ARAUCANIAN INDIANS. 213 



establish friendly relations with this indomitable 

 people. The territory between the Bio-Bio river to 

 the north and the Tolten to the south was assigned 

 to them, and small annual donations were made to 

 the principal chiefs on condition of their maintaining 

 order amongst the tribesmen. During the last forty 

 years, however, white settlers have trespassed to a 

 considerable extent on the Indian territory, both on 

 the north and south sides, but have generally contrived 

 to keep up friendly intercourse with the natives, while i" 

 Chilian officials, established at Angol on the river 

 Mallego, exercise a species of supervision over the 

 entire region. 



The present Araucanian population is somewhat 

 vaguely estimated at about 40,000, and it is a question 

 of some interest whether, like most native races in 

 contact with those of European descent, they will 

 ultimately be improved out of existence, or be gradually 

 brought within the pale of civilization and fused with 

 the intrusive element. The soil is said to be in great 

 part fertile ; they raise a large quantity of live stock, 

 and some of the chiefs are said to have amassed 

 wealth, and to have begun to show a taste for the 

 comforts and conveniences of civilized life. 



While at Santiago, I made some inquiry as to the 

 language of the Araucanian tribes. I was informed 

 that in the seventeenth century the Jesuit missionaries 

 published a grammar of the language, of which only 

 two or three copies are known to exist. About the 

 beginning of this century a new edition, or reprint, of 

 this work appeared at Madrid, but, as I was assured, 

 has also become extremely rare, and copies are very 

 seldom to be procured. 



