WHOLE VOL. 



ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 



83 



tentive listeners signified approval with hand clapping. The day pre- 

 ceding the occasion two men let it be known that it would be quite 

 proper for me to respond to the addresses to be given in my honor. 

 Later in the day a non-Araucanian instructed me to deliver my ad- 

 dress in oratorical fashion, for then the Araucanians would know that 

 they were being honored by an equal. Following my address at the 

 reception, several persons stepped forward to shake hands with me. 

 A leader complimented me on my intelligent presentation and oratori- 

 cal ability ; I had used force, he said, in proper places, and all had been 

 punctuated with proper pauses ; then he ended by saying, "but I must 

 say, your Spanish needs to be improved and you have a decided 

 foreign accent !" 



Schoolchildren recognized certain boys and girls in their classes 

 as the best orators. Teachers thought it wise to tutor such pupils, 

 especially boys, in the principles that one wished the next generations 

 of Araucanians to follow. Orators, they noted, are the leaders in 

 all areas. According to Cooper's sources, oratory was an avenue to 

 prestige and pubhc office (1946, p. 737). 



COUNTING 



Every schoolboy in Alepue could count orally in Araucanian from 

 I to 1,000. Many could write the numbers also. The numerals in 

 table I were written by two boys. The Araucanian system of count- 

 ing has no zero. (See table 7 for Argentine Araucanian numerals.) 



According to Cooper's sources the numbers from 100 to 1,000 are 

 of Quechua origin (1946, p. 754). The loo-year-old Cofiaripe man 

 said that formerly it was customary to say "one pair" when one meant 

 two of the same kind ; "two pairs" for four of the same kind ; "three 

 pairs" for six of the same kind, etc. A Panguipulli woman had often 

 heard Mapuche say "one pair and a half" when they meant three of 

 a kind. 



Table i. — Numerals in Araucanian {Chile) 



