184^ 



These fish^ when pursued by the whale^ retire to 

 the shallows, where, unable to contend agahist 

 the violence of the waves, they are thrown upon 

 the beach, and become the prey of birds, or 

 when found alive by the inhabitants, are taken 

 and salted for use. Of the fish, the most esteemed 

 are the robalo^ the corvinOt the lisa, and the 

 king-Jisli. 



The rodalo ( esox Chilensis ) is nearly of a 

 cylindrical form, and from two to three feet 

 long. It is clothed with angular scales, of a 

 golden colour upon the back, and silver on the 

 belly, the fins are soft and without spines, the 

 tail is truncated, and the back marked longitudi- 

 nally with a blue stripe, bordored with yellow. 

 The flesh is very white, almost transparent, 

 light, and of a delicious taste. Those taken 

 upon the Araucanian coast are the most in repute, 

 where they are sometimes caught of eight pounds 

 weight. The Indians of Chiloe smoke them, 

 after having cleaned and soaked them for twenty- 

 four hours in sea water, and when sufiiciently 

 dried, pack them up in casks of one hundred 

 each, which are generally sold from two to three 

 dollars. The rohalo prepared in this manner is 

 si^.perior to any other kuid of dried fish. 



The corciiio (spams Chilensis) is nearly of 



the same size as the preceding ; it is sometimes, 



however, found of five or six feet in length 



This iish has a small head, and a large oval bodvj 



I 



