103 



to tlieni, and prefer decorating their gardens 

 with exotic* flowers received from Europe, 

 to cultivating- their own'. 



The domestic animals live during the whole 

 year in the open fields^ and from feeding on the 

 aromatic plants, so abundant in Chili, their 

 flesh acquires a flavour superior to what it has 

 in any other country. The Chilians have no oc- 

 casion to provide hay for their cattle, as the 

 herbage never fails, and there is a constant 

 succession of the different plants which serve 

 them for food. In the cities the horses. are fed 

 with barley and a species of clover. Trefoil, 

 called by the Indians gualpuihc, is one of the 

 most common plants of the coimtry; of this 

 there are not less than twelve different kinds to 

 be fonnd in the meadows, which contain much 

 lucerne^ and a species of Venus's comb, com- 

 monly called loiqui lahucn, or aljilerillo, of 

 which the cattle are peculiarly fond. This 

 plant, which I have named scanclix cJiiknsis, is 

 distinguished from the European species by its 

 aromatic odour, by its stem, which is not 

 striated, and by its leaves ; these are larger, 



" The rose-bush was introduced into Peru from Spain : i* 

 .>hot up so luxuriantly that it did not blos.^om. By some ac- 

 cident a rosier ^vas burnt, and tiie youus; shoots from the 

 root flonered. This taught llu'ni to tut the bushes down, 

 and tlaa lliey succeeded. E. E. 



Her r era 5. 1. 6. 



H 4 



