156 



The vine produces wonderfully, and the soil 

 appears to be peculiarly favourable to it, as the 

 thickets are filled with wild vines (the seeds 

 havinii; been carried thither by birds) from whose 

 grapes the country people obtain a very good 

 wine ; but the cultivated vines produce delicious 

 grapes of the best quality. From the borders 

 of Peru to the river of Maule^ the mode of cul- 

 tivating the vines is by raising; the sets to the 

 height of th.ee or four feet by nieans of props 

 or forked stakes which support them ; but 

 beyond that river they are planted upon tiie de- 

 clivities of hills^ and reclined on the ground. 

 Tile grapes in the highest estiinaticn arc those 

 that grow upon the shores of the Itata. The 

 wine obtained from them is the best in Chili ; it 

 is called Conception wiiie^ and is usually red, of 

 a g-ood body, an excellent flavour, and not in- 

 ferior to the first wines in Europe.* A great 

 quantity of this wine is annually exported to 

 Peru, but it loses much of its pleasant flavour 



from being put into casks that are daubed over 

 on the irihide with a kind of mineral pitch, 



* Tiie country is full of Iiill.s, with fine vinevaicls on their 

 lops', wliic'i |)ro(iuce very excellent wi'.ies. Feuillo, vol. ii. 



'i'iie wines of '^t. Jago are of .-eve ral hinds, and altliough 

 inh iidr to those of Conception, aie very well tasted, an i of 

 a ;iood body. American GazetUcr ; article Chili. 



That wine \\i.ic;i is exported from Clsili to Paraguay, is 

 r^:d, thick, and sweet, but has a certam liarshness. E. E. 



Dohrizhojer, T, 2. p. 22g. 



