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tinguish it from the European sheep, which has be* j 

 come very common since the arrival of the Spaniards, 

 gave it the name of chilihueque or rehueque, which, 

 signifies the sheep of Chili. This name is well ap-, 

 plied to it, for excepting the length of its neck and 

 legs, it has considerable resemblance to the sheep. 

 The head of the chilihueque is very much like that* 

 of the sheep ; its ears are also oval and flaccid, the 

 eyes large and black, the nose long and bunched, the 

 lips thick and hanging, the tail of a similar form but 

 shorter, and the whole body covered with a very 

 long and soft wool. The length of the chilihueque, 

 from the upper lip to the root of the tail, is about « 

 six feet, and its height, measured from behind, is 

 nearly four feet. The individuals of this species 

 vary in colour ; there are some of themi which are, 

 white, others brown, black and grey. 



The ancient Chilians made use of these animals; 

 as beasts of burden, and were accustomed to lead 

 them by a rope fastened to a hole made in the rim 

 of the ear, from whence has arisen the errors of seve- 

 ral geographical writers, who have asserted, that the 

 sheep which had been carried to Chili had so far en- 

 creased in size, that they were loaded and employed 

 as mules in the transportation of merchandise. Some 

 writers pretend that, before the arrival of the Spa- 

 niards, the Chilians employed the hueque in the cul- 

 tivation of their lands, and for drawing a kind of 

 cart which they called quetahue. This agrees with 

 the account of Admiral Spilsberg, who says that the 

 inhabitants of Mocha made use of them when he 

 landed there. The chllihueqiies are highly valued 



