54 



themselyes in being called Auca* whieh sig- 

 nifies frank or free, and those Spaniards, who 

 liad left the armv in the Netherlands to serve 

 in Chili;, gave to this country the name of Arau- 

 canian Flanders, or the Invincible State, and 

 some of them have even had the magnanimity io 

 celebrate in epic poetry the exploits of a people 

 who, to preserve their independence, have shed 

 such torrents of Spanish blood. 



The Araucanians, although they do not ex- 

 ceed the ordinary height of the human species, 

 are in general muscular, robust, well propor- 

 tioned, and of a martial appearance. It is very 

 unusual to find among them any person who is 

 crooked or deformed, not from their pursuing, 

 as some have supposed, the cruel custom of the 

 ancient Spartans, in suflfocating such unfortunate 

 children, but because they leave to nature the care 

 of forming them, without obstructing her ope- 

 rations by the improper application of bandages 

 and stays. Their complexion, with the ex- 

 ception of the Boroanes,, who, as I have already 

 observed, are fair and ruddy, is of a reddish 

 brown, but clearer than that of the other Ame- 

 ricans. They have round faces, small animated 

 eyes full of expression, a nose rather flat, a hand- 



* According to Faikiier the missionary', jiucaes is a name of 

 reproach, given them by the Spaniards, and signifying rebels 

 or wild-men auca;it is to rebel, to make a riotauca-caAac/ 

 (cevallo) is a wild horse. JS. E, 



