112 



Chili produces seven species of the myrtle, all 

 estimable for their beauty and fragrance. But the 

 most valuable is the one called by the Indians ugni^ 

 and by the Spaniards murtilla. The French, who 

 found it in the Malouine islands, have given to this 

 shrub the name of lucet muscat,"^ It usually grows 

 to the height of four feet, and resembles much the 

 myrtle of Tarentum, its branches and leaves being 

 placed opposite each other in pairs; the fiowers are 

 white, have five petals, and produce a round or red 

 berry, the size of a small prune, marked v/ith four 

 green points like the pomegranate. This fruit con- 

 tains several seeds that are fiat and brown, and has a 

 very pleasant aromatic smell perceptible at a great 

 distance. The inhabitants obtain from it a very 

 agreeable odoriferous liquor, which is preferred by 

 foreigners to the best muscat. It requires a long 

 timic to ferment, but, when once clarified, is very 

 clear and has a delicious taste. Before the arrival 

 of the Spaniards and the introduction of the grape, 

 the natives used to prepare vinous liquors from se- 

 veral kinds of shrubs at present neglected, among 

 these were two or three species of the Indian fig, or 

 opuntia, called by the Chilians tunay whose fruit is 

 very fine, and as large as the best European figs. 



A great number of shrubs, from time immemo- 

 rial, have been employed as efiicacious medicines by 



* Its fruit is of a beautiful appearance and very pleasant taste ; 

 by being put into brandy with a little sugar, it forms a very deli- 

 cious liquor, which has in a slight degree the smell of amber and 

 of musk, by no means disagreeable even to those who dislike those 

 perfumes. — Pcrnctty^s Voyage,, vol. ii. 



