i8:,4.J TREACLE FROM TREES. 257 



early spring, in August, very many are cut down, and when 

 Llie trunk is lying on the ground the crown of leaves is 

 lopped off. The sap then immediately begins to flow from 

 the upper end, and continues so doing for some months ; 

 it is, however, necessary that a thin slice should be shaved 

 off from that end every morning, so as to expose a fresh 

 surface. A good tree will give ninety gallons, and all this 

 must have been contained in the vessels of the apparently 

 dry trunk. It is said that the sap flows much more quickly 

 on those days when the sun is powerful ; and likewise, that 

 it is absolutely necessary to take care, in cutting down the 

 tree, that it should fall with its head upwards on the side of 

 the hill ; for if it falls down the slope, scarcely any sap will 

 flow; although in that case one would have thought that 

 the action would have been aided, instead of checked, by 

 the force of gravity. The sap is concentrated by boiling, 

 and is then called treacle, which it very much resembles 

 in taste. 



We unsaddled our horses near the spring, and prepared 

 to pass the night. The evening was fine, and the atmo- 

 sphere so clear, that the masts pf the vessels at anchor in 

 the Bay of Valparaiso, although no less than twenty-six 

 geographical miles distant, could be distinguished clearly 

 as little black streaks. A ship doubling the point under 

 sail, appeared as a bright white speck. Anson expresses 

 much surprise, in his voyage, at the distance at which his 

 vessels were discovered from the coast ; but he did not 

 sufficiently allow for the height of the land, and the great 

 transparency of the air. 



The setting of the sun was glorious ; the valleys being 

 black, whilst the snowy peaks of the Andes yet retained a 

 ruby tint. When it was dark, we made a fire beneath a 

 little arbour of bamboos, fried our charqui (or dried slips of 

 beeQ. took our matd, and were quite comfortable. There 

 is an inexpressible charm in thus living in the open air. 

 The evening was calm and still ; the shrill noise of the 

 mountain bizcacha, and the faint cry of a goat-sucker, were 

 occasionally to be heard. Besides these, few birds, or even 

 insects, frequent these dry, parched mountains. 



August 17M. — In the morning we climbed up the rough 



mass of greenstone which crowns the summit. Tiiis rock, 



as frequently happens, was much shattered and broken into 



huge angular fragments. I observed, however, one remark- 



I able circumstance, namely, that many of the surfaces 



