82 ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



" The learned of our nation, who have failed on the South-Sea, do relate to us many 

 things of that fky, and its ftars, as well of their number, as beauty and bignefs ; and my 

 opinion is, that the ftars we fee here, are no ways preferable to the meridional ones ; 

 but rather do affirm, without difpute, that thofe ftars which are near the antarctick pole 

 are more in number, and brighter and bigger." 



He adds, befides, fpeaking of the ftars of the conftellation of the Cruzero, that their 

 fplendors and beauty are extraordinary, and that the Via Laftea, or Milky- Way, is much 

 brighter in thefe parts. This is all from thofe authors. 



Peter Theodore, a moft {kilful pilot and aftronomer, relates in particular the ftars of 

 that hemifphere, and the fourteen figures or conftellations they make. The firft is the 

 Cameleon, which contains ten ftars ; the fecond is the Indian Afpick, made up of four 

 ftars ; the third is the Flying-Fifti, which is made up of feven ; the fourth called the 

 Fifh Dorado, is compofed of five ; the fifth is called the Hydra, and is of fifteen ; the 

 bird Toncan.' which is the fixth, has eight ftars ; and the Phoenix, which is the feventh, 

 has fourteen ; the Crane has thirteen, which is the eighth ; in Noah's Dove, which is 

 the ninth, there appears eleven ; the Indian Sagittary, which is the tenth, has twelve ; 

 the Peacock, which is the eleventh, is compofed of fixteenj the Bird of Paradife, other- 

 wife called Maaucodiata, has twelve ; the thirteenth is the Triangle, and contains five ; 

 and the laft is the Cruzero, in which are four, which make a crofs, with a little one 

 clofe by it, which makes the foot of the crofs. And though this Cruzero is the guide 

 of thofe who fail in the South-Sea, as the Cynofura is to thofe who navigate the North- 

 Sea, yet it is not immediately at the pole, but thirty degrees from it ; but there being 

 no ftars of that bignefs near it, it is made ufe of for that effeft, but not for the needle j 

 for that in either fea, whether fouth or north latitude, always turns to the north, 

 though when one is in the South-Sea, the whole globe of the earth, or the beft part of 

 it, is between them and the north, according to the circle that the Cruzero makes. 

 The fixed point of the pole feems to be between two, as it were, great clouds, though 

 they are not fuch, but clufters of ftars, not well diftinguifliable, fuch as compofe the 

 Via La£tea ; and they are always fixt, without ftirring ; and when the heavens are 

 clear, they are brighter, and better feen. There are other ftars nearer thefe clouds 

 than the Cruzero ; but not being fo big, there is little notice taken of them, but only 

 of the Cruzero ftars, which are indeed very beautiful, and fliine with great live- 

 iinefe. 



CHAP. XXI. — Of the Animals^ as well proper^ as new comers to the Kingdom of 

 Chile ; and alfo of the Bezoarfiones , 



TILL tne Spaniards came to thefe American parts, there never had been feen in 

 tnu^vka- them either cows, Jj,orfes, Iheep, hogs, houfe-cats, nor rabbits tame or wild : nor dogs, 

 ' ^'^ except thofe called cur-dogs ; but no hounds, greyhounds, nor other dogs for game, 

 either by land or water ; no maftiffs, nor little dogs, which we call lap-dogs ; no goats, 

 nor affes : but as foon as the Spaniards were fettled in Chile, and found the land fo 

 proper for the breed of cattle and flocks, they have increafed them to a degree of 

 fuperfluity ; fo that there is not only enough jpor the fupport of human life ; but alfo 

 for thofe animals who are carnivorous ; for, as we have feen above, in the flaughtering 

 time, much flefti lies wafte in the fields, fo that it is neceflary to burn it, and throw it 

 into lakes and rivers, to hinder its corrupting the air. That which in other parts is 

 called a calamity and defolation of the country, which is a murrain among cattle, in 



II Chile 



