VALPARAISO. 155 



bastard rosemary, an infusion of which is drank to strengthen the 

 stomach. Palqui, the yellow and the lilac-flowered ; the last smells 

 like jasmine during the night, but is disagreeable after sun-rise : the 

 plant is hurtful taken inwardly, but useful as a lotion, for swellings 

 and cutaneous eruptions : it is chiefly used for making soap, as it 

 yields the finest ashes, and in the greatest quantities of any plant 

 here. Yerva Mora is a variety of solatium, a specific for complaints 

 in the eyes : there is a beautiful azure-blue variety, with deeply-in- 

 dented leaves. * Manzanilla, so called from its smelling of apples, 

 is a strong bitter, like camomile, and is used in the same manner. It 

 looks like camomile with the outer florets stripped off: the true 

 camomile is called Manzanilla de Castilla. The maravilla or shrubby 

 sunflower, grows abundantly on all the hills around, and affords ex- 

 cellent browsing for the cattle. Mayu f, whose pods furnish a dark 

 powder that makes excellent writing-ink. Pimentella, a kind of sage, 

 with splendid flowers but dull grey leaves, used for rheumatic pains. 

 The quillo quilloe, or white lychnis and tornatilla, a mallow, are 

 also used in medicine; and I saw in the house bundles of dried 

 Cachanlangue, or lesser herb-centaury, which I was assured was a 

 sovereign remedy in spitting blood. Besides all these useful plants, 

 I had gathered the Flor de Soldado, (scarlet celsia,) the Barha de 

 Viejo, a shrub with a small aggregate flower growing in clusters, and 

 smelling like queen of the meadow, andromeda, and the lesser fuscia : 

 so that, considering that it is not yet the season of flowers, I had been 

 pretty successful. I am sorry I know so little of botany, because I 

 am really fond of plants. But I love to see their habits, and to know 

 their countries and their uses ; and it appears to me that the nomen- 

 clature of botany is contrived to keep people at a distance from any 

 real acquaintance with one of the most beautiful classes of objects in 

 nature. What have harsh hundred syllabled names to do with such 

 lovely things as roses, jasmines, and violets? . 



* Such as Smith, in his botany, calls lyrate. See No. 59. in the plates of the leaves, 

 f Belongs to Linnaeus's natural order, Lomentacea. 



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