196 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 33 



in the Pacific (pi. 41, i) ; the dugout (wampo; Spanish, canoa) (pi. 

 40, j) and the raft, the balsa (tagi), were used in Conaripe area to 

 transport persons and loads across rivers. 



In all areas rivers were forded on foot, on horseback, and in oxcarts. 

 Bridges were found only where roads had been built by the Chilean 

 Government or by private lumbering firms. Creeks were forded on 

 foot or were crossed on footbridges consisting of one or several logs 

 at convenient places. 



It is a man's duty, in general, to do the family selling, buying, and 

 trading ; consequently men travel greater distances than do women and 

 children. A few men informants of all areas had traveled as far as 

 Santiago (a day and night trip on a local train) ; no women had. All 

 men informants had been to the largest trading center near their area: 

 for Alepue area, Valdivia (49,000 population) ; for Panguipulli and 

 Cofiaripe areas, Villarrica (4,600) ; for Boroa area, Nueva Imperial 

 (6,600). Many women in Boroa had been to Nueva Imperial, their 

 nearest large city; only a few women in Alepue, Panguipulli, and 

 Conaripe areas had been to their respective large centers. Of 21 

 children in an Alepue school, all but one girl had been to San Jose de 

 Mariquina, the nearest trading center, a distance of 3 to 4 hours on 

 horseback. Half of the boys had been to Lanco, a greater distance ; one- 

 third, to Lancoche, still farther away ; but none of the girls had been 

 to either of these places. 



TRADE, EXCHANGE, AND CURRENCY 



Bartering, as in former days, is still the prevailing form of trade 

 among the Araucanians themselves. "When we were married, we 

 were very poor," said a 60-year-old Conaripe woman. "We cleared 

 a piece of land and planted wheat in it. At harvest time I exchanged 

 for cows and sheep with Mapuche around here, who were in need of 

 wheat, all the wheat that we could spare. Soon we had a number of 

 animals, and that is how we got our start." A man in the same area 

 exchanged a horse for two and a half sacks of wheat — a sack approxi- 

 mated a hundred kilograms. A woman was seen exchanging sugar 

 for both wheat and flour; another paid for yerba mate with a hen. 

 Children in all areas were seen bartering, among themselves, such 

 things as marbles for tops, pencils for paper, tortillas for other things. 



Borrowing, too, was done in all areas. Such needed things as axes, 

 hoes, screwdrivers, plows, oxcarts, hats, needles, kettles, were being 

 borrowed. Unfailingly things borrowed were returned. Families 

 helped each other out with sugar and flour ; equal amounts were re- 

 turned when a new supply was obtained. 



