BOUGUER's voyage to PERU. 299 



to Choco they are frequently under the necellity of doing this, as the metal is found 

 mixed with the platina, a fpecies of pyrite peculiar to the country. The artifts who 

 work in the deferts of America fhould be acquainted only with the fimpleft modes of 

 chemical operations. To withdraw the quickfilver without lofmg any of it, they con- 

 tent themfelves with a wooden difh or bafon, in which they put a certain quantity of 

 water ; in the middle they lay two tiles, upon which they put another, heated, and 

 which is iAtended to fupport the amalgamation, and then cover the whole with a lefler 

 bafon, fo that it may throw back the exhaling mercury into that below. The gold in 

 the environs of Popayan is from twenty-one to twenty-two carats. One of thefe trenches, 

 the dimenfions of which I have given, will not give fometimes more than a fmgle mark, 

 but frequently five or fix, and even as far as eighteen or twenty, when they have been 

 fortunate in their difcovery. Grains of a very confiderable fize are fometimes found. 



Quito cannot boafl of poflefiing thofe riches, fo ambitioufly fought after, that are 

 found in Choco, but it polTelTes a more fubftantial bleffing in the goodnefs of its foil. I 

 will add to^ what I have already noticed, that they have frequently there the pleafure to 

 behold the trees bearing at the fame time bloflbm, buds, and fruit. It cannot be 

 doubted that the perfeft equality of the feafons is favourable to thofe trees peculiar to 

 hot coimtries, though it appears to have rather a contrary effeft upon thofe tranfplanted 

 there from Europe. A convenient temperature for the latter may eafily be found in 

 the Cordelier, but, as the heat is not diftributed there as with us^ there mufl be always 

 fomething wanting ; they cannot, as it were, repofe themfelves for a certain time, and 

 at another, fo ad as to colled their whole force ; and this may be the reafon why our 

 fruits never reach the perfection they acquire in Europe. Perhaps, among thofe of the 

 country, there are alfo fome which might be improved by changes in the feafons ; for 

 even the tree which produces the mofl delicious fruit that I am acquainted with, lofes its 

 leaves every year. 



This fruit, which I can compare to none of ours, and which I fhould be tempted to 

 place in a rank above any, is called Chirimoya : it is frequently larger than the largelt 

 of our apples ; its Ikin is rather tougher, though not quite fo thick as that of our fig, 

 and of deeper colour, and is in a manner covered with fcales, flightly formed, or as they 

 might have been engraven with a chifel j the pulp is white and fibrous, but infinitely 

 delicate. The Anana, when well chofen, and thoroughly ripe, is alfo of exquifite fla- 

 vour, and the moft perfed perfume : but the mofl part of other fruits, which leaves not 

 a little degree of acidity behind their flavour, have in the torrid zone a tafle of caflia or 

 fome other, difagreeable to thofe not accuftomed to it. 



After all, it is not clear that, with additional attention, it would not be poflible, not 

 only to improve the quality of thefe fruits, but to increafe their quantity. Agriculture, 

 notwithflanding the fmiling appearance of the plains, is, as are all other arts, extremely 

 negleded in Spanifh America, where they ignorantly renounce many advantages it 

 would coll them little to benefit from. It will be with difficulty credited, though the 

 fa£l is not to be difputed, confidering the great number of people who go every year 

 into thefe countries, and cannot be conceived entirely ignorant of gardening, that the 

 trees of Peru are all wild : they underftand not here to convey the fap of one tree into 

 another, and as little do they comprehend the utility of thinning them of their branches. 

 Thus mufl we be ignorant of the real value of all thefe fo naturally fertile lands. We 

 can only comprehend that they are capable of being rendered more produftive, fince 

 they are fo very liberal, with fo little trouble to the inhabitants, in their gifts. 



Perhaps the afhes thrown out at the eruption of the volcanoes, when perfedly incor- 

 porated with the foil, may contribute much to its fecundity ; the whole country abounds 



QQ 2 '^ 



