1835.] Rl^E. TO CUCAO. $ 



indeed whether the owners should be paid at all In the morning, 

 being left alone with these poor people, we soon ingratiated ourselves 

 by presents of cigars and mate. A lump of white sugar was divided 

 between all present, and tasted with the greatest curiosity. The 

 Indians ended all their complaints by saying, " And it is only because we 

 are poor Indians, and know nothing ; but it was not so when we had a 

 King. 



The next day after Dreakfast, we rode a few miles northward to 

 Punta Huantam6. The road lay along a very broad beach, on which, 

 even after so many fine days, a terrible surf was breaking. I was 

 assured that after a heavy gale, the roar can be heard at night even at 

 Castro, a distance of no less than twenty-one sea-miles across a hilly and 

 wooded country. We had some difficulty in reaching the point, owing 

 to the intolerably bad paths ; for everywhere in the shade the ground 

 soon becomes a perfect quagmire. The point itself is a bold rocky 

 hill. It is covered by a plant allied, I believe, to Bromelia, and called 

 by the inhabitants Chepones. In scrambling through the beds, our 

 hands were very much scratched. I was amused by observing the 

 precaution our Indian guide took, in turning up his trousers, thinking 

 that they were more delicate than his own hard skin. This plant bears 

 a fruit, in shape like an artichoke, in which a number of seed-vessels 

 are packed : these contain a pleasant sweet pulp, here much esteemed. 

 I saw at Low's Harbour the Chilotans making chichi, or cider, with this 

 fruit : so true is it, as Humboldt remarks, that almost everywhere man 

 finds means of preparing some kind of beverage from the vegetable 

 kingdom. The savages, however, of Tierra del Fuego, and I believe of 

 Australia, have not advanced thus far in the arts. 



The coast to the north of Punta Huantam6 is exceedingly rugged and 

 broken, and is fronted by many breakers, on which the sea is eternally 

 roaring. Mr. King and myself were anxious to return, if it had been 

 possible, on foot along this coast ; but even the Indians said it was 

 quite impracticable. We were told that men have crossed by striking 

 directly through the woods from Cucao to San Carlos, but never by the 

 coast On these expeditions, the Indians carry with them only roasted 

 corn, and of this they eat sparingly twice a day. 



January 2&h. Re-embarking in the periagua, we returned across the 

 lake, and then mounted our horses. The whole of Chiloe took 

 advantage of this week of unusually fine weather, to clear the ground 

 by burning. In every direction volumes of smoke were curling up- 

 wards. Although the inhabitants were so assiduous in setting fire to 

 every part of the wood, yet I did not see a single fire which they had 

 succeeded in making extensive. We dined with our friend the 

 commandant, and did not reach Castro till after dark. The next morning 

 we started very early. After having ridden for some time, we obtained 

 from the brow of a steep hill an extensive view (and it is a rare thing 

 on this road) of the great forest. Over the horizon of trees, the volcano 

 of Corcovado, and the great flat-topped one to the north, stood out in 

 proud pre-eminence : scarcely another peak in the long range showed 

 its snowy summit. I hope it will be long btface I forget this fareweH 



