WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 213 



water, and when the shells drop ofif, they are removed and strung on a 

 strand of nocha for easier handling — "they are very slippery animals." 

 They are then twirled around in hot ashes at the fireplace, and each 

 one is well pounded with a maul or a stone. After this the ashes are 

 washed off and the loko is either fried in deep fat, roasted directly 

 on hot coals, or cooked as stew. If a larger number has been collected 

 than can be eaten at one meal, the surplus, after having been ashed 

 and pounded, is either sold fresh to non-Araucanians or is prepared 

 for drying for future use. In both cases stringing must be more 

 carefully done to preserve them : the round end of one loko must 

 touch the narrow end of the one next to it, which is tipped with a 

 hard shell-like substance; if round ends touch each other they will 

 pack and spoil. So strung, they are hung on the raft of the fireplace 

 to dry. Araucanians will eat them cooked in stews. Non-Araucanians 

 serve them in several ways: deep fried, cut into small pieces and 

 cooked with vegetables as stews, chopped fine in empanadas, or 

 pickled in vinegar and onions and served as an entree. 



Mahihue are sometimes baked in the shell in the fireplace; more 

 often they are boiled in water until they leave the shell. Being tender, 

 they need not be pounded like the loko. If eaten immediately, they 

 are deep fried or cooked as stew ; if not, they are prepared and dried 

 in the same manner as the loko. An Araucanian family gave shelter 

 one stormy night to my interpreter and a companion, both non- 

 Araucanians away from home. For their evening meal the woman 

 in the ruka fed them mafiihue. "The little heads with the horns had 

 not been removed," commented the interpreter. "My companion said 

 those little horned heads nauseated her. I insisted, 'We must eat 

 them or we may offend these people.' But she managed to pinch them 

 off and slip them to the cat." 



Ariso are baked in their shell in contact with hot coals. When well 

 done, the upper part of the shell is cut off, and the substance eaten 

 from the remaining shell. Piure are eaten from the shell, also. They 

 are either baked on hot coals or well boiled in water. "Piure are very 

 good to eat," said a little girl; "they have sea water inside of them- 

 selves. They are a pretty color, too, after they are boiled." 



Seaweeds used as food by families living near the Pacific are luche 

 and cochayuyo. Luche grows to a height of about 2 inches on the tops 

 of rocks close to the shores of the Pacific. "It looks as though it had 

 been sowed there." It is easily pulled off and is collected when the 

 tide is low. It is prepared for eating by rolling it into leaves of nalca 

 to form small bundles. Each bundle is tied tight with strands of 

 fiocha, then put into a shallow hole made outside the ruka, covered 



