672 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



of a reddlfh tint towards the root, and their points refembling thofe of a cock, being very- 

 hard and fharp. Thefe are the weapons they make ufe of againft the other birds, par- 

 ticularly thofe of prey, as hawks, and others of that kind, which probably abound the 

 more in this country, from the great variety of prey it affords them. 



Among the finging birds is the goldfinch, in every particular refembling thofe of 

 Spain, except a fmall variation in its plumage. There are befides others proper to this 

 country, and met with in all the cold climates, particularly the piches, which are fome- 

 thing larger than fparrows. They are of a brown colour, fpotted with black, except 

 their breaft, which is of a moll beautiful red, and fome feathers of the fame colour in 

 their wings, intermixed with others of a bright yellow. Amidft all the fertility of this 

 countrv, the only infe£ts are the niguas or piques ; and though fome fnakes are found 

 - in the fields and woods, their bite is not dangerous. Neither are the country peafants 

 under any apprehenfion from ravenous beafts ; fo that nature may be faid to pour her 

 treafures on this country, without blending them with the ufual inconveniences. 



The fruits which moftly abound in Chili, are of the fame kind as thofe known in 

 Europe ; its cherries in particular are large, and of a fine talle. The ft ra wherries are 

 of two kinds, one called frutillas, and are larger than thofe of Quito, wanting little of 

 being equal to a hen's egg in magnitude. The other, which in fize, colour and tafte, 

 perfeftly refemble thofe of Spain, grow wild, on the fide of the eminences with which 

 the plains are interfperfed. And here alfo grow all kind of flowers, without any other 

 culture than that of benign nature. 



Among the remarkable herbs, of which many are medicinal, and others applied to 

 divers ufes, is the panque, of great fervice in tanning leather. It abounds every where, 

 and grows to about four or five feet from the ground. The principal ftem, which is of 

 a foft fubftance, is betwixt four and five inches in diameter, and about two feet and a 

 half in height, feparating there into feveral branches, bearing round, ferrated, rough, 

 and thick leaves, and fo large that their diameter, when full grown, is feldom lefs than 

 a foot and a half, and fometimes two feet. Before the plant is fit to be cut, when the 

 leaves begin to turn red, the peafants make an incifion into the bark, and fuck the juice, 

 which is very cooling and aftringent ; but as foon as ever the leaf is obferved to turn 

 white, an indication of decay, they cut the plant down at the root, take off the branches, 

 and divide the ftalk into fhort pieces, which being dried in the fun make an excellent 

 tan. 



Befides this rich variety of produdions on the furface of the earth, the country alfo 

 abounds with valuable mines and quarries ; particularly of Lapis lazuU and loadftone, 

 copper equal to the beft of Europe ; befides feveral of gold ; but no advantage is de- 

 rived from any ; the inhabitants, contented with the plentiful enjoyment of all the ne- 

 cefTaries of life, extend their wifhes no farther, leaving to the curiofity and avarice of 

 others, the laborious fearch after what the earth contains in its bowels. 



This kingdom of Chili feems alfo to have been the firft country of thofe famous 

 horfes and mules mentioned in the firft part. Indeed all thefe creatures found in Ame- 

 rica owe their origin to fome imported from Spain, At prefent however, thofe of 

 Chili furpafs not only thofe of the other parts of America, but even thofe of Spain, from 

 whence they are derived. The horfes firft brought over might poffibly have been of the 

 runmng kind, Spain ftill abounding in that fort. But it muft be owned, that greater 

 care has been taken here of preventing the breed from being mixed with others of a 

 lefs generous fpecies ; and by this means they greatly exceed thofe of Spain ; for with- 

 out any other incentive than their own inclination, before they will fuffer any other to 

 get before them, they will exert their utmoft ftrength ; and at the fame time their 



motion 



