40 ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



tremely, feme wild monkeys that live in the mountains fell upon hini, and fo worried him 

 among them by biting him, fome on one fide and fome on the other, that they left 

 him full of wounds, and particularly with, one large one in his throat : his mafler came 

 up at laft, and found him without fign of life ; he was much troubled for the lofs of 

 his dog, and lighted to fee what he could do for him. This Albaaquilla, is an herb 

 that grows every where in the fields ; and the gentleman, at a venture, gathering 

 three or four handfuls of it, bruifed them between two flones, and poured the juice 

 into the dog*s wounds, and into the great one of his throat he thruft a handful of it, 

 and fo left him without hopes of life : but it fell out wonderfully, that after a few 

 leagues travelling on, turning back to look at fomething, he faw his dog following 

 at a diftance, who was fo well cured that he lived many years after. 



The third herb, that I remember, is like a knot of fine hair, and which is not com- 

 monly met with : this is an admirable herb in fevers and pleurifies ; it is boiled in 

 water, and drank ; it purifies and cleanfes the blood, expelling that which is bad, 

 and fo the fick body remains perfectly cured ; as I myfelf have had the experience of it. 



There are feveral other plants, fome of which cure the pains of the liver ; others 

 diffolve the ftone in the bladder, and break it to pieces ; fome are excellent for the 

 fciatica and other infirmities ; all which, if I were to relate in particular, I Ihould make 

 a new Diofcorides, or herbal, which is not my intention. We will therefore leave the 

 flowers and herbs of the fpring, the harmony of the finging of birds, which fo rejoices 

 the mornings, and the ferene and quiet days of this feafon, to draw near the fummer ; 

 which will afford us matter of difcourfe. 



CHAP. III. — Of the Swnmer and Autumn, and their Produ6l. 



THE fummer begins in the middle of November, and lafts to the middle of Febru- 

 ary, fo that the greateft heats are at Chriftmas ; and we are forced to have recourfe 

 to our faith, to confider the child God trembhng with cold in the manger ; for when we 

 rife to fing matins, particularly in Cuyo and Tucuman, where the heats are exceffive, we 

 are ready to melt with heat. In Chile the heats are not fo exceffive, becaufe the coun- 

 try is more temperate ; but ftill the weather is not fo cold as it was in Bethlem. 

 About this time the fruits begin to ripen, which are in great variety ; and there are 

 but few of thofe of Europe that are wanting ; for as foon as any of them are brought, 

 either in flone, feed, or plant, they take, and it is wonderful to fee how they thrive. 

 I remember about thirty years ago there were no cherries ; there coming by chance a 

 little tree from Spain, from which all the curious began to multiply them in their gar- 

 dens, (it being both a rarity, and a valuable fruit ;) in a fmall time they were fo in- 

 creafed, that they were banifhed from the gardens to the fields, becaufe they produced 

 fo many young plants from their roots, that they took up all the ground about them. 



Of the fruits of Peru, Mexico, and all the continent of America, not one will grow 

 in Chile ; and the reafon is, the oppofition of the climate of Chile ; nay, though they 

 bring either plant, feed, or fetting, they never thrive ; for thofe countries are within 

 the tropics, and Chile is out of them ; for which reafon alfo the fruits of Europe take 

 fo well in Chile, fuch as pears, apricots, figs, peaches, quinces, &c. which bear 

 infinitely ; and if there is not care taken to leflen their number when little, it is im- 

 poffible for the boughs to bear the weight of the fruit, fo that they are fain to prop 

 them up with forks when they grow near ripe, 



The 



