10^ 



esteemed is the rachidugun, a word equivalent to 

 academic. 



Their poets are cd\\e\ gempin, lords of speech. 

 This expressive name is well applied to them, 

 since possessing that strong enthusiasm excited by 

 passions undebilitated by the restraints and refine- 

 ments of civil life, they follow no other rules in 

 their compositions than the impulse of their 

 imaginations. Of course, their poetry generally 

 contains strong and lively images, bold figures, 

 frequent allusions and similitudes^ novel and 

 forcible expressions, and possesses the art of 

 moving and interesting the heart by exciting its 

 sensibility. Every thing in it is metaphorical 

 and animated, and allegory is, if I may use the 

 expression, its very soul or essence. Unre- 

 strained enthusiasm is the prime characteristic of 

 all the poetry of savages ; such was that of the 

 Bards of the Celts, and the Scalds of the Danes ; 

 and the pretended editor of the poems of Ossian 

 has discovered an intimate acquaintance with 

 the poetic genius of barbarous nations. 



The principal subject of the songs of the 

 Araucanians is the exploits of their heroes. I 

 would gladly have presented to my readers some 

 of these compositions, but the difficulty of pro- 

 curing them, from the distance of the country, 

 has not permitted me to do it. Their verses are 

 composed mostly in stanzas of eight or eleven 



