ovalle's historical relation of chile. 1^7 



but of clear and admirable water, with which the fields are all £o plentifully re- 

 frelhed, that their product is fo various, that the inhabitants want almofl: nothing from 

 abroad that is neceflary for human life; for they have corn, wine, flefh, all forts 

 of other grain, and pulfe-fruits, even more than in St. Jago ; for befides all thofe of 

 Europe, and thofe of Chile, they have two forts very extraordinary : the firll is a fort 

 of cucumbers, which are very fweet, and do not need paring, for the outfide is a very 

 thin fkin, fmooth, oi a delicate colour between white and yellow, all ftreaked with a 

 very fine purple ; the other fruit is that which they call Lucumas, and is a fruit, as I 

 remember, I have feen in Peru : it is a very wholefome well-tafted fruit, the flone is 

 fmooth, and of a purple colour. The oil of this place is abfolutely the bed in the 

 whole kingdom, as clear and bright as one's eyes, and of a rare fmell and tafte : they 

 make great quantities, fo that they fend a great deal abroad. They have great flocks of 

 cattle, though not fo many as about St. Jago, becaufe it rains lefs, and fo the paflurages 

 are leaner. 



But that which is moft particular, and of greateft value in this country, is the great 

 abundance of rich metals, as gold, copper, and lead ; fo that though they have given 

 over gathering of gold in all the other parts of Chile, becaufe other products are of 

 greater advantage, yet in this place they go on gathering it more or lefs, according as 

 the winter is more or lefs rainy ; for when it rains much, the mountains are diflblved, 

 and the earth opened, and fo the gold is eafier found. And the copper too that is 

 melted down there, ferves for all the kingdom, and Peru befides. The climate of this 

 city is abfolutely the moft temperate of all the kingdom ; becaufe the winter, which in 

 other parts is very Iharp, particularly nearer the pole, is here fo gentle, that it is hardly 

 perceived, it being within five or fix degrees of the tropick, and being in the 29th 

 degree of latitude, enjoys a m'odeftte climate, the longeft day being of fourteen hours, 

 and is upon the nth of December, as the fhorteft is on the nth of June, and the night 

 is of fourteen hours. 



But the accidental fituatlon of the city helps much towards the mildnefs of the climate : 

 it is within two leagues of the fea, having a plain before it all covered with myrtles ; 

 it ftands on a rifing ground, having a profpefl: to the fea, which makes a beautiful 

 ibay, abounding in fifh of all forts ; by which it is an excellent place to pafs the Lent 

 in, fifli being very cheap : but the good cheer is alfo as well out of Lent ; for befides the 

 mutton, which is excellent and very nourifhing, there is plenty of tame fowl, partridge, 

 turkeys, and all forts of wild fowl. This city began to be inhabited by many noble 

 families, the founders being men of the beft quality that came to Chile ; and their de- 

 fcendants have remained, and do maintain the lullre of their ancellors. The governor- 

 general appoints the place of Corregidor, or mayor of the city ; and it is one of the 

 moft profitable places that are, becaufe of the mines which are wrought in its territory : 

 but notwithftanding all thefe good qualities which we have mentioned, this city does 

 not incr^afe fo faft as that of St. Jago ; for this laft may be compared to the clove-tree, 

 which fucks to itfelf all the fubftance of the earth round about it, a thing which is 

 proper enough to capital cities every where. 



About this time the General John Biptifte Piftene arrived at Peru for a fecond fupply 

 of men, which Pedro de Valdivia defired of the viceroy, to carry on his conqueft j but 

 he found the whole country in confufion, caufed by the ftubborn difobedience of 

 Gon9alo Pizarro, fo ,that the government wanted relief jtfelf, inftead of being in a 

 condition to relieve others. This was fo true, that Paftene was forced to return to 

 Chile, to bring a force from thence to join with the royal army. This refolution it is 

 probable came to the knowledge of the tyrant Pizarro 5 for he found means to feize 



B B 2 his 



