24', Both W. Extending 135 English Miles In
Extreme Length, By 35 In Medium Breadth.
See vol.
V. p. 592, for an
account of the Archipelago of Chiloe. - E.]
[Footnote 260: Shelvocke seems here to describe the harbour leading to
the town or village of San Carlos. - E.]
My pilot carried me the contrary way to that here directed, advising me
to keep near the main land of Chili, which I did till I got to
Carelampo Point, having several small islands to the southward of my
course, which proved unfortunate for me by the loss of my anchor. The
soil of Chiloe is very fertile, producing all sorts of European fruits
and grains, and has fine pasture lands, in which great numbers of cattle
are grazed, particularly sheep. The air is wholesome and temperate; yet
I suspect the winter may be rigorous, being bounded on the west by an
immense ocean, without any land to screen it from the cold moist vapours
brought thither by the tempestuous westerly winds, which generally reign
in these latitudes, and which must render it uncomfortable in the winter
months, as the parallels of latitude to the south of the equator are
much colder than those in the same degrees to the northwards.
In this island they have abundance of very handsome middle-sized horses,
which the natives are said to manage with great dexterity. They have
also an animal, called guanaco or carneso de tierra, that is, sheep
of the country, which very much resembles a camel, but not nearly so
large. They have long necks, and I have seen one of them between five
and six feet high. Their wool or soft hair is very fine. They smell very
rank, and move with a very slow majestic pace, which hardly any violence
can make them quicken; yet they are of great service at the mines in
Peru, where they are employed in carrying the ore and other things.
Their flesh is very coarse, as we experienced, having salted some of
them for our future use. Besides these, the inhabitants have European
sheep and great numbers of hogs, but not many black cattle. The island
has plenty of fowls, both wild and tame. Among the former is a small
species of goose, found on the banks of the rivers, which are
beautifully white, and of an excellent taste. The tame poultry are of
the same kinds with our own.
The natives are almost in all respects the same with those on the
continent of Chili, of moderate stature, with deep olive complexions,
and coarse shaggy black hair, some of them having by no means
disagreeable features. They seem naturally of fierce and warlike
dispositions; but the oppressions of the Spaniards, and the artifices of
the jesuits, who are the missionaries in these parts, have curbed and
broken their spirits. Frezier says, that the Indians on the continent,
to the southward of this island, are called Chonos, who go quite
naked; and that there is a race of men of extraordinary size in the
inland parts of the country, called Cacahues,[261] who are in amity
with the Chonos, and sometimes accompany them to the Spanish
settlements in Chiloe.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 375 of 431
Words from 195252 to 195786
of 224764
