Compendium of the Natural and Civil History of Chile

...only those attributes which suffice to characterize the objects, omitting all others, either as less necessary, or because they are common to all species of the same genus.

This is also the reason I have been content to simply set forth the facts, without delving into the investigation of their causes, nor expanding into reflections that would find their proper place in the plan of a detailed and complete natural history natural history: the study of organisms and the natural world through observation rather than experimentation, but which would contradict the title of my work. It is true that at every step I cite foreign authors original: "autores extraños". The author refers to non-Spanish European travelers and scientists—such as French or Dutch explorers—who had previously written about the region. who deal with the Kingdom of Chile Kingdom of Chile: a territorial division of the Spanish Empire, also known as the Captaincy General of Chile, and this frequency might annoy the sensibilities of some; but I have considered this repetition absolutely necessary, both because I do not expect what I write about such a remote country to be believed on my word alone, and to make it clearly evident that not only do I not exaggerate matters, but I say less than what they affirm.