2i8 VALDIVIA. [CHAP. xiv. 



be the wife of a cacique is an honour much sought after by the Indian 

 women. 



The men of all these tribes wear a coarse woollen poncho : those 

 south of Valdivia wear short trousers, and those north of it a petticoat, 

 like the chilipa of the Gauchos. All have their long hair bound by 

 a scarlet fillet, but with no other covering on their heads. These 

 Indians are good-sized men ; their cheek-bones are prominent, and in 

 general appearance they resemble the great American family to which 

 they belong ; but their physiognomy seemed to me to be slightly 

 different from that of any other tribe which I had before seen. Their 

 expression is generally grave, and even austere, and possesses much 

 character: this may pass either for honest bluntness or fierce deter- 

 mination. The long black hair, the grave and much-lined features, and 

 the dark complexion, called to my mind old portraits of James I. On 

 the road we met with none of that humble politeness so universal in 

 Chiloe. Some gave their " mari-mari " (good morning) with promptness, 

 but the greater number did not seem inclined to offer any salute. 

 This independence of manners is probably a consequence of their long 

 wars, and the repeated victories which they alone, of all the tribes in 

 America, have gained over the Spaniards. 



I spent the evening very pleasantly, talking with the padre. He 

 was exceedingly kind and hospitable ; and coming from Santiago, had 

 ! contrived to surround himself with some few comforts, Being a man 

 of some little education, he bitterly complained of the total want of 

 society. With no particular zeal for religion, no business or pursuit, 

 how completely must this man's life be wasted! The next day, on 

 our return, we met seven very wild-looking Indians, of whom some 

 were caciques that had just received from the Chilian government their 

 yearly small stipend for having long remained faithful. They were 

 fine-looking men, and they rode one after the other with most gloomy 

 faces. An old cacique, who headed them, had been, I suppose, more 

 excessively drunk than the rest, for he seemed both extremely grave 

 and very crabbed. Shortly before this, two Indians joined us, who 

 were travelling from a distant mission to Valdivia concerning some 

 lawsuit. One was a good-humoured old man, but from his wrinkled 

 beardless face looked more like an old woman than a man. I frequently 

 presented both of them with cigars ; and though ready to receive them, 

 and I daresay grateful, they would hardly condescend to thank me. 

 A Chilotan Indian would have taken off his hat, and given his " Dios 

 le page!" The travelling was very tedious, both from the badness 

 of the roads, and from the number of great fallen trees, which it was 

 necessary either to leap over or to avoid by making long circuits. We 

 slept on the road, and next morning reached Valdivia, whence I 

 proceeded on board. 



A few days afterwards I crossed the bay with a party of officers 

 and landed near the fort called Niebla. The buildings were in a most 

 ruinous state, and the gun-carriages quite rotten. Mr. Wickham 

 remarked to the commanding officer, that with one discharge they 

 would certainly all fall to pieces. The poor man, trying to put a 



