ARAUCANA. 



ARAXES. 



U etymology simple and regular. There is not a dingle n 

 Trb irregular. One declension serves for all nouns, and the signs 

 of the diMvnt cssot are the aame in the singular, dual, and jilural. 

 The genders are confined to words designating animate being*. The 

 only book* existing In this language are catechisms, sermons, prayers, 

 and other r#ligiou book*, translated or composed by the Jes 

 whose labour* we are alo indebted for grammars and dictionaries uf 



T - ' 



The physician* are of three classes the empirics, the rneth 

 and those who dire by spell : the first of these employ \T.> 

 limple* in curing diseases; the second pretend that nil contagious 

 diseases proceed from insects. When all the efforts of those tv, 

 proved inefficient in curing a patient a machi, or charmer, is sent for, 

 who, after practising some mysterious ceremonies, pretends he has 

 discovered the place where the magic poison lie*, and reveals the name 

 of the penon nippoeed to have administered it. -i.-ntly 



endangering the life of some innocent individual. They have also two 

 aorta of surgeons- one for any fractures, dislocations, ulcers, tic. ; 

 and the other for opening the bodies of Bitch as die of unknown 

 maladies. Besides the More-mentioned professions, they have 

 mechanics, such as blacksmiths, silversmiths, carpenters, ftc. 



The Araucanians have as many wives as they can support, or rather 

 are able to purchase ; but, as in all other countries where polygamy is 

 permitted, it is only the rich who enjoy this privilege : the poor con- 

 tent themselves with one or two. Celibacy is disgraceful among 

 them. The marriage ceremony consists in carrying off the bride by 

 pretended violence. When the bridegroom has fixed with his future 

 father-in-law the sum that he is to give him for his daughter, he goes, 

 accompanied by some of his friend*, to surprise the bride in some 

 retired spot ; she is then seized, placed upon the horse of her future 

 husband, and conducted to the house of the bridegroom, when the 

 nuptial festival is celebrated. The first wife is always considered the 

 legitimate one, and respected as such by all the secondary 

 Each wife is obliged to present her husband every day with a parti- 

 cular dish cooked by herself at her own fire. It is besides the duty of 

 every wife to furnish her husband with the necessary articles of dross, 

 and with one poncho every year. The Araucanian women are noted 

 f<>r the cleanliness of their houses, clothes, and persons. They comb 

 their hair twice a day, and wash their head at least once a week with 

 the bark of the Quillnif or tfuil/'ijn laponaria, which they make use of 

 instead of soap. Their habitations are placed near the banks of 

 rivers, in which during summer the men bathe several times a day, 

 and in winter at least once a day. The women also bathe regularly, 

 and on the very day of giving birth to a child they wash both thu 

 infant and themselves in the stream, and then lay it upon ft sort of 

 rush cradle, which is hung on the ceiling, covered with soft skins, and 

 return to their daily occupations. The child is generally unclothed 

 until it begins to walk, when they put on it a very loose gown. 

 Parents instruct their sons in the management of arms, and in 

 speaking their language with freedom, elegance, and purity, allowing 

 them to do everything without restraint ; they very seldom inflict on 

 the-n any corporal punishment, as in their opinion this practice tends 

 to degrade them and make them cowards. 



The Araucanians are of a moderate stature, strong, muscular, ami 

 well-built, and naturally have a very martial air. It is exci 

 rare to find among them a deformed person. Their colour, like the rest 

 of the native American tribes, is that of copper, although somewhat 

 lighter ; their face is oval, their eyes small, but lively and full of 

 expression, the nose rather flat, the mouth pleasing, with fine regular 

 teeth; the legs well formed and muscular, with cin.il 1 and flat feet. 

 In general they have no beard, because they take particular care to era- 

 dicate every hair that grows on any part of the body except the head, 

 the hair of which they never cut, but dress it round in tresses. Old 

 age is seldom perceptible in the Araucanians before their sixtieth year, 

 and it is not a rare occurrence to see an Araucanian 80 years of age 

 without a single gray hair, Frequently they attain the age of 90 or 

 100 years. Their moral qualities correspond to the physical. They 

 are bold, intrepid, courageous, constant in enduring the fatigues of 

 war, and fearlessly expose their lives when the liberty of thru 

 is at stake; but they arc indolent when not at war, addicted to 

 intoxication, presumptuous, and haughty. 



