\86 



number of individuals is much greater. The 

 rivers, streams, lakes, and even the small brooks, 

 produce a surprising quantity, especially those 

 beyond the 34th degree of latitude. The kinds 

 most in estimation are the lisa, which 1 have 

 already noticed; the trout; the caitqiU (cyprinus 

 caucus); the malche (cyprinus malchus); the 

 yuli (cyprinus julus); the cumarca, orpeladial 

 (stromateus cumarca); and the Z;agre, or luvur 

 (silurus Chilensis). The bagre has a smooth skin 

 without scales, and is brown upon the sides, and 

 whitish under the belly. In its form it resembles a 

 tad-pole, the head being of a size disproportionate 

 to the length of the body, which does not exceed 

 eleven inches at the most. It has a blunt mouth, 

 furnished like that of the barbel, with barbs. 

 It has a sharp spine on the back fin, like the tro- 

 pical bagre, but its puncture is not venomous, as 

 that is said to be. The flesh is ytllow, and the 

 xmost delicious of any esculent fish that is known. 

 There is said to be another species or variet}' of 

 this fish, inhabiting the sea, that is black, and 

 which I presume is the same that Commod re 

 Anson's sailors called, from its colour, the chim- 

 ney-sweep. 



Eels are found only in the Araucanian pro- 

 vinces, where they are exceedingly plenty, and 

 are taken by the Indians in a kind of basket, 

 placed against the current. The river Talten, 

 which waters those provinces, produces a small 



