions, on the 

 furface of the earth, the country alfo abounds with 

 valuable mines and quarries j particularlf of Lapis 



lazulj 



