4^ ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



profit, fo as to be able to fet up a young beginner. When I came to Lima, I obferved 

 that the annifeed, which had been bought at Chile for two pieces of eight, was fold 

 there for twenty ; and the cummin feed, bought at twenty, was fold for fourfcore 5 

 which makes merchants very willing to trade to thofe parts, as hoping to grow rich in 

 a fmall time ; and this increafes the riches of Chile, by drawing every day thither men 

 with good flocks. The gains made this way are fo confiderable, that a man who has 

 about forty thoufand crowns to employ in land, flocks, and flaves, to take care of 

 them, may every year have a revenue of ten or twelve thoufand crowns, which is a 

 gain of twenty-five per cent, very lawful, and without any trouble to one's confcience, 

 or fubjeftion to the dangers of the feas ; for thofe who will run the hazards of that 

 element gain much more ; for the merchants, by many commodities, get a hundred, 

 and two hundred, nay, three hundred per cent, in a navigation of about three weeks, 

 which is the time ufually employed from Chile to Lima, without any fear of pirates, 

 all thofe feas being entirely the king of Spain's, and fo free from thofe robbers. Be- 

 fides, it is very feldom that any florms are felt in that voyage, or, at leaft, not any that 

 endanger the lofs of the fhips. The greatefl danger proceeds from the covetoufnefs of 

 the owners and merchants, who trufling to the peaceablenefs of thofe feas, and that 

 they fail all the way from Chile to Lima before the wind, they load up to the mid- 

 maft. It is no exaggeration ; becaufe I have feen them go out of the port with provi- 

 fions for the voyage, and other neceffaries, as high as the ropes that hold the mafts j 

 and though the king's officers are prefent to hinder the fhips from being overloaded, 

 yet generally they are fo deep in the water, that they are but jufl above it ; and with 

 all thefe, there are many goods left behind in the magazines of the port j for the land 

 is fo productive of every thing, that the only misfortune of it, is to want a vent for its 

 produft, which is enough to fupply another Lima, or another Potofi, if there were 

 one. 



It is upon this foundation that it is affirmed generally, that no country in all America 

 has a more folid eftabhfhment than Chile ; for, in proportion to the increafe of inha- 

 bitants in Peru, Chile mufl increafe too in riches, fince it is able to fupply any great 

 confumption, and yet have enough of its own in all the kinds of corn, wine, flefh, oil, 

 fait, fruits, pulfe, wool, flax, hides, tallow, chamois, leather, ropes, wood, and tim- 

 ber, medicinal remedies, pitch, fifh of all kinds, metals of all forts, and amber. There 

 wants filk ; and it is to be wifhed that it may never get thither, but for ornament to 

 the altars ; for it is already the beggaring of the country, by reafon of the great ex- 

 pence in rich clothes j particularly by the women, who are not outdone in this, even 

 by the braveft ladies of Madrid, or other parts ; but yet the land is fo proper for filk- 

 worms, that if any one carries the feed of them there, I am perfuaded it will take with 

 great abundance, the mulberry-trees being there already as full grown, and in as great 

 beauty as in Spain. 



The wax likewife comes from Europe, though there are bees which make both 

 honey and wax. Pepper, and other Eaft India fpices, come from abroad, though 

 there is a kind of fpice which fupplies the want of them very well ; and the authors 

 above cited fay, that in the ftraights of Magellan, there is good cinnamon j and that 

 on thofe coafls there grow trees of a moft fragrant fmell in their bark, and which have 

 a tafle like pepper, but of a more quick favour, as it fhall be made out when we treat 

 of that ftraight. 



In the whole kingdom, the herbage and the fifhing are in common ; as alfo the hunt- 

 ing ; and the woods for fuel and timber ; and the fame is pradifed as to the fait mines. 



9 There 



