Í5S 



all sizes, and in some places they are caught with- 

 out any trouble. The river Cauten, which is three 

 hundred toises broad at its mouth, and of sufficient 

 depth to admit a ship of the line, is, at certain sea- 

 sons of the year, so filled with fish, for seven leagues 

 from its mouth, that the Indians flock thither in 

 large companies, and take an astonishing quantity 

 by striking them from the shores with their lances, 

 formed of a reed, which I have already described, 

 called coliu ; and an equal abundance is to be found 

 in the mouths of all the southern rivers. 



In the Archipelago of Chiloe, where the fish are 

 still more plentiful, the inhabitants place in the 

 mouths of the rivers, and even in certain places on 

 the sea shore, palisades, leaving an opening towards 

 the sea, which, w^hen the tide begins to ebb, they 

 carefully close. On the retiring of the water, the 

 fish enclosed in these wears are left upon the sand, 

 and taken without difficulty. There is almost al- 

 ways a greater quantity enclosed than is wanted by 

 the inhabitants, who come thither from all quarters 

 to obtain a supply, so that they frequently open the 

 gate, and permit the most part to escape with the re- 

 turning flood. 



The cod is as abundant upon the coast of Juan 

 Fernandez as upon the banks of Newfoundland, and 

 caught with equal facility, for no sooner is the line 

 thrown in, than a fish is drawn up. These fish arrive 

 in large shoals, in the months of November and De- 

 cember, upon the coast of Valparaiso. The inhabi- 

 tants formerly paid no attention to this importar^t 



