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a great abiuidaiice, as well as variety, of wood lit for exportation,
as well as home consumption. The following is a list of
the principal trees, with their qualities, and the use to which
they are most adapted.
Avellana {Quadra heterophylla), a handsome tree, in appearance
like the ash of Europe, of a light wood, which shrinks
very much when dry, and may be used with advantage for
oars, being light, strong, and springy, as well as for planking
small vessels below the water, and for the ceiling within ; it is
bad for firewood, being too light. The seed is a nut, about the
size of a cherry, the kernel of which is roasted and eaten. The
tree abounds at Concepcion, and in the country to the south,
and grows on the Peninsula of Lacuy.
Roble {Fagus ohliqua, Mirb.), a lai-ge tree; and, from the
durable quality of its timber, considered the best in the island,
for ground-frames of houses, planks for vessels, and beams.
The piraguas are built chiefiy of this wood. There are two sorts,
one an evergreen, and the other a deciduous-leaved tree. It is
evidently a beech, and the same that grows in all parts of the
Strait of Magalhaens ; the smooth-leafed sort is F. obliqua of
Mirb.—see Bertero, in Mercurio Chileno, No. 14, p. 640.
Tiqui, heavy wood; but esteemed strong and durable. Piraguas
are sometimes built of it.
Laurel, used for house building in-doors, for beams and
rafters, and posts; durable when not exposed to damp, in which
it soon perishes.
Mañu, a tree of great dimensions, tall and straight, the leaf
is like that of a yew; it is a very useful wood in ship-building,
for planks, and, next to alerse, is the best for spars which the
island produces ; but the large trees have a great tendency to
become rotten at the heart, owing possibly to the humidity of
the climate, and to the very wet soil.
As the Adelaide wanted a mast, I sent her round to Castro for
a mañu spar, for which I agreed to pay eighty dollars; but of
twenty trees that were cut down, not one was sound at the heart.
The wood is heavy, with large knots, which penetrate into the
trunk to a great depth. A great deal of this timber grows in
the Gulf of Peñas.
Muermo. There is no wood produced on the island more
useful than the muermo. It is used for timbers, and knees, and
all other purposes of ship-building: and is excellent for the
planks of boats, as it bears wet and dry without sufiering from
either. It is abundant, and much used as firewood, for which it
is well suited.
Luma {Myrtus Luma), a very tough and useful wood, used
for tree-nails, for stakes in fencing, for rafters in the roofs of
houses; and is exported in large quantities to Lima, for shafts
and poles of carriages. The fruit is sweet, and might yield a
strong spirit; it is called cauchao.
Ciruelillo, a small tree, used only for washing-bowls and
boxes; it is of little value.
Quiaka. Of no value.
Tapu, a very crooked tree, growing along the ground in
swampy places. It might serve for floors, and timbers for small
vessels; but it is not used, from its being so very hard.
Tenu, something like muermo, and considered a good wood.
Peta, a species of Myrtus, of which hoops for barrels are
made.
Ralral, considered to be like the wood of the walnut-tree, and
of general use, on account of its toughness and durability ; it is
made into blocks for ships.
Meli, more tough than luma: of this the country people
make pick-axes, for cultivating the ground (Agüeros, p. 1¿7).
Pelu, also tough ; useful for axle-trees and gun-carriages
(Agüeros, p. 127).
Mayten, useful for turning ; and lasts long under water.
The above mentioned are produced on the island; but the
two following, alerse and cypress, are from the main-land, in
the neighbourhood of the Cordilleras. They are not only in
general use in Chilóe, but are exported in large quantities to
all the ports to the northward. The alerse, near Chiloe, is of
better quality than that which comes from Concepcion.
The Cypress is brought to the island in ‘ tablones’ (orplanks),
seven or eiglit feet long, two inches thick, and nine or ten inches
wide, as is also the alerse ; but the latter, from the facility with