Ch.VIIL south AMERICA. 95 



and flowers, than in the difference of winter and 

 fummer. 



Before the earthquake in 1687, when this citv 

 fuffered in fo deplorable a manner, the harvefts of 

 wheat and barley were fufficient to fupply the wants 

 of the country without any importation, efpecially 

 of wheat but by this convulfion of nature, the foil 

 was fo vitiated, ihat the wheat rotted foon after it 

 v/as fown, occafioned, probably, by the vaft clouds 

 of fulphureous particles then exhaled, and the prodi- 

 gious quantities of nitrous ehluvia diffufed through it^, 

 This obliged the owners of the lands to apply them ta 

 other ufes, and accordingly many of them were turned 

 into meadows of clover, plantations of fugar-canes, 

 and other vegetables, which they found not fubject to 

 the fame misfortune. After the land had continued 

 forty years in this ftate of fterility, the hufbandmen 

 began to perceive fuch an alteration in the foil, as 

 promifed a fpeedy yeturn to its former goodnefs. 

 Accordingly fome trials were fuccefsfully made with 

 wheat, and by degrees that grain was found to 

 thrive as before that dreadful event. But whether 

 it be from the other plants, which have been culti- 

 vated in thofe parts, or from any miflruft of the 

 hufbandmen, the fame quantity has not been fown 

 as before. It is natural to think that the late dread- 

 ful earthquake mull have had the fame pernicious 

 effeds on the foil. Though by means of the eftaWilh- 

 ment of the corn trade with Chili fmce that time, 

 the confequcnces will not be fo fenfibly fek. The 

 fields , in the neighbourhood of Lima are chiefly 

 fown w^ith clover, of which there is here a confump- 

 tion not to he paralleled in any other place it being 

 the common fodder tor all beafl:s, particularly the 

 mules and horfes, of w:hich there is here an incon- 

 ceivable number. 



The other parts of the country are taken up with 

 plantations already mentioned, among which thofe 



' ' of 



