Ch. IX. SOUTH AMERICA. 277 



being joined by other nations, they return in fuch 

 numbers, that all refiftance would be temerity, and 

 ?gain take poíkíTion of their former habitations. 

 Thus Chili has alv/ays been expofed to their infultsj 

 and if a very few only call for a war againlt the Spa- 

 niards, the flame immediately fpreads, and their mea- 

 fures are taken with fuch fecrecy, that the firit decla- 

 ration of it is, the murder of thofe who happen to be 

 among them, and the ravages of the neighbouring 

 villages. Tneir firft ftep, when a vvar is agreed on, is, 

 to give notice to the nations for affembling; and this 

 they call Correa la Fletcha, to llioot the dart, the fum~ 

 mons being fent from village to village, with the 

 utmoft filence and rapidity In thefe notices they 

 fpecify the night when the irruption is to be made, 

 and though advice of it is fcnt to the Indians who re- 

 f-ide in the Spani.Q-j territories, nothing tranfpires : nor 

 is there a fingle inftance, among all the Indians that 

 have been taken up on fufpicion, that one ever made 

 any difcovcry. And as no great armaments are necef- 

 fary in this kind of war, their dcfigns condnue impcnc- 

 trabi;; till the terrible executions withdraw the veil. 



The Indians of the feveral nations being aíTembled, 

 a general is chofen, with the title of I'oqui; and 

 when the night fixed on for executing their defigns 

 arrives, the Indians who live among the Spaniards, 

 rife and mafiacre them. After which they divide 

 themfclves into fmall parties, and deftroy the feats, 

 farm-houfes and villages, murdering all without the 

 ieaft regard to youth or age. Thefe parties afterwards 

 unite, and in a body attack the larger fcttlements of 

 the Spaniards, befiege the forts, and commit every 

 kind of hoiblity ; and their va(t numbers, rather than 

 anydifcipline, have enabled them, on fcveral occafions, 

 to carry on their enterprizes with fucccls, notwith- 

 ftanding all the meafures tiken by the Spanilli gover- 

 nors to prevent them. For though multitudes of them 

 fail on thefe occafions, their army continually receives 

 T 3 larger 



