WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 363 



Children by themselves, however, fished as their elders did. Today 

 fishing may be done only by those who hold a permit issued by the 

 Argentine Government. 



Formerly a bivalve shellfish called macha was collected by women 

 and children. It lay, unattached, between stones along the shores 

 of lakes. 



FOOD, SHELTER, CLOTHING 



FOOD AND ITS PREPARATION, COOKING IMPLEMENTS, MEALS 



In the early days meat of wild animals was the main food. Chief 

 among these were the guanaco and rhea ; puma and armadillo were also 

 favorite meats. In more recent years, the wild horse, also, was cap- 

 tured for food. 



A favorite dish was raw guanaco meat, still warm, especially the 

 heart and kidneys. Guanaco blood, or the blood of any large animal, 

 was caught during the slaughtering of the animal, mixed with salt 

 and chili, and when coagulated eaten as a delicacy. Another favorite 

 dish was seasoned guanaco lung, known as apoll. Whenever a guanaco 

 was caught alive, it was suspended by the mouth by means of a strap, 

 and its trachea and an adjoining vein were cut. At intervals spoonfuls 

 of salt and chili were poured into the trachea. The guanaco, gasping 

 for air, caused the salt and chili and also blood from the vein to go 

 into the air passage of the lungs. When the lungs were filled with 

 blood and seasoning, the guanaco was killed. The lungs were removed, 

 drawn back and forth through boiling water several times, and then 

 stuck on a pole for everyone to help himself. "We make apoll today 

 from the lung of a lamb, sheep, calf, or goat ; apoll is really delicious." 



Guanaco meat was also broiled in small pieces close to an open fire. 

 Each piece hung off a spit firmly planted slantwise in the ground. 

 Other meats broiled in the same manner were puma, wild boar, 

 huemul, pudu, and horse. Meats of all kinds were also cooked with 

 wild grain — in more recent years with cultivated grains and vege- 

 tables — and eaten as stews. Dog meat was not served as food, but 

 meat of a dog younger than one year was eaten to alleviate stomach 

 ailments. An oversupply of meat was stored as jerked meat (aqim 

 ilo). It was cut into thin slices, salt was pounded well into each slice, 

 and then all slices were hung in the sun and air to dry. 



A rhea (pi. 74, 5) was plucked of its feathers and its skin removed 

 without tearing it. The meat was removed, finely chopped, a mixture 

 of salt and chili worked into it with both hands, and then returned to 

 the skin. The skin with its contents was placed on hot stones at the 



