532 



ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 



yielding with a tremulous motion to the preiTure of the foot, and on its being taken off, 

 recover their form. 



In the places where the puchugchu thrives beft, alfo grows the canchalagua, the 

 virtues of which are well known in Europe. The form of this is like a very thin rufh 

 or draw ; bears no leaves, but has a few fmall feeds at its extremity. It is medicinal, 

 and particularly ufeful as a febrifuge ; its tafte is bitter, which it eafily communicates 

 either by infufion or decoftion. In this country, it is chiefly ufed as a fweetener of the 

 blood, though thought to be of a hot quality. It grows in great quantities, and is 

 found both among the puchugchu, and in other parts on the heath, where the cold is 

 lefs intenfe. 



Another plant, not lefs valuable for its virtues, and growing chiefly in thofe dreadful 

 deferts where, either from the feverity of the cold or perpetual fnows, or from the 

 badnefs of the foil, nothing elfe is produced, is found the fo celebrated calaguala ; its 

 height is about fix or eight inches, and naturally fpreads itfelf in thin ftems along the 

 fand, or climbs up the rocks. Thefe branches, in their form, refemble the fibril of 

 the roots of the other plants, being not above two or three lines in their greateft thick- 

 nefs, round, and full of little knots, where they bend round like the tendrils of a vine. 

 They have a thin pellicle of a loofe texture, which of itfelf feparates when the plant 

 dries. The mofl; fmgular virtue of this plant is for all kinds of impoflihumes, internal 

 or external, which it difcufles and heals in a very little time. The manner of admini- 

 ftering it is by decodlion, of which a very little ferves ; or, after bruifmg it, to infufe it 

 in wine, and take it fafl;ing for three or four days, and no longer, its good effeds in 

 that time being ufually confpicuous j and being extremely hot, it might prove perni- 

 cious, if taken in greater quantity than abfolutely neceflary ; for which reafon only, 

 three or four pieces, each about an inch and a half in length, are ufed for the infufion, 

 and with fuch fort of wine as will beft corredt its bitternefs. Though this excellent 

 herb grows in mofl: of thofe frozen deferts, yet the beft is that in the fouthern province 

 of Peru. The leaves are very fmall, and the few it bears grow contiguous to the 

 ftem. 



The paramos, or barren heaths, likewife yield the contrayerva, which makes a part 

 of the materia medica in Europe, and is confidered as an excellent alexipharmic. This 

 is alfo a creeping plant, with a leaf, of about three or four inches in length, and a little 

 more than one in breadth, . thick, the back part of it exceeding foft to the touch, 

 and of a deep green. The other fide is alfo fmooth, but of a light green. On its 

 ftem grows a large bloflbm, confifting of many flowers inclining to a violet colour ; 

 but neither thefe nor the other flowers, which grow in great abundance in thefe coun- 

 tries,, according to its feveral climates, are much efteemed ; fo that, when wanted, the 

 readieft way is to fend and have them cut from the plant. 



Though the feverity of the air on the deferts is fuch, that all animals cannot live 

 there, yet they afford many beafts of venery, which feed on the ftraw or rufli peculiar 

 to thofe parts ; and fome of thefe creatures are met with on the higheft mountains, 

 where the cold is intolerable to the human fpecies. Among the ruflies are bred great 

 numbers of rabbits, and fome foxes, both which, in their appearance and qualities, 

 refemble thofe of Carthagena and other parts of the Indies. 



The only birds known in thofe rigorous places are partridges, condors, and zumba- 

 dores or hummers. The partridges differ fomething from thofe of Europe ; they 

 nearly refemble the quail, and are very fcarce. 



The condor is the largeft bird in thefe parts of the world ; its colour and appearance 

 refemble thofe of the galinazos, and fometimes it foars from the higheft mountains fo 



as 



