26 REMARKS AND Ol'INIONS. 



his life among tliese people, and add only a few 

 more observations. 



The last convention between the Spaniards and 

 the Indians was concluded anno 1773. The latter 

 have had, since that time, a resident with the Cap- 

 tain General of Chili, at San Jago, and peace has 

 not been interrupted. La Peyrouse seems to have 

 been purposely deceived, to prevent him, or the 

 gentlemen of his expedition, from making an ex- 

 cursion into the interior of the country. They made 

 him believe that a war was carrying on, of which 

 history is ignorant. They told us that, under present 

 circumstances, the Indians were faithfully attached 

 to the King of Spain, and that they defended the 

 defiles against those of Buenos Ayres. The direct 

 communication of the colony with the mother- 

 country which formerly went over the Cordilleras, 

 by way of Mendoza, the Pampas, and Buenos Ayres, 

 was, during our time, renewed by way of Lima and 

 Carthagena. A parliament, a solemn popular as- 

 sembly of the Indians, at which the Captain General 

 appears in person for the Spaniards, where the 

 interests of the two nations are discussed, and the 

 bond of friendship confirmed, was to be held in a 

 few weeks, at the usual place on the frontiers, Los 

 Angeles ; and we regretted extremely that we must 

 miss this opportunity of witnessing the large as- 

 sembly of a free people, whose history, though re- 

 corded by their hereditary enemies, is so distin- 

 guished for gxeat men and noble actions. 