The dress of the men consists of a shirt, a sort of jacket, with small 

 tight breeches, and a poncho, which I- universally worn throughout 

 Booth America. The poncho is ith a li"|i- in the 



middle for the head to pass through, falling before I clown 



to the knees, and open at the sides like a cassock. The colour .' 

 their dress is generally blue, which is their favourite colour. On 

 their heads they wear a sort of band like a diadem, which in 

 war is ornamented with feathers; they also wear a sash of . 

 colour* round the waist. Persons of distinction make use of 

 i ftVrenl colours and leathern sandals ; but the people g< 

 g > I ' ir' f" ' ; 



The dress of the women consists of a long tunic or gown w 

 sleeves, fastened to the shoulders witl. sash round 



the waist ; and short mantle. This dress is never altered, 1 

 are allowed to add to it all the ornaments wli 

 may prompt them. The <-,,|our of their dress is nl 

 is divided into several tresses, which they allow to fall down their 



shoulders; their head is adorned with false emeralds, to which 

 attach a high value. They also wear necklaces and bracelets of glass 

 beads, and a sort of square ear-rings made of silver. Even the 

 poorest .mcanian women has upon every finger a ring of 



the same ui 



The Araucanians build tin ir h .:.,<; -m along the bonks of rivers, 

 or in plains where there is a facility fir irrigation ; and every t 

 is anxious to occupy that piece of land which it inherited from its 

 ancestors. They never build large towns, much less walled 

 whieh they consider as marks of servitude. 



The games of skill with which they amuse themselves are a species 

 of chess and backgammon, both of whieh they knew previous : 

 arrival of the Spaniards. Gymnastic and athletic exercises they 

 practise most passionately. 



the first invasion in 1637, the Araucanians have sustained an 



mint. -rrtipted war against the Spaniard* for above 

 Valdivia, one of the first wh > undertook the conquest of Chili, founded 

 on the Arauoanian territory the settlements of Imperial, Villarica, 

 Valdivi i were almost en- .y the 



tncpii raillrunachu in 1001 The siege of Villarica lasted two years 

 and eleven months. Valdivia, a Jesuit Father, who had been a 

 Araucanians, convinced the Spanish govern- 

 ment of the necessity and advantage of being at peace with them ; 

 and the negotiations were in a state of forwardness when a Sjianish 

 lady, who was the slave of the toqui Ancanamon, made her escape, 



ied with her two of his little children, and four of his wives 

 and daughters, whom she had persuaded to embrace the Catholic 

 religion. The Spanish governor naturally took the lady and her 

 converts under his protection. The toqui, in high indignation at the 

 loss he ' led, listened to no further proposals, and the war 



was again renewed with fresh vigour. In Hi 1 1 the : 



.it last entered into a treaty of peace with the 

 liion. In 1655 war raged once more from causes which ore 

 not known; and it lasted until 1778, when Spain was forced to 

 acknowledge the Araucanians as an independent nation, and t . 

 them to send an ambassador, who should resid I 'lull. 



During the time of the presidency of Don A i 

 people continued to enjoy the blessings of peace ; and this ,-nl'--__ 

 and humane ;- -vernor had in some measure succeeded in introducing 

 among them a spirit of industry, and he had the pleasure to see 

 endeavouring to excel each other in the cultivation of the groir 

 breeding of cattle, and other peaceful arts. In the contest bt ' 

 the colonies and the mother country the Araucanian toqni promised 

 to observe a strict neutrality, and was faithful to his promise. 

 Araucanian youths of the first rank served as officers in tie 

 pendent army. The exploits of this warlike nation have 

 celebrated in a Spanish poem called ' Araucona,' by Alonso de Ercillo, 

 who \\ ''gaged in the wars which he describes. 



Vancouver's Voyaga ; Schmidtmeyer's 

 Trarrl- lit Andtt.) 



ARAVULLI is a mountain-range, which forms one of the 

 remarkable features of northern India. It extend.- from 'l-l 



to 76 E. long., and is about 3<m miles in length. Its 

 breadth is v. m the southern extremity to (lie fortress of 



inair it extends about 60 miles from west to east, 

 composed of numerous high ridges, generally running south-west and 



ist. To the north of Komulmair it forms one uninterrupted 

 and compact range of table-land, from 6 miles t-> li" miles in width. 

 Thus it continues up to the town and valley of Ajmeer. whi 

 begins to lose its tabular forn.. king into lofty ridges, sends 



iui branches through the territori. 



Alwar, which terminate to the south of Kanomid and Kewaree. The 

 altitude of the range does not exceed 8000 feet, though some summits 

 may rise a few hundred feet higher. The western deeli\ity i so 

 extremely steep tint no invading army can :iitaek India in this 



.11; and the range thus affords an important barrier to tin- 

 west ot India. The Hat country between the Aravulli ami the 

 Himal.r " great road from Attock through Lahore to 



racticable route for an army into India from 



That part of the Aravulli Mountains lying to the south of Komul- 

 mair is in possession of a number of communities, > 

 aboriginal races, living in a stat t savage in 



owning no paramount power, paying no tribute, and ]i 



Mica. To the north of Komulm. 

 mUun-raoe called 



. ;, : :-.. iin-i ; . '. r ;]) reaching t.. 



.m their fastnesses, attacked their neighboui 

 lost valuable property; but since the 



eS. They possess upwards of 150 villag- 

 er the rocks and valleys, which are 

 Beient in past; 'Die side 

 naoe system, but at the expense of great labour 

 nountaineers. The mountains are of primitive 



-pper, and grras. 

 //iVory // Hajatfkan. 





on the |.l'' 



Al! 



