They Have Cloven Feet
Like Sheep, And Are Used At The Mines To Carry Ore To The Mills; And, As
Soon As Loaded, They Set Off Without Any Guide To The Place Where They
Are Usually Unloaded.
They have a sort of spur above the foot, which
renders them sure-footed among the rocks, as it serves as a kind of hook
to hold by.
Their hair, or wool rather, is long, white, grey, and
russet, in spots, and fine, but much inferior to that of the Vicunna,
and has a strong and disagreeable scent.
The Vicunna is shaped much like the Llama, but much smaller and
lighter, their wool being extraordinarily fine and much valued. These
animals are often hunted after the following manner: Many Indians gather
together, and drive them into some narrow pass, across which they have
previously extended cords about four feet from the ground, having bits
of wool or cloth hanging to them at small distances. This so frightens
them that they dare not pass, and gather together in a string, when the
Indians kill them with stones tied to the ends of leather thongs. Should
any quanacos happen to be among the flock, these leap over the cords,
and are followed by all the vicunnas. These quanacos are larger and
more corpulent, and are also called viscachas. There is yet another
animal of this kind, called alpagnes, having wool of extraordinary
fineness, but their legs are shorter, and their snouts contracted in
such a manner as to give them some resemblance to the human countenance.
The Indians make several uses of these creatures, some of which carry
burdens of about an hundred-weight. Their wool serves to make stuffs,
cords, and sacks. Their bones are used for the construction of weavers
utensils; and their dung is employed as fuel for dressing meat, and
warming their huts.
Before the last war, a small fleet called the armadilla used to resort
yearly to Arica, partly composed of kings ships, and partly those of
private persons. By this fleet, European commodities were brought from
Panama, together with quicksilver for the mines of La Paz, Oruro La
Plata, or Chuguizaca, Potosi, and Lipes; and in return carried to
Lima the king's fifth of the silver drawn from the mines. Since the
galleons have ceased going to Porto-Bello, and the French have carried
on the trade of supplying the coast of the South Sea with European
commodities, Arica has been the most considerable mart of all this
coast, and to which the merchants of the five above-mentioned rich,
towns resort. It is true that the port of Cobija is nearer Lipes and
Potosi; but being situated in a barren and desert country, where
nothing can be procured for the subsistence of man or beast, the
merchants chuse rather to go to Arica, though more distant, as they are
sure to find at that place every thing they need. Besides, they find no
great difficulty in bringing there their silver privately in a mass, and
compounding with the corregidores or chief magistrates to avoid paying
the royal fifth.
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