WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 387 



tion and participation, and sharing responsibilities. Today children 

 attend local rural or village state schools. 



In general, small children grew up without much interference by 

 adults. Customarily a child was not rewarded for work well done; 

 usually the adult interested the child in what it was expected to do. 

 Compulsions consisted in talking to the child in a serious manner, 

 scolding it, and, if necessary, switching it. 



Mental training. — Araucanian is spoken in homes, unless one of the 

 parents is non-Araucanian. School-age children and all adults, except 

 very old persons, speak Spanish, also. Informants told of methods 

 used by their Spanish conquerors to teach them the Spanish language. 

 Dialectic differences were pointed out ; so were words incorporated 

 from the Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani languages. There 

 was no written language in the early days. Pictographs found on 

 rocks in the areas are ascribed to unknown peoples. Oratory, a highly 

 esteemed ability, was formally taught. 



Children count on fingers, and on toes if a greater number than lo 

 is being counted. Numerals range from i to i,ooo; there is no zero. 



Time of day is told rather accurately by the lengthening of shadows ; 

 on sunless days time is merely guessed. The divisions of the day are 

 based on the position of the sun, and are so named. Days were not 

 named, nor were they grouped into weeks. When necessary, days 

 were counted, as each one passed, by tying a knot in a cord or 

 thong. One's age was associated with events of general interest. 

 Seasons had names. 



Weather forecasts were possible for only particular local areas 

 because of land contours and altitudes, except for such general fore- 

 casts as that a very red moon indicated hot weather; black clouds, 

 rain. 



An eclipse of the moon or sun predicted disaster. The morning and 

 the evening stars and several constellations were identified by names. 



Signaling was done by smoke in the daytime, by fire at night, and 

 by the sounds of the trutruka at all times. 



Linear measurements were parts of a finger, hand stretches, arm 

 stretches, and distances between hands. Lengths were often noted 

 by knots made in a strand of yarn, which served as a measuring tape. 

 Measurements on the ground were stepped off. Today, a meter is also 

 used for linear measurements. Clothes were fitted to the person for 

 whom they were intended. 



Quantity measurements were pinches, single handfuls, and double 

 handfuls. 



Diversions. — Visiting was, and still is, a popular pastime. Generally 



