Items related to The natural & moral history of the Indies Volume...
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 Excerpt: ... breathe. Therefore, that is most subtile and delicate, whose colde is not so sensible as piercing. All this ridge of mountains is for the most part desart, without any villages or habitations for men, so as you shall scarce finde any small cotages to lodge such as do passe by night. There are no beasts, good or bad, but some vicunas, which are their countrey muttons, and have a strange and wonderful property, as I shall shew in his place.1 The grasse is often burnt, and all blacke with the aire, and this desart runnes five and twenty or thirty leagues overthwart, and in length above five hundred leagues. There are other desarts or places not inhabited, which at Peru they call. Punas2 (speaking of the second poynt we promised), where the quallitie of the ayre cutteth off mans life without feeling. In former time the Spaniardes went from Peru to the realme of Chille by this mountaine, but at this day they do passe commonly by sea, and sometimes alongst the side of it. And though that way be laborious and troublesome, yet is there not so great daunger as by the mountaine, where there are plaines, on the which many men have 1 Lib. iv, cap. xli. 2 Punas are the lofty plateaux of the Andes. INTENSE COLD ON THE PUNAS. 133 perished and died, and sometimes have scaped by great happe, whereof some have remained lame. There runs a small breath, which is not very strong nor violent, but proceedes in such sorte that men fall downe dead in a manner without feeling, or, at the least, they loose their feete and handes; the which may seeme fabulous, yet is it most true. I knew and was long intimate with General Geronimo Costillas,1 one of the first settlers in Cusco, who had lost three or foure toes, which fell off in passing the desart of Chile, being perished with this a...
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherRareBooksClub.com
- Publication date2012
- ISBN 10 1152432044
- ISBN 13 9781152432048
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages104
(No Available Copies)
Search Books: Create a WantIf you know the book but cannot find it on AbeBooks, we can automatically search for it on your behalf as new inventory is added. If it is added to AbeBooks by one of our member booksellers, we will notify you!
Create a Want