W RIO NEGRO. [CHAv iv. 



stood several attacks. A man present at one gnve me a very 

 lively description of what took place. The inhabitants had suffi- 

 cient notice to drive all the cattle and horses into the " corral"* 

 which surrounded the house, and likewise to mount some small 

 cannon. The Indians were Araucanians from the south of Chile ; 

 several hundreds in number, and highly disciplined. They first 

 appeared in two bodies on a neighbouring hill ; having there dis- 

 mounted, and taken off their fur mantles, they advanced naked to 

 the charge. The only weapon of an Indian is a very long bam- 

 boo or chuzo, ornamented with ostrich feathers, and pointed by a 

 sharp spear-head. My informer seemed to remember with the 

 greatest horror the quivering of these chuzos as they approached . 

 near. When close, the cacique Pincheira hailed the besiej^cd to 

 give up their arms, or he would cut all their throats. As this 

 would probably have been the result of their entrance under any 

 circumstances, the answ^er was given by a volley of musketry. 

 The Indians, with great steadiness, came to the very fence of the 

 corral : but to their surprise they found the posts fastened toge- 

 ther by iron nails instead of leather thongs, and, of course, in 

 vain attempted to cut them with their knives. This saved the 

 lives of the Christians: many of the wounded Indians were car- 

 ried away by their companions ; and at last one of the under 

 caciques being wounded, the bugle sounded a retreat. They re- 

 tired to their horses, and seemed to hold a council of war. Tiiis 

 was an awful pause for the Spaniards, as all their ammunition, 

 with tlie exceptii^n of a few cartridges, was expended. In an 

 instant the Indians mounted their horses, and galloped out of 

 3ight. Another attack was still more quickly repulsed. A cool 

 Frenchman managed the gun ; he stopped till the Indians ap- 

 proached close, and then raked their line with grape-shot : he 

 thus laid thirty-nine of them on the ground ; and, of course, such 

 a blow immediately routed the whole party. 



The town is indifferently called El Carmen or Patagones. It 

 is built on tiie face of a cliff which fronts the river, and many of 

 the houses are excavated even in the sandstone. The river i:^ 

 about two or three hundred yards wide, and is deep and rapid. 

 The many islands, with their willow-trees, and the flat headlandr., 



* The corral is an enclosure made of tall and strong staket Every 

 ej«tancia, or farming estate, has one attached to it. 



