VOL. XXVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 45^ 



springs of running water, brooks, and rivers, with their banks covered with 

 willows, reeds, and wild vines. In their rivers are plenty of fish, especially 

 crayfish, which they keep in a kind of conservatories, till they have occasion 

 for them, which are very large and beautiful. There is also plenty of xicames, 

 of a better taste than those of Mexico. On the mountains there are mescales 

 all the year round, a fruit peculiar to this country ; and in most seasons, large 

 pistachios of several sorts, and figs of different colours. The trees are very 

 beautiful ; and among others, that which the chinos, who are the natives of the 

 country, call palo santo, bears a great deal of fruit, from which they draw ex- 

 cellent frankincense. 



As this country abounds in fruit, so it does no less in grain ; of which there 

 are 14 sorts that the people feed on. They use also the roots of trees and 

 plants, and among others, those of the yyuca, to make bread of. There are 

 excellent skirrets; a sort of red strawberries, of which they eat plentifully; and 

 citrons and water-melons, of an extraordinary size. The land is so good, that 

 most plants bear fruit three times a year: so that with some labour in cultivating 

 it, and skill in managing the water, they render the country exceedingly fertile. 

 Indeed there is no fruit or grain, but what they gather in great abundance. 



Besides several sorts of animals that we knew, which are here in plenty, and 

 are good to eat, as stags, hares, coneys, and the like ; we found two sorts of 

 deer, that we knew nothing of: we call them sheep, because they somewhat 

 resemble ours in make. The first sort is as large as a calf of one or two years 

 old : its head is much like that of a stag ; and its horns, which are very large, 

 like those of a ram : its tail and hair are speckled, and shorter than a stag's : but 

 its hoof is large, round, and cleft like an ox*s. Their fiesh is very tender and 

 delicious. The other sort of deer, some of which are white, and others black, 

 differ less from our sheep : they are larger, and have a great deal more wool, 

 which is very good, and easy to be spun and wrought. Besides these animals, 

 that serve for food, there are lions, wild cats, and many others of the like, as 

 in New Spain. As for fowls, there are in California all that are in Mexico and 

 New Spain ; as pigeons, turtle-doves, larks, partridges of an exquisite taste, 

 and in great quantities : geese, ducks, and many other sorts, both of river and 

 sea-fowls. 



The sea affords plenty of good fish : they take pilchers, anchovies, and 

 tunnys ; which last they catch with their hands on the shore. We often see 

 whales, and all sorts of tortoises. The shores are covered with heaps of shells, 

 larger than those of mother of pearl. Their salt is not from the sea, but out 

 of pits: it is as bright as crystal, and so hard that they are often forced to break 



3 N 2 



