CHILI. 



201 



Internal. 



Traffic 

 i.vjth the 

 Indians. 



Sutistic*. Buenos Ayres, Chili sends linen and woollen stuffs, pa-tly 

 ^'V""' imported from Peru, and partly of home manufacture ; 

 ponchos, sugar, snuff, wire, and brandy ; and receives in 

 exchange, wax, the herb para^uay, and negroes. The ex- 

 ports to Spain are gold, which amounted, at the above- 

 mentioned period, to 656,000 dollars ; silver to the value 

 of 24-4.000 dollars ; * a few hides, and a small quantity of 

 Vicugna wool ; and in return, European goods were im- 

 ported to the amjunt of a million of dollars: in both 

 cases a considerable balance remained against Chili. 

 The remittances of silver to Spain are conveyed, every 

 summer, in two vessels, which also carry a part of the 

 gold. The articles of home traffic are ponchos, carpets, 

 stockings, blankets, skin cuats, saddles, hats, and some 

 others, intended principally for the use of the lower ranks, 

 the higher class being in general supplied from the ma- 

 nufactures of Europe. Valparaiso receives provisions ta 

 the value of ten thousand dollars, and supplies the rest 

 of the country with cedar. Chiloe sends to Valparaiso 

 and Conception several kinds of valuable wood, woollen 

 stuffs in the shape of ponchos, quilts, &c. besides dried 

 pilchards and hams, in high estimation for their peculiar 

 delicacy of flavour. The trade with the Araucanian* 

 consists in supplying them with edge-tools, toys, and 

 wine ; for which the Spaniards receive horses, horned 

 cattle, and sometimes even children. The manner of 

 conducting the exchange is thus described by Ulloa : 

 " The Spaniard begins his negotiation by offering the 

 chief of the family a cup of wine ; after this he displays 

 l.is wares, that the Indian may make choice of what best 

 pleases him, mentioning at the same time the return he 

 expects. If they agree, the Spaniard makes him a pre- 

 sent of a little wine; and the Indian chief informs the 

 community, that they are at liberty to trade with that 

 Spaniard as his friend. Relying on this protection, the 

 Spaniard goes from hut to hut, recommending himself, 

 at first, by giving the head of every family a taste of his 

 wine. After this they enter upon business, and the In- 

 dian having taken what he wanted, the trader goes away 

 without receiving any equivalent at that time, and visits 

 the other huts, as they lie dispersed all over the country, 

 till he has disposed of his stock. He then returns to 

 the cottage of the chief, calling on his customers in his 

 way, and acquainting them that he is on his return home. 

 Upon this summons, not one fails of bringing him to the 

 chief's hut whatever had been agreed upon. Here they 

 take their leave of him, with all the appearance of a sin- 

 cere friendship ; and the chief even orders some Indians 

 to escort him to the frontiers, and assist hinrin driving 

 the cattle he has received in exchange for his goods." 

 A surt of fair is held annually on the Spanish frontiers 

 by the Pehuenches, who, besides horses, cattle, skins, 

 wool, gypsum, pitch, fossil salt, feathers, and ostrich 

 eggs, expose also for barter many neat articles of their 

 own manufacture, such as ponchos, bed covers, bridle 

 reins finely wrought of plaited leather, baskets, wooden 

 vessels, &c. for which they expect in return, wheat, wine, 

 and some European commodities. 



The administration of the Spanish provinces is com- 

 mitted to an officer, residing one half of the year at St 

 Jago, and the other at Conception, who is invested with 

 the combined authority of president, governor, and cap- 

 tain general of Chili. During war, he is subordinate in 

 some particular., to the viceroy of Peru, but is otherwise 

 dependent only on the king. In his military capacity, 

 he is at the licad of the army, having under him the four 



Oovern- 



im in. 



Civil ard 

 military. 



governors of Chiloe, Valdivia, Valparaiso, and Juan Fer- 

 nandez, the quarter-master, the sergeant major, and the 

 commissary. In quality of president and governor, his 

 jurisdiction is supreme in matters of a civil nature ; he 

 superintends and presides over the superior tribunals of 

 St Jago, whose authority extends over the rest of the 

 kingdom. Of these, the principal is the Royal Audience, 

 celebrated for its justice and impartiality. It is divided 

 into a civil and criminal court, the decisions of both of 

 which are without appeal. Every province, besides a sub- 

 delegate who acts both in a civil and military capacity, 

 has, or at least is directed to have, a municipal magistracy, 

 called the Cabildo, established in the chief city of the 

 province. 



The regular forces maintained in Chili by the king of 

 Spain originally amounted to 2000 men, which number 

 was afterwards reduced to 500, but has since that time 

 been considerably augmented, to what particular extent 

 we are not informed. There is, besides, a regular city 

 and country militia. The number enrolled in 1792 

 amounted to 16,000 picked men, who were not required 

 to perform the inferior duties of sentinels and patroles, 

 but to exercise continually in arms, and to hold them- 

 selves in readiness for any sudden emergency. 



The produce of the revenue offices was, in 17iG, in- 

 sufficient to defray the expences of the regular force, 

 which did not then exceed 500 men. Since that period, 

 however, the revenues have greatly increased : but we are 

 not in possession of such data as might enable us to com- 

 pute the amount. 



The religion of Spanish Chili, like that of the mother 

 country, is the Roman Catholic. Among the numerous 

 orders of the Romish church, only five have succeeded 

 in obtaining permanent establishments. The monks of 

 the order of Mercy accompanied Valdivia from Peru. 

 The Dominicans and strict Franciscans were shortly af- 

 ter introduced, under the same authority. The Augus^ 

 tines procured admission in 1595 ; and the Brothers of 

 St John of God in 1615. The three first orders form 

 separate jurisdictions. The Jesuits had established them- 

 selves in 1593, but upon the dissolution of the order, 

 they were expelled from the territories of Spain. The 

 Chilians are extremely averse to the admission of new 

 fraternities, and have always resisted their establishment. 

 The two bishoprics of St Jago and Conception com- 

 prehend, under their jurisdiction, the whole cf Chili, be- 

 sides the province of Cujo. To the diocese of St Jago 

 belong Cujo, and all the provinces between Peru and the 

 river Manle. The diocese of Conception comprehends, 

 with the islands, the rest of Chili ; the inhabitants, how- 

 ever, of this jurisdiction are chiefly pagans. At St Jago 

 there is a commissioner of inquisition, with several in- 

 ferior officers, delegated by the court of inquisition at 

 Lima. 



From the scarcity of scientific books and instruments, 

 as well as the enormous expence of printing, literature 

 and the fine arts were, about the year 1792, in a very 

 low stage of improvement. Law is a favourite study, 

 and many young men, after completing their academical 

 course in Chili, proceed to Peru to be instructed in 

 that science at the schools of Lima. The peasants com- 

 pose a sort of rude verses, which though wanting in ele- 

 gance and polish, are yet interesting from their extreme 

 simplicity. Tiny liave also among them a sort of impro- 

 visatori, called Pa/latiores, whose extemporaneous effu- 

 sions obtain for them a high character, and form their only 



Statistics. 



Military 

 establish- 

 ments. 



Revenue. 



Religious 

 establish- ' 

 meuts. 



State of 

 literature, 

 fine arts, 

 &c. 



i estimates the value of the gold and silver furnished by the mines of Chili, from the period of the conquest up to the 

 lO.i, at IS,471,0$J pounds sterling. 

 VOL. VI. J'AHT I. 



e 



