1 769.

rally, the heats here fhould be exceffively intenfe; efpecially as the air is, in itself, both warm and dry; but a fouth wind, which blows regularly every day, tempers them greatly. In the fouthern diftrict, the weather is fometimes very cold and nipping. Trees of the fame kind with thofe of Europe are pretty fcarce here; but there are others no way inferior to the best we can boast of.

On the banks of a little river, called Sinta, there are cedars furpaffing, in height, the talleft we know of; and, near the ancient city of Gualdalcazar, which fubfifted but a thort time, there are whole forests of them, whofe trunks measure above three fathoms in circumference. The Quinaquina is very common here. It is a large tree, whose wood is red, sweet scented, and yields an odoriferous rofin. The fruit is a bean, larger than thofe of other trees of the fame fpecies, very hard, and medicinal. There are whole forefts of palm trees, from eight to twelve leagues in extent. Thofe, which grow on the Pilco Mayo, are as tall as the talleft cedars. The pith or the heart of this tree, dreffed with marrow, eats very well. The Rival is a tree armed all over with pretty large and very hard thorns. The leaves of it chewed are deemed fovereign in all complaints of the eyes. Its fruit is (weet and agreeable. There are two fpecies of Gayoc. The most esteemed is that called by the Spaniards Palo Santo.

The number of fimples found in Chaco is, in a manner, infinite; and Father Locano fcruples not to affirm, that fpecifics have been discovered among them for every diforder. Perhaps we might, without any exaggeration, fay the fame thing of all the inhabited and habitable countries of the globe; for, furely, there can be no difficulty in believing, that the author of nature has granted every climate the fimple and natural remedies, which it ftands in need of. Don't we every where fee animals, conducted by mere instinct, have recourfe to them, in their wants, and ufe them with more fuccefs, than man himself? And it is the fame thing with the Indians; as if this inftinct, by which brutes are fo well governed in all parts of the world, came to the affiftance of men deftitute of the refources of art; or,

311

as if neceffity rendered them more attentive to tudy nature, upon which art fhould ground all its rules and principles. In fhort, they make in Chaco, not only bread, but very good li quors, with feveral kinds of grain and other vegetable productions. But the Indians often abufe this bleffing, by making their liquors too strong, and ufing it too freely, fo as to fall into all the exceffes, with which drunkenaefs is generally attended.

The fur of the lions of this country is red and very long. Thefe animals are fo very gentle, or rather cowardly, that they fly at the barking of a dog, and fuffer themselves to be taken, when they have not time to get into a tree. As to the tygers, befides the advantage of making the water as well as the earth contribute to their fubfiftence, they are as large, and at least as fierce, as thofe of Tucuman, but they lose all their ftrength on being wounded in the region of the loins. There are, in this province, fix kinds of geefe; all manner of tame fowl fit for the table; black and red goats as in Tucuman, and fome white goats on the banks of the Pilco Mayo; boars of two colours, grey and black, befides hares, deer, oftriches, and water wolves, the fame as in the adjacent provinces.

What the Spaniards call the great heat, is the Anta or Danta, of which I have already faid fomething; for, by Father Locano's account of it, that of Chaco differs a little from that of which I have already given a description from Father Montoya. This animal, Father Locano tells us, has the head of a horfe, the ears of a mule, and on his fnout a trump, which he ftretches out when threatened; the lips of a calf, fharp teeth, a fhort tail, and flender feet, the fore ones cloven in two, the hinder ones in three; two ftomachs, one of which ferves him for a ftore-house, where are sometimes found pieces of rotten wood; and Bezoar ftones, deemed the best of any that come from America. His fkin, which is covered with long brown hair, when hardened in the fun, and then dreffed into buff, is impenetrable, even by mufket balls. As to his flesh, it differs in nothing from beef. The hoof of the left fore foot has the lame virtue with that attributed to the eike, or orignal of Cana

daf

312 da; and, accordingly, he makes the fame ufe of it in the fits of the epilepfy, or fome other fuch diforder, to which he is fubject. We are affured, in fine, that when he finds himself overstocked with blood, he opens one of his veins with a point of a reed; and that it is from him the Indians have learned the use of the fame operation.

The Guanaco, or Huanaco, known in England, whither two of them were brought from Buenos Ayres in the year 1723, by the name of Wa. notra, which, it is probable, fome other people of America give it, is common in Chaco, and yields Bezoar ftones, that weigh three pounds and a half. The Indian, who first made the Spaniards acquainted with this animal, was for his pains, it is faid, put to death by his countrymen. This animal is a kind of diminutive camel; he has nothing amifs about him but his faliva, which gives the itch, and which he cafts upon his purfuers. The Guanacoes are never feen but in flocks, unless perhaps in defart places. When they graze thus together, one of them always ftands fentry upon an eminence, to alarm the reft, by a kind of neighing, of the approach of the hunters; when they all fly to places furrounded with precipices; the females with their young ones marching before them. The flesh of the Guanaco is white, and though a little dry, tolerably well tafted.

The other animals found in Chaco are the Zorillo, which does not appear to differ from the ftinking beaft of Canada; the Capivara, an amphibious creature fhaped like a hog, the Indians are very fond of its flefh, as well as that of the Otter, which is very common in this country, and has a very fine fur; the Iguana, which refembles greatly that of Hifpaniola; the Quinquinchon, which is fhaped like a hog, and with his paws and his fnout digs himself a hole in the earth of between three and four feet diameter, in which he hides himself. On his back he carries a very hard fhell by way of house, into which he occafionally folds himself, and his belly is armed with fcales, from which there grows very long and very thick hair. It is faid, that the Quinquinchon fometimes lies down upon his back to receive the rain wa

June

ter, and remains in this posture a whole day, till fome thirsty deer comes to drink out of his fhell; when he im mediately feizes her by the lips, and fo keeps her, in fpite of all her endea vours, till fhe is ftifled; when he feeds upon her. Some Englishmen prefented his Britannic majefty with two of these animals, alive, in the year 1728. The flesh of the Quinquinchon has a pretty difagreeable fcent.

