C H I L O E. 



505 



fjiilof. foxes, of which the last are black, equal in size to the 

 <~--y-"^ European fox, and corresponding with the blue fox of 

 Chili. Fowls also are numerous, both wild and domestic. 

 One of the most useful is the quethu, a species of penguin 

 about the size of a common duck : its body is furnish- 

 ed with a soft ash-coloured plumage, the U-xture of 

 which approaches so near to wool or fine hair, that it is 

 spun by the natives, and woven into beautiful bed covers. 

 It is about the size of a domestic goose, never appears 

 in flocks, but remains always in pairs. The sea, as if to 

 compensate for the natural deficiences of soil and climate, 

 supplies, in the most profuse abundance, almost every 

 sort of fish. A very summary method is employed to 

 obtain them. A large extent, at the mouths of rivers 

 and o-.her favourable situations, is enclosed with palisades, 

 the vacuities between which are occupied with a sort of 

 basket work ; an opening is left towards the sea, and this 

 is carefully secured before the tide begins to ebb. By this 

 simple contrivance, such quantities of fish are sometimes ta- 

 ken, that numbers will remain untouched in the enclosure, 

 aft-r all the inhabitants in the neighbourhood, and others 

 from a considerable distance, have supplied their wants. 

 Whales of a great size have been cast ashore on the op- 

 posite continent. Among the numerous Phoccc that in- 

 habit these seas, the Ittme, or sea elephant, which occurs 

 in the Archipelago, is by much the largest. Individuals 

 have been taken of this species measuring in length 22 

 feet, and 15 feet in circumference. 



Manufac- The Chilotes possess few materials for manufacture ; 

 turea and their principal articles are ponchos, bed coverings, blan- 

 ojmmerce. kets, rugs, carpets, embroidered girdles, and linen cloth. 

 Much industry and neatness of workmanship are em- 

 ployed in weaving a poncho : this manufacture is per- 

 formed by the women, without the assistance of a loom, 

 the warp being extended and made fast by means of pegs : 

 the operation, however, is altogether so tedious, that two 

 ponchos are commonly the whole production of a woman's 

 labour during a year. Besides, the above article of manu- 

 facture, the Chilotes export hams, pilchards, dried shell- 

 fish, and ambergris ; white cedar boxen, cedar boards, the 

 wood of the luma for poles of coaches and axle-trees, and 

 hazle for ship-building ; these they barter for sugar, wine, 

 brandy, tobacco, salt, herb of Paraguay, and some Euro- 

 pean commodities. This small commerce was carried on 

 in 1702 by four vessels from Chili and Peru, which paid 

 an annual visit to the Archipelago. When any of these 

 vessels arrive at San Carlos, the natives assemble from all 

 quarters to dispose of their surplus goods ; and, in order 

 to prevent imposition, the exchange is regulated by the 

 Cabildo or municipality of the town, who set a value upon 

 the articles for barter. 



Govern- The affairs of the province are placed under the ad- 



men t, re- ministration of a Spanish governor, who resides at San 

 Jigion, &c. Carlos, and is immediately dependent on the captain-ge- 

 neral of Chili. A commandant is stationed in the island of 

 Calbuco ; and in the city of Castro, there is a magistrate 

 or cabildo, whose office it is to determine the private 

 suits of the Indians. The Indians are divided into seventy* 

 six ulmenates, some of which are subject to the Ulmens 

 of the district; but most of them are under the imme- 

 diate cognizance of Spanish officers. Though the feudal 

 practice of requiring personal service be nolonger enfor- 

 ced in the other provinces of Chili, fifty days service is still 

 rigidly exacted throughout the Archipelago. San Car- 

 lo, is furnished with a garrison of fifty-three dragoons, 

 fifty-three infantry, and thirty-thret- artillerymen. The 

 militia of the province amounts in all to 1569 men, who 

 must perform garrison duty without pay. In its religious 

 concerns, the Archipelago belongs to the diocese of Coa- 



ception, and contains three parishes. There are two con- 

 vents, one of Franciscans, the other of Mercedarii, which ch ; I j|. irr | v ; s 

 are the residence of a few monks. The Jesuits had a pa- -^^^-^ ^ 

 rish church and a college. 



The population consists of two distinct classes. Spa- Population, 

 niards and Indians. It is -a curious fact, that these se- 

 parate races have at no time intermingled, as in the other 

 provinces. According to the latest accounts from the Ar- 

 chipelago, the total amount of the inhabitants was com- 

 puted at 26,000, of which 15,000 were Spaniards. At 

 the period of their submission to the Spaniards (1566), 

 the Indian inhabitants amounted to 70,000. In the year 

 1792, they did not exceed 11,000. Are we to ascribe 

 this otherwise unaccountable reduction to the murder- 

 ous tyranny of the Spaniards ? The submissive Chilotes 

 afforded little pretence for open violence ; and if violent 

 means were not employed, how cruelly laborious and 

 oppressive must be that servitude, which could so exhaust 

 a flourishing population. In their appearance, dress, and 

 cutsoms, the Chilotes differ little from the continental 

 Chilians. Their language was originally the same as 

 the Araucanian or Moluche, but of late years a remark- 

 able change has taken place in thia respect : they have 

 gradually adopted the Spanish vocables in room of the 

 Chilese ; while of the latter, they have minutely retained 

 not only the syntax and idioms, but even the inflections 

 and accent. Byron describes these people as of a robust 

 but not inelegant make, extremely well featured, and re- 

 markably neat in their dress. The poncho is in general 

 use among them. They wear a sort of buskin on 

 their legs, which, however, does not not extend to the 

 feet ; these always remaining uncovered, as in such a 

 climate bhoes would only serve to retain the moisture, 

 without the possibility of preventing its admission. The 

 Chilotes possess a remarkable quickness of apprehension, 

 and learn readily whatever is made the object of their 

 study. They display a strong mechanical genius, and 

 have attained considerable excellence in carpentry, ca- 

 binet-making, and turnery. The disposition most pre- 

 valent among them is that of gentleness and timidity) 

 yet the Chilotes yield to no other people in the firmness 

 with which they encounter the perils of a tempestuous 

 ocean. They are fearless and active sailors t and it 

 deserves remark, that a people possessed apparently ot' 

 so much physical and moral energy, accustomed daily 

 to brave the mo^t imminent hazard-, and to endure the se- 

 verest fatigues, should, with such inglorious facility, have 

 submitted their lives, their possessions, and their freedom, 

 to the tyrannical disposal of a fewstrangers. The Chilotes 

 readily embraced the doctrines of Christianity, and they 

 continue to observe its duties with an exemplary strict- 

 ness. The Spaniards born in the Archipelago are in ge- 

 neral of a robust and healthy constitution. The Spanish 

 women are wcll-cornplexioned, and tolerably handsome, 

 but they disfigure their faces, in a ludicrous manner, by 

 their mode of painting. 



The houses m the Archipelago, whether of Spaniards 

 or Indians, are mere hovels. They are entirely built of 

 wood, and consist commonly of a single apartment, in 

 the centre of which is placed the fire ; and as there is 

 no regular chimney, the roof id furnished with two small 

 openings, one at each end, which serve as vent holes for 

 the smoke (u) 



CHILOGLOTTIS, a new genus of plants of the 

 class Gynandria, and order Monandria. See BOTANV, 

 p. 317, and Brown's Prodromui, Plant. Nov. Holl. &c. 

 p. 322. 



CHIMARRHIS, a genus of plants of the class Pen* 

 tandria, and order Monogynia. See BOTANY, p. 



