50 



of Araucanian Flanders, or the Invincible State, and 

 bomc of them have even had the magnanimity to 

 celebrate in epic poetry the exploits of a people 

 ■\vho, to preserve their independence, have shed 

 such torrents of Spanish blood. 



The Araucanians, although they do not exceed 

 the ordinary height of the human species, are in 

 general muscular, robust, well proportioned, and of 

 a martial appearance. It is very unusual to find 

 among them any person who is crooked or deform- 

 ed, not from their pursuing, as some have supposed, 

 the cruel custom of the ancieht Spartans, in suffoca- 

 ting such unfortunate children, but because they 

 leave to nature the care of forming them, without 

 obstructing her operations by the improper applica- 

 tion of bandages and stays. Their complexion, with 

 the exception of the Boroanes, who, as I have al- 

 ready observed, are fair and ruddy, is of a reddish 

 brown, but clearer than that of the other Ameri- 

 cans. They have round faces, small animated eyes 

 full of expression, a nose rather Hat, a handsome 

 mouth, even and white teeth, muscular and well 

 shaped legs, and small flat feet. Like the Tartars, 

 tiiey have scarce any beard, and the smallest hair is 

 never to be discerned on their faces, from the care 

 tliey take to pluck out the little that appears ; they 

 esteem it very impolite to have a beard, calling the 

 Europeans, byway of reproach, the long beards. 

 The same attention is paid to removing it from their 

 bodies, where its growth is more abundant; that of 

 their heads is thick and black, but rather coarse ; 



