68 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



themfelves in one, for many others ; and the falt-pits made by hand feldom fail ; for 

 they not being of great extent, the water that is let into them turns to fait with lefs 

 heat, the matter to be congealed being lefs in itfelf. And fmce we are mentioning 

 fait, I cannot omit to relate what I myfelf have feen in the valley of Lampa, which is 

 about three leagues from St. Jago ; and it is this, there grows there an herb, not unlike 

 to Sweet Bafil, only its green is upon an alh-colour, and not fo gay ; it rifes about a 

 foot above ground : this plant, in the fummer, is covered over with fmall grains of 

 fait, like pearl, which is congealed upon its leaves, either from the dew of heaven, or 

 by fome vapour raifed by the fun from that earth ; or elfe the nature of the herb itfelf 

 is fuch, as to fweat out this humidity, which being afterwards congealed by the heat of 

 the fun, is turned into fait. Let the caufe be what it will, the effeft is feen no where 

 but in this valley, and upon that fpecies of herb ; which is therefore much valued by 

 the Indians, the fait of it being more favoury, and of a finer flavour than any other. 



I cannot tell whether Johannes de Laet means this in his defcription of the new 

 world ; for having mentioned the kingdom of Chile, to which he gives the preference 

 for its excellent properties, he fays, that in that kingdom, in fome of its valleys, there 

 falls, at certain times of the year, a dew fo thick upon the leaves of the plants, that it 

 is like fugar, and ferves, being kept fome time, for the fame ufe as manna. Antonio de 

 Herrera reports the fame thing, in his General Hiftory of the Weft-Indies; and, amongft 

 other commendations he gives this noble kingdom, he relates the fame thing of this 

 llrange and admirable dew. I fay upon this, that I know not whether they allude to 

 what I have reported of the valley of Lampa by my own fight, and have no knowledge 

 of that other thing they mention ; though one would think_, fuch authors fhould 

 diftinguifh things fo different in their effefts and favour, as fait and fugar. It is poilible 

 God may have done both, having been fo wonderfully liberal to that country, where 

 the Angularities are fo many and wonderful ; and it would therefore be no wonder 

 fome of them fhould not be known, efpecially confidering that we, who are there 

 employed for the converfion of fouls, have not time to fearch after curiofities, and 

 fecrcts of nature. 



CHAP. XIV. — Wherein is treated of the Sea of the Kingdom of Chile ^ and of the 



Etymology of its Name* 



THE fountains, fprings, rivers and brooks, carry us along with them naturally to 

 the fea, where their courfe ends, and where there is room for my pen to exercife 

 itfelf, if the brevity of this narration did not confine my flight : I muft therefore be 

 content to fay fomething of this element, that the nature of it may not be unknown as 

 to this new world. 



Beginning therefore with the etymology of its name : It is well known that all com- 

 monly call it the South-Sea, becaufe it is towards the antarctick pole, from whence 

 generally the fouth wind blows, in .oppofition to the Tramontane, or north, which 

 reigns in the ocean as far ^s the arctick pole. But leaving thefe difputes to the fchools, 

 or rather to that abyfs of Divine Wifdom, qui profert ventos de thefauris fids, it is a 

 known truth,, that the eft'eds which the wind of the arctick pole caufes in its jurifdid;ion 

 towards the oppofite part, the fame is caufed by the fouth wind in its motions from the 

 antarctick towards thefe parts. 



In Chile we look upon the fouth wind as a favourable wind, as in Europe the north 

 is in the fame efteem. The north with us covers the heavens with clouds, caufes tem- 



pefts 



