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1 08 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



feme part where it joins to the other parts of the world, either by the Terra de Baca- 

 laos, or the ftraight of Magellan, that is not feparated but by ordinary little feparations 

 of water and fea, which might be eafily pafled in fmall velTels, fuch as were in ufe in 

 thofe antient times. 



This is the author's opinion ; which, as to the Terra de Bacalaos, carries with it 

 only the probability of an ingenious conjefture, becaufe as yet that part of the world 

 has not been difcovered ; but if in time it proves like the conjecture about the ftraights 

 of Magellan, it is all without any grounds ; for, as we have already related, it is now 

 made plain, that America on that fide is entirely divided from the other parts of the 

 world by a vaft fea. It is true, that to the eaft it is not known yet how far that land 

 runs, which is over-againft the Terra del Fuego, and is on the eaft fide of the ftraight 

 of St. Vincent, otherwife called the ftraight of Le Maire ; for fome think that it may 

 run as far as the Cape of Good Hope, and fo be fo near that part of Africa, that 

 men might pafs in fmall veffels from the one to the other. It is likewife uncertain, 

 that the continent of America ever was nearer than it now is to any other continent, 

 or that the fea has fmce broke away part of either, to make the feparation wider, as 

 we have obferved it did in the ifland of San6ta Maria, which is fuppofed to have for- 

 merly been all of one continued piece with the firm land of Arauco ; but thefe are all 

 conjectures, and he alone knows the truth who created thefe men, and other animals 

 of America, and by whofe providence they pafled to thofe parts, for the great ends 

 of his hidden fecrets ; to whom, with all veneration for his counfels, we muft fubmit 

 the enquiry, why he has been pleafed that that part of the world ftiould remain un- 

 difcovered for fo many ages, without any communication with thofe parts where his 

 divine light has appeared fooner. Thefe are confiderations for the good to make ufe 

 of with thanks, for having been admitted to it ; and confufion of the wicked, who 

 at noon-day are as much in the dark as if it had never dawned. 



Peter Bertius, in his geography, as John and Theodore de Bry do relate, colleds 

 the antiquity of thofe nations of America, from their moft antient kings and lords, and 

 from the ruins of antient edifices, and other memorable things ; for this argues the 

 largenefs of time in which all this was done. Amongft other things he mentions the 

 report of one of their gardens belonging to fome king, (which muft be of Peru, who 

 were always the richeft,) in which all the herbs, and plants, and ftirubs, with their 

 trunks, leaves, and flowers of their natural proportion, were of mafly gold ; and in 

 the houfes of recreation, there were all forts of animals made of precious ftones, and 

 fome of feathers of various colours. They fay befides, that the Ingas, who were the 

 emperors of Peru, were the richeft princes in the world : and that they had fo much 

 gold, that not only the plate they eat in were of that metal, but all their houftiold 

 ftuff" and furniture were of the fame, to their tables, benches, cupboards, nay, to the 

 ftatues themfelves ; a great deal of which fell to the Spaniards* fhare when they con- 

 quered thofe parts ; but the beft part was hid and concealed by the Indians, which to 

 this day they keep undifcovered, being in that way of fecret intraClable and extremely 

 clofe. Neither is it any wonder that thofe princes fhould ufe fo much gold, fmce they 

 were mafters of more of that metal than any others ; being fo beloved by their fubjeCts, 

 that whatever they had that was precious, they prefented it to them ; and they were 

 fo inclined to hoard it, that whoever fucceeded in monarchy made it a point of ftate 

 not to touch, but rather to increafe the treafure of his father ; of which a great proof 

 was the vaft fum which Atahualpa offered for his ranfom, and paid to the Spaniards 

 for it, as we fliall fee hereafter. 



10 Amongft 



