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genuity, although some pretend that it wag 

 known in China long before the period that it 

 was discovered in Europe. The inhabitants of 

 the country relate the following anecdote re- 

 specting gun-powder, which, however fabulous i j^ 

 and absurd it may appear, is generally credited. \ 

 The Araucanians on first seeing negroes with the N^ 

 Spaniards, imagined that they prepared from 

 them the powder which they used. Soon after, 

 having taken one of those unfortunate men, they 

 first covered him with stripes from head to foot, 

 and afterwards burned him to a coal, in order, 

 by reducing it to powder, to obtain the so much 

 wished-for secret, but were soon convinced of 

 the fallacy of their chymical principles. In their 

 various encounters with the Spaniards, they oc- 

 casionally took from them powder and muskets, 

 which in the subsequent battles they employed 

 with as much skill as if they had been for a long 

 time accustomed to them, but as soon as the 

 powder was expended they resumed their former 

 arms. 



The Dutch, when they took the city of Val- 

 divia, attempted to form an alliance with them, 

 and promised to supply them with powder and 

 cannon^ but, as they distrusted all the Europeans, 

 they would not listen to their proposal. 



Before setting out on his expedition, the ge- 

 neral assigns three days for consultation, in order 

 to consider ax^^^ihe plans of the campaign, and to 



