1834.] TENURE OF LAND. 201 



devil in certain caves. Formerly, every one convicted of this offence 

 was sent to the Inquisition at Lima. Many of the inhabitants who are 

 not included in the eleven thousand with Indian surnames, cannot 

 be distinguished by their appearance from Indians. Gomez, the 

 governor of Lemuy, is descended from noblemen of Spain on both 

 sides ; but by constant intermarriages with the natives the present man 

 is an Indian. On the other hand, the governor of Quinchao boasts 

 much of his purely kept Spanish blood. 



We reached at night a beautiful little cove, north of the island of 

 Caucahue. The people here complained of want of land. This is 

 partly owing to their own negligence in not clearing the woods, and 

 partly to restrictions by the government, which makes it necessary 

 before buying ever so small a piece, to pay two shillings to the 

 surveyor for measuring each quadra (150 yards square), together with 

 whatever price he fixes for the value of the land. After his valua- 

 tion, the land must be put up three times to auction, and if no one 

 bids more, the purchaser can have it at that rate. All these exactions 

 must be a serious check to clearing the ground, where the inhabitants 

 are so extremely poor. In most countries, forests are removed without 

 much difficulty by the aid of fire ; but in Chiloe, from the damp nature 

 of the climate, and the sort of trees, it is necessary first to cut them 

 down. This is a heavy drawback to the prosperity of Chiloe. In the 

 time of the Spaniards the Indians could not hold land ; and a family, 

 after having cleared a piece of ground, might be driven away, and the 

 property seized by the government. The Chilian authorities are now 

 performing an act of justice by making retribution to these poor Indians, 

 giving to each man, according to his grade of life, a certain portion of 

 land. The value of uncleared ground is very little. The government 

 gave Mr. Douglas (the present surveyor, who informed me of these 

 circumstances) eight and a half square miles of forest near San Carlos, 

 in lieu of a debt; and this he sold for 350 dollars, or about 7o/. 

 sterling. 



The two succeeding days were fine, and at night we reached the 

 island of Quinchao. This neighbourhood is the most cultivated part of 

 the Archipelago ; for a broad strip of land on the coast of the main 

 island, as well as on many of the smaller adjoining ones, is almost 

 completely cleared. Some of the farmhouses seemed very comfortable. 

 I was curious to ascertain how rich any of these people might be, but 

 Mr. Douglas says that no one can be considered as possessing a regular 

 income. One of the richest landowners might possibly accumulate, in 

 a long industrious life, as much as i.ooo/. sterling ; but should this 

 happen, it would all be stowed away in some secret corner, for it is the 

 custom of almost every family to have a jar or treasure-chest buried in 

 the ground. 



November y>th. Early on Sunday morning we reached Castro, the 

 ancient capital of Chiloe, but now a most forlorn and deserted place. 

 The usual quadrangular arrangement of Spanish towns could be traced, 

 but the streets and plaza were coated with fine green turf, on which 

 sheep were browsing. The church, which stands in the middle, is 



