12 CHILOE. 



that they pretend to hold communication with the 

 devil in certain caves. Formerly, every one con- 

 victed of this offence was sent to the Inquisition at 

 Lima. Many of the inhabitants who are not in- 

 cluded in the eleven thousand with Indian sur- 

 names cannot be distinguished by their appearance 

 from Indians. Gomez, the governor of Lemuy, is 

 descended from noblemen of Spain on both sides ; 

 but by constant interman-iages with the natives the 

 present man is an Indian. On the other hand, the 

 governor of Quinchao boasts much of his purely- 

 kept Spanish blood. 



We reached at night a beautiful little cove north 

 of the island of Caucahue. The people here com- 

 plained of want of land. This is partly owing to 

 their own negligence in not cleai'ing the woods, 

 and partly to restrictions by the government, which 

 makes it necessary, before buying ever so small a 

 piece, to pay two shillings to the surveyor for 

 measuring each quadra (150 yards square), together 

 with whatever price he fixes for the value of the 

 land. After his valuation, the land must be put 

 up three times to auction, and if no one bids more, 

 the purchaser can have it at that rate. All these 

 exactions must be a serious check to clearing the 

 ground, where the inhabitants are so extremely 

 poor. In most countries, forests are removed with- 

 out much difficulty by the aid of fire ; but in Chiloe, 

 from the damp nature of the climate and the sort 

 of trees, it is necessary first to cut them down. 

 This is a heavy drawback to the prosperity of 

 Chiloe. In the time of the Spaniards the Indians 

 could not hold land ; and a family, after having 

 cleared a piece of ground, might be driven away, 

 arifd the property seized by the government. The 

 Chilian authorities are now performing an act of 

 justice by making retribution to these poor Indians, 



