OVALLE S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



35 



that they only make a return for the kind welcome they all meet with in thofe parts.^ 

 As for my part, all I can fay, is, that though it be like Europe in every thing, except 

 in the oppofition of the feafons, which are tranfpofed, it being fpring and fummer in 

 the one, when it is autumn and winter in the other, yet it has fome properties which 

 do really fmgularize it, and deferve the praifes given it by travellers ; for, firft, neither 

 the heat nor the cold are fo exceffive as in Europcj particularly as far as the 45th de- 

 gree of latitude, for from thence to the pole the rigorous and exceffiv^ cold begins. 



The accidental fituation of the land of Chile, muft be the caufe of this temperature 

 of the air ; for being covered on the eaft by the high mountains of the Cordillera, 

 which are all fo prodigioufly elevated, it receives the freili and cooling breezes from the 

 fea ; and the tides which penetrate as far as the foot of the mountains, joining with the 

 coolnefs of the fnow, with which they are covered, refrefh the air fo, that about four 

 o'clock in the afternoon the heat is no ways troublefome. Nay, if one is in the fhade, 

 one may fay, that in no hour of the day the fun is infupportable, efpecially from thirty- 

 fix degrees, or thereabouts, neither day nor night the heat can be complained of; 

 which is the caufe, that at the town of the Conception, which is in that fituation, the 

 covering for beds is the fame winter and fummer, neither of thofe feafons being any 

 ways troublefome. 



Another good quality of this country is, to be free from lightning ; for though 

 fometimes thunder is heard, it is at a great diftance up in the mountain. Neither does 

 there fall any hail in the fpring or fummer j or are thofe florms of thunder and light- 

 ning feen here, which in other parts make the bells be rung out, and the clouds to be 

 exorcized ; neither are there fo many cloudy days in winter as in other parts ; but moft 

 commonly after the rain has lafted two or three days, the heavens clear up, and look 

 as if the fky had been waflied, without the leaft cloud, in a very fhort time after the 

 rain ; for as foon as ever the north wind, which brings the cloudy weather, ceafes, the 

 fouth fucceeds, and in a few hours drives away the rain ; or if it be in the night-time, 

 the' dew falls, and the fun rifes brighter than ever. 



This country is yet to be valued upon another propriety of it, which is, that it is free 

 from poifonous creatures, fuch as vipers and fnakes, fcorpions or toads ; fo that one 

 may venture to fit under a tree, or lie down and roll on the ground, without fear of 

 being bit by them. Neither are there tygers, panthers, or any other mifchievous ani- 

 mals, except fome lions of a fmall kind, which fometimes do harm to the flocks o£ 

 {heep or goats, but never to men, whom they fly from ; and this is not only in the cul- 

 tivated land, where men are frequent, but in the woods and folitude, and in the thickeft 

 groves, of which there are fome fo clofe with trees, that one can hardly break through 

 them afoot. I heard a friar of ours, who was an excellent builder, fay, that having 

 gone for three months together in woods, where there was no fign of any one's having 

 pafled before, to find out trees proper for the timber of the church of St. Jago, he had 

 never met with the leafl: poifonous creature that could either caufe a naufeous idea, or 

 a dangerous effeft. 



There is another moft wonderful fmgularity of this fame country, which is, that not 

 only it does not breed, but will not fuffer any punaizes, or bugs, to live in it ; which 

 is the more to be admired, that on the other fide the mountains they fwarm. I never 

 faw one in it alive, for fometimes there are fome in the goods and furniture of people 

 who come from the province of Cuyo ; but as foon as? they feel the air of Chile they 

 die. The experience that was made of this, by one that was either curious or malici- 

 ous enough, was wonderful ; for coming from Cuyo to Chile, he brought fome or 

 thofe creatures with him, well put up in a box, and fuch food provided for them as to 



