WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 391 



canians today are Argentine citizens with the privileges and obliga- 

 tions of citizens ; hence, the powers of the cacique are very weak and 

 are greatly limited. 



Land, subsistence, and trade. — To a degree, it is correct to say that 

 in the early days private ownership of land existed. Grazing grounds, 

 however, were owned in common. There is no security in land tenure, 

 today ; and grazing lands are leased. Wealth in the early days con- 

 sisted of sheep and cattle, and more recently these and horses. Today, 

 ownership of 4- footed animals is restricted by the Argentine Govern- 

 ment. 



Wheat and corn have always been cultivated. Plowing was, and is, 

 done with a wooden plow drawn by oxen ; seed is scattered by hand. 

 Every family today has a vegetable garden; many have fruit trees. 

 Horticulture probably began with the introduction of apple trees; 

 groves of wild apple trees can be seen in many parts. 



Domesticated animals, since post-Columbian days, have been cattle, 

 horses, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, and chickens, and in more recent days, 

 turkeys and geese, also. Animals were not branded formerly ; every 

 owner knew his own. 



Old informants recalled the days when trade extended as far as 

 Buenos Aires in the east and Valdivia in the west ; none remembered 

 the days of trade with peoples to the north. Most frequently trade 

 was by barter. Cattle sold in Chile, however, were paid for in silver. 

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

 barter. 



Transporting both persons and luggage by horses already existed 

 when old informants were children. Adults used riding gear ; children 

 rode bareback. The introduction of the oxcart was vividly recalled 

 by old informants. Snowshoes were used when snow was deep; 

 ojotos, when the snow was less deep. Lakes and streams were crossed 

 in dugouts, formerly; today, flat-bottomed boats and commercial 

 steamers are used. Land, today, is traversed on foot, on horse, and 

 in oxcarts. 



Chief among wild animals hunted were the guanaco, puma, rhea, 

 wild boar, Patagonian hare, huemul, Patagonian deer, and the arma- 

 dillo. Wildfowl, too, were hunted. Hunting was done with traps, 

 snares, sticks, boleodoras, bola perdidos, lassos, and spears; bows 

 and arrows were not known to have been used. Dogs were used to 

 chase the huemel to exhaustion. Hunting is practically nonexistent 

 today. 



Fish were speared by men and were also trapped in containers by 



