155 



and the flavour excellent. Among them the 

 musk melon and the scintti, two marked and 

 constant \ arietiesj are preferred to any other ; 

 and 1 have seen nianv that were two feet in length. 

 The melons begin to ripen in the month of De- 

 cember, and continue imtil the end of Mar. 

 These last, wliich I have called winter melons 

 (invernizi) are g-reen, and will keep perfectly 

 well during the v/inter if they are placed in a 

 situation where the air may have free access to 

 Iheni. 



The inhabitants cultivate seven species of 

 water melons of an excellent kind, but the most 

 esteemed is that called pellata, which has a thin 

 rind like the skin of an apple. This fruit is a 

 native of Jamaica, from whence the Spaniards 

 imported it into Europe, but it is probable that 

 the cuclnigna., which is of the same species of 

 an excellent flavour, v. as cultivated in Chili long 

 before the arrival of the Spaniards. 



I have already spoken of the great fertility of 

 the soil in the production of different kinds of 

 grain ; and shall merely observe in this place 

 that the species of wheat most generally cul- 

 tivated is one without beard, called mutjca; this 

 is sosved in August, and the crop reaped in De- 

 cember, ilenip and fiax grow extremely well in 

 Chili; but as the exportation of it is rigorously 

 prohibited, the inhabitants raise no more than is 

 wanted for inicrnal consumption, 

 i 



