OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 73 



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CHAP. XVI. — Of the Fertility of the whole Coaji of Chile. 



THE abundance and fertility of this kingdom is not only perceived in its valleys and 

 fields, but likewife in its whole coaft, even on the rocks, where the fea beats. It will 

 be hard to make this appear by particulars, becaufe, though in other parts of the 

 world the rocks produce fhell-fifh, yet I do not know that it is in fuch quantity, nor fo 

 large any where as in Chile, nor of fo many different fpecies. Firft, I will fpeak of 

 that which is mod common and intelligible : there grows along the coaft every where 

 an herb not unlike to endive ; they call it Luche, which they pull from the rocks : it 

 is gathered in the fpring, when it is moft grown ; and being dried in the fun, it is made 

 into loaves, which are looked upon as a great delicacy far from the fea, particularly in 

 Peru, Cuyo, and Tucuman ; for it ferves for many fauces. It grows upon the tops of 

 rocks, fuch as are above the water. At the foot of the rocks are found certain roots, 

 which bring forth a trunk as thick as one*s wrift, called Ultecuefte : this they cut, and 

 laying it before the fire, they pare it like a lettuce, or cardoon, or thiftle, but it has a 

 much different tafte. From thefe, the trunks fhoot out certain long cords, of three or 

 four yards long, and fome of about fix or eight fingers in breadth : thefe they call 

 Coehauyo ; and there are two forts of them, which, though they refemble one another, 

 yet the Indians make a great difference between them, referving the good, which they 

 cut and dry, and make provifion of them for Lent ; the others they leave to the fea, 

 which heaps them up upon the fhore, where they lie in heaps very ufelefs. So much 

 for the herbs. Now let us fpeak of the fea (hell-fifli. The beft of this kind are 

 oyfters, both great and fmall, fo much talked of by the Hollanders with great com- 

 mendations : they found them in the ftraights of Magellan ; but the greateft plenty of 

 them is on the coaft of Coquimbo, where they are very large and delicious ; the leffer 

 fort they call Tacas, very much valued too, and taken all along that coaft. But thofe 

 of greateft renown are the oyfters of Chuapa ; in the great ones are bred pearls, as the 

 Dutch fay, and, according to John and Theodore de Brye, they bought fome of the 

 Indians in the ftraights very finely wrought. 



That which they call Choros is alfo a fine fort of fliell-fifti, and in its Ihell, as An- 

 tonio de Herrera fays, there are pearl very white. That fort which I have feen is not 

 fo big ; but fince they are to be found every where, there may be of all forts of them ; 

 for they are caught in abundance, both Uttle, middle fize, and large ones, fome as 

 broad as my hand. The choiceft of them are thofe which have the fifli of a yellow 

 colour, though the black ones are good too. 



There is another ftiell-fifti, called Manegues, which is in two round fhells, fuch as 

 ferve for models in architecture ; the fifti within is but coarfe meat, but of good fufte- 

 nance. In one kind of thefe, which is the little fort, in opening the ftiell, which in 

 the infide is like mother of pearl, when one takes out the meat, one may fee the im- 

 preffion on the fliell, of a purple colour, which reprefents the image of the moft holy 

 virgin, with her mantle, and her child in her arms, which caufes great devotion and 

 comfort ; and, though they all have this impreffion, yet fome have it fo perfed, that 

 it is wonderful. 



A fifti they call Locos may alfo be ranked among the ftiell-fifti : they call them 

 alfo Afs's Hoof, becaufe they are of that fhape : they are very favoury, but hard and 

 indigeft ; for which reafon they are to be eaten fparingly, though in the dreffmg of 

 them they macerate them between two ftones, to foften them. I ftiould never have - . / 

 done, to go through all the kinds of fhell-fifh ; as likewife of fnails, which are alfo •/^k'-^:^- 



yoL. XIV. L good 



