.1835.] ARAUCARIAN INDIANS. 287 



stood, as in an English park : I have often noticed with surprise, 

 in wooded undulatory districts, that the quite level parts have been 

 destitute of trees. On account of the tired horse, I determined to 

 stop at the Mission of Cudico, to the friar of which I had a letter 

 of introduction. Cudico is an intermediate district between the 

 forest and the Llanos. There are a good many cottages, with 

 patches of corn and potatoes, nearly all belonging to Indians. The 

 tribes dependent on Valdivia are "reducidos y cristianos." The 

 Indians farther northward, about Arauco and Imperial, are still 

 very wild, and not converted ; but they have all much intercourse 

 with the Spaniards. The padre said that the Christian Indians 

 did not much like coming to mass, but that otherwise they showed 

 respect for religion. The greatest difficulty is in making them 

 observe the ceremonies of marriage. The wild Indians take as 

 many wives as they can support, and a cacique will sometimes 

 have more than ten : on entering his house, the number may be 

 told by that of the separate fires. Each wife lives a week in turn 

 with the cacique ; but all are employed in weaving ponchos, etc., 

 for his profit. To be the wife of a cacique, is an honour much 

 sought after by the Indian women. 



The men of all these tribes wear a coarse woollen poncho : those 

 south of Valdivia wear short trousers, and those north of it a petti- 

 coat, like the chilipa of the Gauchos. All have their long hair 

 bound by a scarlet fillet, but with no other covering on their heads. 

 These Indians are good-sized men; their cheek-bones are prominent, 

 and in general appearance they resemble the great American family 

 to which they belong ; but their physiognomy seemed to me to be 

 slightly different from that of any other tribe which I had before 

 seen. Their expression is generally grave, and even austere, and 

 possesses much character : this may pass either for honest bluntness 

 or fierce determination. The long black hair, the grave and much- 

 lined features, and the dark complexion, called to my mind old 

 portraits of James I. On the road we met with none of that humble 

 politeness so universal in Chiloe. Some gave their " mari-mari " 

 (good morning) with promptness, but the greater number did not 

 seem inclined to offer any salute. This independence of manners is 

 probably a consequence of their long wars, and the repeated victories 

 which they alone, of all the tribes in America, have gained over the 

 Spaniards. 

 I spent the evening very pleasantly, talking with the padre. He 



