25 



is met with in their language, it was originally 

 nothing more than a synonym oï guirin^ which sig- 

 nifies to sketch or paint. Of their skill in this latter 

 art, I am ignorant ; but if we may form an opinion 

 from representations of men that are cut upon certain 

 rocks, we must conclude that they were entirely ig- 

 norant of it, as nothing coarser or more dispropor- 

 tioned can be imagined. 



Far different was the progress which they made 

 in the sciences of physic and astronomy, it was in- 

 deed wonderful ; but an account of these, of their 

 religion, their music and military skill, I shall 

 reserve till I treat of the Araucanians, who still 

 continue the faithful depositories of all the science 

 and ancient customs of the Chilians. Their lan- 

 guage contains also words indicating a knowledge 

 of several other arts, which I decline mentioning, as 

 there are no guides of sufficient accuracy to conduct 

 our researches into a subject so important, and at 

 the same time so doubtful. The first Europeans 

 who visited these countries, attracted by other ob- 

 jects of far less interest, thought little or nothing of 

 those that merit the attention of every observing 

 mind, on visiting an unknown people. From thence 

 it has happened that their accounts, for the most 

 part, furnish us only with vague and confused ideas, 

 from whence we can draw nothing but conjectures. 

 The Chilians, however, remained in much the same 

 state of society as I have described, until an unex- 

 pected revolution compelled them, in a great mea- 

 sure, to adopt other customs and other laws. 



Vol. II. D 



