XI.] THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 429 



politically in Argentina. They are, however, true Molu-ches, al- 

 though sometimes confused with the neighbouring 

 aborigines of Patagonia and the Pampas, to whom 

 the Chilian postfix che has also been extended. 

 This very term Puel-che, meaning simply " Easterns," is applied 

 not only to the Argentine Molu-ches, whose territory stretches 

 east of the Cordilleras as far as Mendoza in Cuyo, but also to all 

 the aborigines commonly called Pampeans (Pampas Indians] by 

 the Europeans and Penek by the Patagonians. Under the de- 

 signation of Puel-ches would therefore be comprised the now 

 extinct Ranqual-ches (Ranqueles), who formerly raided up to 

 Buenos-Ayres and the other Spanish settlements on the Plate 

 River ; the Mapo-ches of the Lower Salado, and generally all the 

 nomads as far south as the Rio Negro. 



These aborigines are now best represented by the Gauchos, 

 who are mostly Spaniards on the father's side and 

 Indians on the mother's, and reflect this double 

 descent in their half-nomadic, half-civilised life. These Gauchos, 

 who are now also disappearing before the encroachments of the 

 "Gringos 1 ,'' i- e - the white immigrants from almost every country in 

 Europe, have been enveloped in an ill-deserved halo of romance, 

 thanks mainly to their roving habits, splendid horsemanship, love 

 of finery, and genial disposition combined with that innate grace 

 and courtesy which belongs to all of Spanish blood. But those 

 who knew them best described them as of sordid nature, cruel to 

 their womenkind, reckless gamblers and libertines, ruthless political 

 partisans, at times even religious fanatics without a spark of true 

 religion, and at heart little better than bloodthirsty savages. 



Beyond the Rio Negro follow the gigantic Patagonians, that 

 is, the Tehuel-ches or Chuel-ches of the Araucanians, 

 who have no true collective name unless it be g0 nians. a 

 Tsoneca, a word of uncertain use and origin. Most 

 of the tribal groups Yacana, Pilma, Chao and others are 

 broken up, and the former division between the Northern 

 Tehuelches (Tehuelhet), comprising the Callilchet (Serranos or 

 Highlanders) of the Upper Chupat, with the Calilan between the 



1 Properly Griegos, "Greeks, " so called because supposed to speak ' ' Greek," 

 i.e. any language other than Spanish. 



