676 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



thicknefs in every part is about four or five lines j and being large, compafl:, and 

 heavy, is preferred to all others for making lime. 



The bulgados, in the Canaries called bulgaos, are fnails, not at all differing in 

 their form from the common; but larger than thofe of the fame name found in 

 gardens, being from two inches to two inches and a half in diameter. The fliell is 

 alfo very thick, rough on the outfide, and of a dark brown colour ; and next to the 

 preceding makes the beft lime. 



All thefe fpecies of fliell-fifh are found at the bottom of the fea in four, fix, ten, and 

 twelve fathom water. They are caught by drags ; and what is very remarkable is, that 

 no fhells, either the fame, or that have any refemblance to them, are feen either on the 

 Ihores continually wafhed by the fea, or on thofe tracks which have been overflowed by 

 an extraordinary tide. They adhere to a fea-plant, called Cochayuyo lake-herb, the 

 Indians making no nominal diilinftions between the inland lakes and the fea, calling 

 both cochas. This plant refembles the bejuco ; its diameter is about half an inch, and 

 from its root to its extremity of an equal thicknefs. In length is from twenty to 

 thirty toifes, producing at every eighteen inches, or fomething more, a leaf about a 

 yard and a half or two yards in length ; but the breadth, which is in every part the fame, 

 does not exceed two or three inches. It is remarkably fmooth, which, together with a 

 vifcid liquor, with which it is covered, gives it a very fine glofs. The fame may be faid 

 of the fteih, which is extremely flexible, and ftrong. Its colour is of a pale green, but 

 that of the leaves more vivid. This plant divides itfelf into feveral branches, equal in 

 dimenfions to the main Item. Thefe branches fuccefllvely produce others of the fame 

 proportion ; fo that the produce of one fingle root covers a prodigious fpace. A1: the 

 joints, where the branches fpring, are found this kind of fhell-fifh, where they both 

 receive their nourifhment, and propagate their fpecies. The extremities of thefe cocha- 

 yuyos float on the furface, and in fome lakes, where the water has remained a long time 

 undifturbed, form a kind of carpet. At the junction of the fl:alk of every leaf with the 

 ftem, is a berry refembling a caper, but fomething larger, fmooth and glofly on the fur- 

 face, and exaftly of the fame colour with the ftem. 



The feas on thefe coafts abound in excellent fifli, though not in fo great a degree as 

 thofe near Juan Fernandes. Here are feen in particular a great number of whales, 

 which come even into the bay ; alfo tunny-fifli and fea-wolves. Among the amphibious 

 creatures, here is one known all along thefe coafts, and even at Callao. It is called 

 Pajaro Nino, the bird-child. It in fome parts refembles a goofe, except that its neck 

 and bill are not arched, and is fomething larger. It has a thick neck, a large head, and 

 a ftrong fliort bill. Its legs very fmall, and in walking the body is in an ereft pofition. 

 Its wings are fmall, cartilaginous, and nearly refemble the fins of the feal. Its tail is fo 

 fmall as hardly to be diftinguifhed ; its wings and whole body are covered with a fliort 

 brown hair, like that of the fea-wolves, and generally full of white fpots, though fome 

 are of other colours ; fo that, upon the whole, the bird makes no difagreeable appear^ 

 ance. It lives promifcuoufly either in the water or on land ; on the latter it is eafily 

 taken, being very flow in its motions ; but when attacked, bites feverely, though it is 

 obferved never to be the firft aggreflbr. 



CHAP. VII. — Defcription of the City of Santiago, the Capital of the Kingdom of Chili. 



AFTER giving an account of all the cities and places of note through which w* 

 paflfed, I muft not omit the capital of the kingdom of Chili. We had not indeed occa- 



9 fion 



