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This province is intersected by three rivers frcm the Andes, 

 that of St. Juan, and those of Mendoza and Tunujan. The two 

 first receive their names from the cities that they lave, and after a 

 course of from^twenty-five to thirty leagues become stationary and 

 form the celebrated lakes of Guanasache, which extend more than 

 fifty leagues from north to south ; and, at length, through a channel 

 that receives the river Tunujan, lose themselves in the Pampas. 

 These lakes abound with excellent trout and king-fish, and all the 

 salt that is used in Cujo is obtained from them. Thé eastern part of 

 this province, called la Punta, presents an appearance entirely 

 different from the rest, and is watered by the rivers Contara and 

 Quinto, and by several other streams. The plains are covered 

 with beautiful trees, and the herbage grows to such a height, as in 

 many places to conceal the horses ; but thunder storms are more 

 violent than in any other part of Cujo, and continue for hours 

 accompanied with immoderate rain. 



Of the trees of Cujo, one of the most remarkable is that called 

 Palma, from its resembling, in its branches and fruit, the palm of 

 Chili ; it differs, however, in its height, which never exceeds 

 eighteen feet, and in the manner of putting forth its branches, 

 which are so near the ground as to prevent the trunk from being 

 seen. Its leaves are hard and terminate in a point as sharp as that 

 of a sword. The fruit, though similar in appearance to the cocoa- 

 nut, contains no kernel or substance that is edible, but merely a 

 few round hard seeds. The most singular part of this tree is the 

 stem, or trunk, which is very large. The outer bark is blackish 

 and is easily detached, this is succeeded by five or six interior 

 layers, of so perfect a texture that they appear as if wrought in a 

 loom. The first is of a yellowish colour and of the consister.cy of 

 sail cloth ; the others regularly decrease in thickness and become 

 gradually whiter to the innermost, which is as fine and white as 

 cambric, but of a looser texture. The thread of these clothy is 

 strong and flexible, but not so soft to the touch as that of flux. Cujo 

 also contains great quantities of the Opuntia, a species of Cuctus 

 that furnishes the cochineal. The natives have a practice of 

 stringing these insects upon a thread with a needle, which commu- 

 nicates to them a blackish tint. This plant produces a woolly 

 fruit of the size of a peach, of a glutinous substance, containing a 

 great quantity of seeds. It is sweet and well flavoured, and is 

 easily preserved by cutting it into slices and drying them in the 

 sun. The tree that produces the Greek or Turkey bean, is common 

 throughout the province ; it is of four kinds, two of which are 



