The far greater number of bullocks and cows that are slaughtered and consumed every year in Chili, comes from the plains of Paraguay,[2] which are in a manner covered by them.  The Puelches bring them through the plain of Tapa-papa, inhabited by the Pteheingues,[3] or unconquered Indians, this being the best pass for crossing the mountains, as being divided into two hills of less difficult access than the others, which are almost impassable for mules.  There is another pass, about eighty leagues from Conception, at the volcano of Silla Velluda, which now and then casts out fire, and sometimes with so great a noise as to be heard even at that city.  In that way the journey is much shortened, and they can go to Buenos Ayres in six weeks.  By these communications they generally bring all the beeves and goats,[4] which are slaughtered in Chili by thousands for their tallow and lard.  This last consists of the marrow of the bones, which serves throughout all South America instead of butter and oil, for making sauces.  The flesh is either dried in the sun, or by means of smoke, to preserve it for use, instead of salt as used in Europe.  These slaughters also afford great quantities of hides, especially goat-skins, which they dress like Morocco leather, by them called cordovanes, and is sent into Peru for making shoes, or other uses.

[Footnote 2:  Paraguay is here used in far too extensive a sense, as comprising the whole level country to the east of the Andes:  The plains of Cuyo are those alluded to in the text.—­E.]

[Footnote 3:  The Pehneuches are probably here meant, who dwell on the west side of the Andes, between the latitudes of 33 deg. and 36 deg.  S. The Puelches on the same side of the Andes, from 36 deg. to 40 deg..—­E.]

[Footnote 4:  Perhaps, instead of the goats in the text, vicunnas ought to be understood.—­E.]

Besides the trade of hides, tallow, and dried meat, the inhabitants of Conception send every year eight or ten ships of forty or fifty tons to Calao laden with corn; besides supplying meal and biscuit to the French ships, which take in provisions there in order to proceed to Peru, and for their voyage back to France.  All this were quite inconsiderable for so fine a country, were it better peopled; since the land is so extraordinarily fertile, were it well cultivated, that they only scratch it for the most part, by means of a plough made of a crooked stick, and drawn by two oxen; and, though the seed be scarcely covered, it produces seldom less than an hundred fold.  Neither are they at any more pains in procuring their vines, in order to make good wine.  Besides which, as they have not the art to glaze their jars in which the wine is secured, to make them hold in, they are under the necessity of pitching them.  And this, together with the goat-skin bags in which it is carried from the estancias, gives it a bitter taste like treacle, and a flavour to which it is hard for strangers to accustom themselves.  The grasses also are allowed to grow without any attention or industry being employed in grafting.  Apples and pears grow naturally in the woods, and in such abundance as it is hard to comprehend how they could have so multiplied since the conquest, as they affirm there were none in the country before.