Ch.V. south AMERICA. 247 



lazuli and loadllone, copper equal to th« .beft of 

 Europe ; befides leveral of gold ; but no advantage is 

 derived from any'; the inhabitants^ contented with the 

 plentiful enjoyment of all the necefTaries of life, ex- 

 tend their vvifhes no farther, leaving to the cuiiofity 

 and avarice of others, the laborious fcarch after what 

 the earth contains in its bowels. 



This kingdom of Chili Teems alfo to have been 

 the firft country of thofe famous horfes and mules, 

 mentioned in the firft volume. Indeed all thefe 

 creatures found in America, owe their origin to fome 

 imported from Spain. At prefent, however, thofe 

 of Chili furpafs not only thofe of the other parts of 

 America, but even thofe of Spain, from whence they 

 are derived. The horfes firft brou2;ht over might 

 pofiibly have been of the running kind, Spain ftill 

 abounding in that fort. But it muft be owned, that 

 greater care has been taken here of preventing the 

 breed from being mixed with others of a lefs generous 

 fpecies and by this means they greatly exceed thcfe of 

 Spain ; for without any other incentive than their own 

 inclination, before they will fuffer any other to get 

 before them, they will exert their utmoft ftrength ; 

 and at the fame time their motion is fo eafy, that the 

 rider is not the ieaft fatigued. In beauty and grace- 

 fulnefs they are not inferior to the famous Andelufian 

 horfes, and at the fame time full of fpirit. Accord- 

 ingly they are every where fo highly valued, that a 

 more acceptable prefent cannot be made to a perfon of 

 the greateft diftindion, than one of theft beafts. Many 

 purchafe them for parade, and befides their being 

 common all over the kingdom, they have been fent 

 even to Quito. The great demand for them, and con- 

 fequcntly their high price, has induced the inhabitants 

 of feveral countries to attempt the breeding of them ; 

 but pone are equal to thofe of Chili. 



The commerce at Conception might be confide- 

 rably increafed, were the country, which is far from 

 R 4 being 



