CHILI. 



203 



;ome, and very extravagant in their dres?. Their hair, 

 *~~~.~~' which is as thick as can be conceived, they wear of a 

 vast length, without any other ornament upon the head 

 than a few flowers. They plait it behind in four plaits, 

 and twist it round a bodkin, at each end of which is a 

 diamond rose. In winter they have an upper waistcoat 

 of cloth of gold or silver, and, in summer, of the finest 

 linen covered with the finest Flanders lace. When they 

 go abroad, they wear a veil, which is so contrived that 

 one eye only is seen. Their feet are very small, and they 

 value themselves as much upon it as the Chinese do. * 

 Their breasts and shoulders are very naked, and indeed 

 you may easily discover the whole shape from their man- 

 ner of dress. They have fine sparkling eyes, ready v.-;t, a 

 great deal of good nature, and a strong disposition to gal- 

 lantry. Paragua tea, which they call matte, is always 

 drunk twice a day. They dri-.ik it through the convey- 

 ance of a long silver tube, at the end of which is a round 

 strainer to prevent the herb getting through. And here 

 it is reckoned a piece of politeness in the lady, to suck 

 the tube two or three times first, and then give it to the 

 stranger without wiping it. They eat every thing so 

 highly seasoned with red pepper, that thoe who are not 

 used to it, upon the first mouthful would imagine their 

 throats on fire for an hour afterwards. The ladies sit 

 cross-legged, after the Moorish fashion, upon the estra- 

 do, which is a platform raised about five or six inches 

 above the floor, and covered with carpets and velvet 

 cushions. The common vehicle is a calash or vis-a-vis, 

 drawn by one mule only. Bull feasts are a common di- 

 version here, and surpass any thing of that kind I ever 

 saw at Libbon or any where else." 



Peasantry. The peasants are a healthy and robust race of men, 

 chiefly ce.nsisting of Creoles. They are bold and dex- 

 trous horsemen, fond of riding, and almost ever on the 

 saddle. They are amazingly expert, alto, in the use of 

 the laijui, -J- which is their principal weapon, employing 

 it on all occasions, both in hunting and in their private 

 quarrels. The Spanish Creoles possess all the estima- 

 ble and engaging qualities which characterize those of 

 English and French descent. They are brave, active, 

 and enterprising, frr-nk in their manners, and of the 

 strictest honour. Their prejudices are few and easily 

 eradicated. Their temper is generous and unsuspecting, 

 but at the same time ardent and impetuous in the pursuit 

 of pleasure, and too frequently transports them beyond the 

 strict bounds of moderation. They are fond of learning, 

 and possess a degree of penetration, sagacity, and cor- 

 rectness of thought, that might ensure success in almost 

 any study. 



The Spanish inhabitants, in general, are of a hospi- 

 table and generous disposition. As but few inns have 

 been established in the country, their houses are at all 

 times open to strangers and travellers, whom they en- 



tertai.i with a degree of kindness and liberality unequal- Statistic-, 

 led almost among any other people. S "*"~Y~ " 



We may here notice a garment of very general use, 

 both among Indians and Spaniards, which, though differ- 

 ing in quality and ornament, according to the rank of 

 the wean r, retains always its peculiar and distinguishing 

 form. It is called poncho, and consists of a piece of quilted 

 cloth about tnree yards in length and two in breadth, 

 having an opening in the middle just large enough to ad- 

 mit the head. It hangs down on all sides, serving com- 

 pL-tely the purposes of a cloak, while it leaves the motion 

 of the arms more free and unembarrased. 



The negroes are wholly em ployed in domestic services, Negroet, 

 and treated with a degree of tenderness and humanity 

 that greatly alleviates their state of servitude. They 

 are protected from any extreme cruelty on the part of 

 their masters, should these be so inclined, by a law per- 

 mitting the slave, in a case of this nature, to demand, 

 and obliging the master to grant, a letter of sale, by 

 which the former is authorised to setk a purchaser. 

 There exists also another regulation in their favour, 

 which has the force of law among the inhabitants, that, 

 when any one has, by his industry or good conduct, ac- 

 quired a sum of money, sufficient to purchase a substi- 

 tute, hia master is bound to receive it, and set him at 

 liberty. Negroes born in the country, and mulattos, are 

 preferred to such as have been imported, as more rea- 

 dily attaching themselves to the families of their owners. 



No contagious disorder was ever experienced in Chi- Disease*, 

 li, till the arrival of the Spaniards, when the small-pox 

 \va, first introduced, and raged, in some provinces, with 

 the fatality of a pestilence. Since that period the In. 

 dians have contrived to save themselves from its ravages. 

 When any one is suspoctedof having,from intercourse with 

 the Spaniards, caught the infection, they immediately set 

 fire to his hut by means of flaming arrows, and thus, by the 

 violentsacrificeof an individual, arrest the progress of a dis- 

 temper, which, if at first neglected, might eventually de- 

 populate their provinces. Inoculation was introduced in 

 1761, by Matthias Verdugo, a monk of the order of St 

 John. Chili is entirely exempted from many diseases 

 peculiar to warm climates, such as the leprosy, the siam 

 fever, and the black vomit. The rickets, hydrophobia, 

 tertian and quartan agues, are unknown in the country. 

 The most formidable disease to. which the inhabitants 

 are subject is a violent fever, sometimes prevalent among 

 the peat-antry, termed chacrio loupe, or the disorder of 

 the head, from its being accompanied with deliiiurn. 

 The i ndians cure it by certain herb 1 ). 



See Molina's Natural and C.ivil History of Chili ; By- 

 ron's Narrative; Ullo.i's Voyages ; English Universal 

 History ; Perouse's Voyage round the World ; Hum- 

 boldt's Political Account nj New Spain; and Kerr's Voy- 

 ages and Travels, (u) 



La Perouse describes their ahoes as so extremely short that the tots are bent double, which makes their feet appear almost round' 



This laqui difll-ri from that used by the Indians, in having a single noose, in place of a ball at each end Ulloa informs us, ihat 



panish peasantry ran strike and halter the object of their attack, with almost unerring certainty, at the distance of 30 or 40 pa- 

 it a small distance, such as ten or fifteen paces, renders their dexterity in some measure ineffectual. He relates an instance 

 with regard to an Englishman whom he knew at Conception. This man was in the long-boat nf a privateer, then 

 iception Bay, intending to land at Talcaguana with a view 01 plundering the neighbouring villages, when a body of the 

 itry militia made to the shore in order to oppose them. Upon this the English fired upon them with their musketry ; and no 

 ey discharged their pieces, than one of the peasants, though the boat was at a considerable distance, threw his noose, and, 

 iding all in thL" boat threw themselves on their faces, he noosed the above-mentioned person, pulling him out of the boat 

 hile the others, instead of endeavouring to save liun, thought of nothing in their fright but how to get out 

 l danger as soon as possible." 



