298 VALDIVIA. [cuAP. xIV. 
ground. During the ensuing summer the stump throws out long 
shoots, and sometimes even bears fruit: I was shown one which 
had produced as many as twenty-three apples, but this was 
thought very unusual. In the third season the stump is changed 
(as I have myself seen) into a well-wooded tree, loaded with 
fruit. An old man near Valdivia illustrated his motto, “ Ne- 
cesidad es la madre del invencion,” by giving an account of the 
several useful things he manufactured from his apples. After 
making cider, and likewise wine, he extracted from the refuse a 
white and finely flavoured spirit ; by another process he procured 
a sweet treacle, or, as he called it, honey. His children and 
pigs seemed almost to live, during this season of the year, in his 
orchard. 
February 11th.—I set out with a guide on a short ride, in 
which, however, I managed to see singularly little, either of the 
geology of the country or of its inhabitants. There is not much 
cleared land near Valdivia: after crossing a river at the distance 
of a few miles, we entered the forest, and then passed only one 
miserable hovel, before reaching our sleeping-place for the 
night. The short difference in latitude, of 150 miles, has given 
a new aspect to the forest, compared with that of Chiloe. This 
is owing to a slightly different proportion in the kinds of trees. 
The evergreens do not appear to be quite so numerous; and the 
forest in consequence has a brighter tint. Asin Chiloe, the lower 
parts are matted together by canes: here also another kind (re- 
sembling the bamboo of Brazil and about twenty feet in height) 
grows in clusters, and ornaments the banks of some of the 
streams in a very pretty manner. It is with this plant that the 
Indians make their chuzos, or long tapering spears. Our resting- 
house was so dirty that I preferred sleeping outside: on these 
journeys the first night is generally very uncomfortable, because 
one is not accustomed to the tickling and biting of the fleas. I 
am sure, in the morning, there was not a space on my legs of 
the size of a shilling, which had not its little red mark where 
the flea had feasted. 
12th._We continued to ride through the uncleared forest ; 
only occasionally meeting an Indian on horseback, or a troop of 
fine mules bringing alerce-planks and corn from the southern 
plains. In the afternoon one of the horses knocked up: we 
