39 



which are excellent, and constantly drank by the 

 inhabitants, cannot be considered as any thing but 

 liquefied snow^ vet is this disease wholly unknown 

 in Chili. 



Sect. II. Lakes. Lakes of salt and fresh 

 water are common in Chili. The first are situ- 

 ated in the marshes of the Spanish provinces ; 

 the most remarkable are the Cucalemu, the 

 Caguil, and the Bojeruca, which are from 12 to 

 20 miles in length. Those of fresh water are 

 contained in the interior provinces^ and are the 

 Ridaguel, the Aculeu, the Taguatagua, the La- 

 quen, and the Nahuelguapi ; the two latter, 

 situated in the country of the Araucanians, are 

 the largest. The Laquen, which the Spaniards 

 call the lake of Villarica, is 72 miles in circum- 

 ference, and in the centre of it rises a beautiful 

 little hill in the form of a cone. The Nahuel- 

 guapi is 80 miles in circumference, and has 

 likewise in the middle a pleasant island covered 

 with trees. These lakes are the sources of two 

 considerable rivers ; the first of the Talton, 

 which falls into the Pacific Ocean ; the latter of 

 the Nahuelguapi, which empties itself into the 

 Patagonian Sea, near the straits of Magellan. 

 "VVithin the Andes are also many lakes, but they 

 are of little importance. 



Sect. III. Mineral lVaters.~^\ country like 

 D 4 



