214 CHILOB. [CHAP, xiv 



persuade him, that two Englishmen really wished to go to such an out 

 of the way place as Cucao. We were thus accompanied by the two 

 greatest aristocrats in the country, as was plainly to be seen in the 

 manner of all the poorer Indians towards them. At Chonchi we struck 

 across the island, following intricate winding paths, sometimes passing 

 through magnificent forests, and sometimes through pretty cleared spots, 

 abounding with corn and potato crops. This undulating woody country, 

 partially cultivated, reminded me of the wilder parts of England, and 

 therefore had to my eye a most fascinating aspect. At Vilinco, which 

 is situated on the borders of the lake of Cucao, only a few fields were 

 cleared ; and all the inhabitants appeared to be Indians. This lake is 

 twelve miles long, and runs in an east and west direction. From 

 local circumstances, the sea-breeze blows very regularly during the 

 days, and during the night it falls calm : this has given rise to strange 

 exaggerations, for the phenomenon, as described to us at San Carlos 

 was quite a prodigy. 



The road to Cucao was so very bad that we determined to embark 

 in a periagua. The commandant, in the most authoritative manner, 

 ordered six Indians to get ready to pull us over, without deigning to tell 

 them whether they would be paid. The periagua is a strange rough boat, 

 but the crew were still stranger : I doubt if six uglier little men ever got 

 into a boat together. They pulled, however, very well and cheerfully. 

 The stroke-oarsman gabbled Indian, and uttered strange cries, much 

 after the fashion of a pig-driver driving his pigs. We started with a 

 light breeze against us, but yet reached the Capella de Cucao before it 

 was late. The country on each side of the lake was one unbroken 

 forest. In the same periagua with us a cow was embarked. To get 

 so large an animal into a small boat appears at first a difficulty, but 

 the Indians managed it in a minute. They brought the cow alongside 

 the boat, which was heeled towards her ; then placing two oars under 

 her belly, with their ends resting on the gunwale, by the aid of these 

 levers they fairly tumbled the poor beast, heels over head, into the 

 bottom of the boat, and then lashed her down with ropes. At Cucao we 

 found an uninhabited hovel (which is the residence of the padre when 

 he pays this Capella a visit), where, lighting a fire, we cooked our 

 supper, and were very comfortable. 



The district of Cucao is the only inhabited part on the whole west 

 coast of Chi)oe. It contains about thirty or forty Indian families, who 

 are scattered along four or five miles of the shore. They are very much 

 secluded from the rest of Chiloe, and have scarcely any sort of 

 commerce, except sometimes in a little oil, which they get from seal- 

 blubber. They are tolerably dressed in clothes of their own manufac- 

 ture, and they *;ave plenty to eat. They seemed, however, discontented, 

 yet humble to a degree which it was quite painful to witness. These 

 feelings are, I think, chiefly to be attributed to the harsh and authorita- 

 tive manner in which they are treated by their rulers. Our companions, 

 although so very civil to us, behaved to the poor Indians as if they had 

 been slaves, rather than free men. They ordered provisions and the 

 use of their horses, without ever condescending to say how much, oy 



