74 ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



good to eat, and are produced on the rocks. There are fome cafl up by the fea, in 

 fuch quantity, that Ihip-loads may be had of them, of fuch variety of figures and 

 colours, that I doubt not but the curious in Europe would value them, and our artifts 

 would make curiofities of them ; but they, for want of fuch artificers, are good for 

 nothing in the Indies, but to make chalk of, by burning them in a furnace ; yet they 

 are in fuch vafl quantities, that the fhore is covered with them, and they make a fine 

 fhew. 



The ihell-fifh called Picos de Papagayos, are another kind much efteemed : they are 

 fo called, becaufe for their fliape and bignefs they are juft like parrots heads ; and as 

 thefe birds build their nefts on fhore, m fome hollow rocks and caves, fo this fifh 

 breeds in a kind of ftone-work, hollow, like little cells, where it grows till it comes to 

 be of the bignefs of thofe heads. They drefs them in thofe very nefts, which ferve 

 for pots, and when they are enough, take them out. They are excellent meat. 



Thofe which they call Kericos, though common in other parts, yet I never faw them 

 fo large as in thofe parts ; and being taken in the increafe of the moon, they have 

 very large tongues, fat, and of about two fingers breadth. 



The Crabs, Apavicoras, and Praunes, are likewife very good, and of feveral forts 

 and fizes. The Lobfters, and thofe of that kind, are likewife much efteemed ; they 

 breed under the rocks, and are fifhed for, as all the reft, not with nets, but only by 

 the Indians going into the fea up to their middle, and knocking them from the rocks 

 with fticks in their hands. So much for this kind of eatables. There are others which 

 live a Httle more in the fea, which are of a beautiful form ; fome they call fea-ftars ; 

 fome the fun ; others the moon ; becaufe they are of the form of thofe planets, as 

 they are commonly painted. Thefe may be eaten too ; but they have one very Angu- 

 lar property, which is, to cure the vice of drunkennefs, being reduced to powder, and 

 given in wine to drink ; this is of fo certain an effed, that thofe, who before they took 

 it had no greater delight than drinking of wine, did afterwards fo abhor it, that they 

 would not touch it, though they were hired. This is a healthy remedy, as well as 

 fure ; and therefore ufed by the Negroes to avoid taking another ; which, though as 

 certain, is very dangerous ; which is, drinking the fweat of a horfe mingled with wine. 

 They fay, this puts thofe who take it, in danger of lofing fome of their fenfes ; though 

 I knew one, who being exceedingly given to drunkennefs, his wife gave him this re- 

 medy without his knowledge, and it did him no' other hurt than to make him hate 

 wine, fo that he could not bear the fmell of it ; but, as I faid, the Negroes ufe the 

 powder of the ftar-fifh j and though I have obferved, that with fome it is not fo effica- 

 cious, but they long for wine again after a little while, yet it is but to repeat the re- 

 medy as foon as that ill inclination prevails again ; and this is commonly fo pradifed 

 upon the Negroes, who are much given to that vice. 



CHAP. XVII. — Of the various Kinds of Fijh which arefijhed on the Coaji of Chile. 



LET the whale appear firft, fince by its bignefs it is a kind of king of the fea ; 

 and if where the king is, the court is, we may give that title to the fea of Chile, where 

 there is fuch ftore of whales, that I know not any place where they abound more ; and 

 they are accompanied by fuch a court of little fifties of all kinds, that thofe who have na- 

 vigated thofe feas, cannot but mention it with admiration. Among the reft, William 

 Seerten, who came with a fleet through the ftraights, fays, that they met with fo many 

 whales near certain iflands, that they were forced to fail with great care and attention 



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