110 



CHAP. VIII. 



Pride of the Araucanians ; Kindness and Charity 

 towards each other; Mode of Salutation; 

 Proper Names. 



Although the Araucanians have long since 

 emerged from a savage state, they nevertheless 

 preserve^ in many respects, the prejudices and the 

 peculiar character of that early 'period. Proud 

 of their valour and unhounded liberty, they 

 believe themselves the only people in the world 

 that deserve the name of men. From hence it 

 is that, besides the appellation of auca, or free, 

 which they value so highly, they give them- 

 selves metonymically the names of che, or the 

 nation ; of reche, pure or undegenerated nation ; 

 and of huentu, men ; a word of similar signifi- 

 cation with the vir of the Latins, and as the 

 latter is the root of the word virtus, so from the 

 former is derived huentugen, which signifies the 

 same thing. 



From this ridiculous pride proceeds the con- 

 tempt with which they regard all other nations. 

 To the Spaniards they gave, on their first know- 

 ledge of them, the nickname of chiapi, vile 

 soldiers, from whence proceeded the denomination 