There is another fpecies of this animal, called in Paraguay Tatou, and in Tucuman Mulica, or Bulica, which is, they tell us, when folded up within his fell, as round as a ball, with all the fcales fo curiously united, that not a fingle feam can be difcerned between them. The Tatou has no hair. His fleh differs in nothing from that of a fucking pig. There are likewife fome of thefe creatures in Brazil, and the island of Granada. In fine, there is in the vallies leading to Chaco, a fpecies of theep called Llamaez, which one would take for little camels, had they any lump on their backs. The Indians make ufe of them to carry burthens, tho' their march is to flow, that it is impoffible to make them travel more than three leagues a day; and if once they lie down with wearinefs, they permit themselves to be killed rather than get up again with their burthen.

Some authors have affirmed, that Chaco does not produce any venomous animals. Yet it is certain that feveral have been found there; but then antidotes are ftill more common. The molt fovereign are viper's herb, and the contrayerva, both male and female. Father Locano imagines, that the viper's herb is the triffage of Diofcorides. The other antidotes are the colmillo de vibora, or the Solimon de la tioja, tobacco leaves, the stalk and ear of maiz, the thank bone of a cow broiled and applied to the wound, from which it falls of itself when it has imbibed all the venom. The efficacy of this bone is greatly encreased by bathing it in milk and wine.

It would be very furprizing, if, in fo fine a country, there were no bees. The forefts are all fo full of them, that in feveral there is fcarce a fingle tree without a colony of these precious infects; fo that though the wafps carry on a conftant and cruel war againit

them

them, this province alone could fupply great part of America with wax and honey, of a fuperior kind to thofe of any other country we know of. Authors fay nothing of the birds of Chaco, which probably are the fame with thofe in the adjacent provinces. The filence of hiftorians, in regard to their notes, leaves room to be. lieve, that here, as well as in every other part of the new world, this tribe of the animal creation does not charm the ears with its mufic, as much as it does the eyes by the vivacity and variety of its plumage.

Cuftoms and Manners of the Chaconefe

and the Guaranis.

IN general, the inhabitants of Chaco are all of an advantageous ftature; and there have been found men among them above seven feet high. Their features differ greatly from ours; and the colours, with which they paint themfelves, give them an afpect, with which ftrangers cannot, at first fight, help being terrified a little. And, accordingly, they pretend by this means to ftrike a terror into their enemies. A Spanish captain, who had ferved with reputation in Europe, having been commanded against fome Indians of Chaco, that lived pretty near Santafé, was fo thunder-ftruck with their appearance, that he fainted away. Moft of the men go quite naked, all to a parcel of feathers, of different colours, hanging to a ftring about their waift. But, at their publick solemnities, they wear caps made of the fame feathers. In very cold weather, they wrap themselves up in a kind of cap and cloak made of fkins pretty well dreffed, and adorned with painted figures. Among fome nations the women are not better covered than

the men.

The bad qualities common to all these people are ferocity, inconftancy, perfidy, and drunkennefs. They are all sprightly, though very dull of apprehenfion in every thing that does not fall immediately under the fenfes. There is, properly speaking, no form of government among them; every town, indeed, has its Cacique; but thefe chiefs have no authority, but in proportion to the efteem they have acquired. Several do nothing but rove from place to place with their June, 1769.

furniture, which confifts of nothing but a mat, a hammock, and a calebath. The cabins of thofe, who live in towns, are, among feveral nations, no better than wretched hovels made with branches of trees, and covered with ftraw, or rather grafs. Thofe who live neareft to Tucumen are, it it feems, better lodged and better clothed.

Their favourite liquor is the chica, of which, I have already made mention. They affemble to drink it, and to dance and fing; and in thefe exercifes they perfift, till they are all drunk. They then quarrel; and from words foon proceed to blows, fo that their merry makings feldom terminate

without blood-fhed, if not in the death of fome of the guests. Several take advantage of the confufion to be revenged of their enemies. Thefa exceffes are almoft peculiar to the, men. The women generally withdraw the moment they perceive the liquor begins to get the better of the men, and carry off with them all the arms they can lay their hands upon. A fmail matter is fufficient to breed a war between these nations; but their unconquerable inveteracy against the Spaniards easily unites them again, on the firft alarm from that quarter.

Almoft all thefe Indians are antropophagous, or men-eaters; have, no other occupation but war and pillage, which they exercife with fuch craft and obftinacy, that they have

rendered themfelves formidable to

their neighbours, particularly the Spaniards, who don't chufe to engage them, even when furprized, with equal arms; their courage, in that cafe, changing to fury. Nay, many of their women have been known, on fuch ocafions, to fell their lives at a very dear rate, rather than furrender to the beft-armed foldiers. When once they have refolved to plunder a country feat, or village, there is no art they don't practice to lull the inhabitants into a fatal fecurity, or get out of their way when they have ftruck their blow. They will watch, for whole years, the opportunity of furprizing them without running any rifk. For this purpose, they have always fpies abroad, who never march but by night; when they make nothing of crawling along, if requifite,

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