WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 357 



however, conversant with the literature of early travelers in South 

 America say that trade was carried on with these peoples, especially 

 the Guarani ; that the Guarani, living in what is now southern Brazil 

 and Paraguay, plied the tributaries to the delta of the La Plata River 

 trading with the Araucanians who lived among them. That trade 

 existed with peoples to the north, possibly the Quechua and Aymara, 

 is conjectured, also, because recently airplane pilots who flew the 

 length of the Andes in Argentina reported having observed what may 

 have been a pre-Columbian trade route between the Araucanians as 

 far south as Bariloche and the Aymara and Quechua in what is Peru 

 and Bolivia today. In more recent times trade was carried on mainly 

 across the Andes. 



Passes across the Andes of the early days, still used by Araucanians 

 today, are the Vuriloche Pass in the Bariloche area ; the Tromen Pass 

 from Junin de los Andes (Argentina) to Pucon (Chile) ; and one 

 from Zapala area (Argentina) to El Arco (Chile). (Cf. also pp. 

 261-262 on passes through the Andes.) A footpath along the shores 

 of Lake Quillen is said to be nearly a yard deep. The Vuriloche Pass, 

 because of its low altitude, was the one generally used for the transfer 

 of cattle. Kolupan had helped to drive cattle for sale from his home 

 on the pampa through the passes of the Cordillera into Chile. Swamps 

 in any pass were bridged by trees felled for the purpose. Old people 

 had heard in their youth of a tunnel that led under the Andes. On the 

 Argentine side it was entered at Lake Negro or Cajon Negro. "People 

 have looked for it in recent times, but cannot find it." 



Most frequently trading was by barter. Cattle sold to Araucanians 

 or Whites in Chile, however, were paid for in silver coins known as 

 pesos fuertos (the size of an American silver dollar). Since there 

 was no immediate use for silver, except in making silver ornaments, 

 the pesos fuertos were often either stored in caves or buried. One 

 such cave is said to be on Estancia Huechahue. "Much of the silver 

 could probably be found, but no one today knows where it was buried ; 

 the men who buried it have all died," said Kolupan. Both Araucanians 

 and non-Araucanians noted that silver found in Chile in the early days 

 was brought there in trade by the Quechua and the Aymara; that 

 gold, which was used in trade much later than silver, was mined in 

 what is now Argentina, one gold mine having existed in Chos Malal. 



Although trade today is still often by barter, Argentine currency is 

 a necessity. At the time the present study was being made, items 

 bought with currency by Araucanians were clothing, sugar, yerba 

 mate, flour, kitchen utensils, schoolbooks, wine, araucaria nuts, and 

 dyes. Currency, too, is needed to pay dentist and doctor bills. Articles, 



