OVALLE's historical relation of chile. 10 1 



famous in thofe parts ; and that they difcovered a nation, which it is thought are thefe 

 Ceflares, becaufe they are a nation of white complexion, and frefh cherry cheeks, and 

 who, in their fhape and difpofition of body, feem to be men of mettle ; and that they 

 had brought fome of them , along with them, to endeavour^ to inform themfelves of 

 that which they fo much defire. This is all the father wrote at that time, becaufe the 

 {hip could not flay, and there is but one fhip every year bound for thofe parts ; fo he 

 was forced to refer himfelf to the next conveniency, to inform me more particularly 

 of the original and defcent of this nation ; fo that this is all that at prefent we can fay of 

 this nation of the Ceffares, which it is poflible may come from thefe fhipwrecked men ; 

 or elfe they may defcend from fome Dutch, who may have been fhipwrecked in the 

 fame place, or thereabouts ; and their complexion feems to fortify this conjecture ; be- 

 fides, that they fpeak a language which no body then prefent could underfland ; or 

 there may be both Spaniards and Flemings. It is thought we fhall not be long with- 

 out knowing the truth, and fo I continue my narration. The fecond fleet which mif- 

 carried in the ftraight, was that which was fet out about two and twenty years ago, 

 under general Ayala, a gentleman of high birth and valour ; who going from Spain to 

 Chile, dealt with His Majefty for a relief of men, which he was to carry through the 

 ftraight of Magellan, without landing any where elfe ; but juft as they were entering 

 it, they were all caft away, fo as to this day there has not been any account of them, 

 except of the vice-admiral's fhip, under the command of Francifco de Mandujava ; 

 for, having lofl fight of the admiral in the florm, flie was carried before the wind to 

 the port of Buenos Ayres, where he landed the men, and marched them over land 

 to Chile. I heard fome of the men talk of this matter ; and they ufed to blame the 

 general very much, for having gone about 'to enter the flraight when the time of the 

 year was fo far advanced, particularly having been advifed in Brafil, where he touched, 

 to winter there, which he refufed to do, for fear his people fhould defert him, and fo 

 he and they all perifhed. 



Thefe accidents feem to have made this palTage lefs practicable ; but yet we know 

 that many have palfed this flraight with little danger, and fome with great felicity. 

 Eight fleets are mentioned by John and Theodore de Bry, as well Spaniards as fo- 

 reigners, who have paffed this flraight j and though fome have had bad weather, yet 

 there is no doubt but time and good obfervations may make it more feafible ; parti- 

 cularly there being fo many good harbours and bays in this flraight, where fhips may 

 fhelter themfelves, and let the florms blow over. 



CHAP. VI. -— Of the Province of Cuyo, 



AFTER having treated of the two firfl parts of the kingdom of Chile, we mull 

 fay fomething now of the third, which contains thofe large provinces of Cuyo, which 

 are on the other fide of the Cordillera, towards the eafl. We have already defcribed their 

 fituation and extent, let us treat now of the nature of them. And to begin with their 

 ill qualities ; it is a wonderful thing to confider that there being nothing between them 

 and Chile, but the high mountains of the Cordillera, yet they are fo different in their 

 qualities. We have already mentioned fome ; but we may fay, that as to their tempe- 

 rature, they are in every thing entirely oppofite ; for firfl, the heats are exceiTive and 

 intolerable in fummer ; and for that, as well as for the vafl quantity of bugs or punaifes, 

 which are there, fome very fmall, and others as big as bees, one can hardly fleep a-- ^^^ 

 nights in the houfes, and therefore the people all fleep in their gardens and court-yards* ^ 



There 



