61 



number of adherents, they mutually make incursions 

 upon each others possessions, where they destroy or 

 burn all that they cannot carry off. These private 

 quarrels, called malocas, resemble much the feuds 

 of the ancient Germans, and are very dreadful when 

 the Ulmenes are concerned, in which case they be- 

 come real civil wars. But it must be acknowledg- 

 ed that they are generally unaccompanied with the 

 effusion of blood, and are confined to pillage alone. 

 This people, notwithstanding their propensity to vio- 

 lence, rarely employ arms in their private quarrels, 

 but decide them with the fist or with the club. 



»♦♦«« 



CHAPTER III. 



Military System of the Araucanians ; their Arms and 

 Mode of7naking War. 



THE military government of the Araucanians is 

 not only more rational and better systematized than 

 the civil, but in some respects appears to be supe- 

 rior to the genius of an uncultivated nation. When- 

 ever the grand council determines to go to war, they 

 proceed immediately to the election of a comman- 

 der in chief, to which the Toquis have the first claim, 

 as being the hereditary generals or stadtholders of 

 tlie republic. If neither of them is deemed qualified 

 for the command, dismissing all regard for rank, 



