Description of the country. 



The Indians. Their weapons of war. 



RIO NEGRO. 



Ancases. Chilenos. 

 The Guachos. 



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girdle. On the head was worn a red conical cap 

 surmounted by a tassel. 



Their riding boots or leggings are made of the 

 hide from the leg of a horse. This is stripped off 

 and put on the leg while yet green, where it is 

 suffered to dry, and remain until worn out. They 

 fit very closely to the foot, like a stocking. The 

 two largest toes of each foot were uncovered, for 

 the convenience of putting them into the stirrup, 

 which is only large enough to admit them. A long 

 knife in the girdle completes the dress. 



The Rio Negro is navigable for boats to the 

 village of Chichula, two hundred miles from its 

 mouth. 



The distance across the country to Buenos Ayres 

 is but five hundred miles, yet it requires fifteen 

 days to communicate with it; the governor had re- 

 ceived no advices or information for the last two 

 months from that place. The route is very un- 

 certain, owing to the hordes of hostile Indians. 



Grain, fruit, and vegetables thrive well, and with 

 proper industry might be produced in abundance. 



The climate is delightful, and cold weather is 

 seldom felt, although ice has occasionally been seen 

 a quarter of an inch in thickness. 



Bullocks and horses are the principal articles of 

 trade; indeed they constitute the legal tender of 

 the country. The former are worth from five to 

 ten dollars, according to age; wild horses, two or 

 three dollars, and if broken to the saddle, ten or 

 fifteen. 



The tariff of duties is the same as at Buenos 

 Ayres, but the late reduction of thirty-three per 

 cent, during the blockade did not extend to this 

 place. 



The Indians that are accustomed to visit this 

 place (Carmen) for the purpose of war or trade are 

 of four different tribes; viz., Pampas, Ancases, Te- 

 huiliches or Teheulehes, and Chilenos. The two 

 former occupy the territory to the north of the Rio 

 Negro as far as the Rio Colorado. The Tehuiliches 

 are from the mountains to the south, and the Chile- 

 uos from the south-west. 



During the infancy of the settlement, and until 

 of late years, these Indians were extremely trouble- 

 some, making descents upon the place, and ravag- 

 ing the outposts, waylaying all who were not on 

 their guard, killing them, and retreating rapidly on 

 their wild steeds, with their booty, to the pampas 

 and mountains. The Spaniards frequently reta- 

 liated, and by the superiority of their arms and 

 discipline, inflicted summary punishment on them. 

 The last attack of the Indians was made in 1832, 

 when they met with such an overwhelming defeat, 

 that they have not ventured to make another; yet 

 the garrison is always kept in anxiety for fear of 

 attacks. 



The weapons usual in their warfare are a long 

 lance and the ballos, such as is used in taking the 

 ostrich and throwing cattle, which they use with 

 great dexterity. This consists of a thong of hide, 

 four feet in length, with a leaden ball at each end, 

 which the horseman grasps in the middle, and 

 gives the balls a rotary motion by whirling them 

 above his head, then dashing on to the attack, he 

 throws it when within range with unerring aim, 

 and seldom fails to disable his enemy. The Indians 

 who are most feared are the Chilenos. The Tehui- 

 liches, notwithstanding their immense size, are 

 considered little better than cowards. 



All the information gained here tended to con- 

 firm the general impression that the Tehuiliches 

 or Patagonians are above the ordinary height of 

 men, generally above six feet; and the minister 

 asserted that he had often seen them above seven 

 English feet. We had not any personal oppor- 

 tunity to verify this statement, the Indians being 

 only in the habit of visiting this post once a 

 year, to obtain supplies, viz., in the month of 

 March, at which time a vessel usually visits the 

 place. 



The few Indians who inhabit the huts or toldos 

 on the opposite side of the river are converted, and 

 are termed Indios Mansos; they are a mixture of 

 all the tribes, and so much changed in habits and 

 dress from their former condition and mode of life, 

 that an accurate idea could not be formed of their 

 natural character. They were none of them above 

 the middle height; their limbs were usually full and 

 well formed; their complexion a brownish copper, 

 with coarse straight black hair, growing very low 

 on the forehead; this is suffered to grow long, and 

 hangs down on both sides of the face, adding much 

 to the wildness of their appearance. Their fore- 

 heads are low and narrow towards the top, their 

 eyes small, black, and deep set. Some were ob- 

 served with their eyes set Chinese-like. The re- 

 semblance was somewhat increased by the width of 

 the face, which was a particular characteristic. 

 The nose is usually a little flattened at the root, 

 and wide at the nostrils, the lips full, and the chin 

 not prominent. The expressions of their counte- 

 nance betoken neither intellect nor vivacity. The 

 men were generally decked out in tawdry finery, 

 partly after the Spanish fashion; the women had 

 only the chilipa to cover their nakedness. 



Of the Ancases very little appears to be known ; 

 they live towards the north, speak a peculiar lan- 

 guage, and are inferior to the rest in stature. 



The Chilenos are derived from the western side 

 of the continent, and are predatory bands of the 

 great Araucanian nation. 



The Peulches, including the Pampas and Tehui- 

 liches, Falkner, in his account of this country, 

 describes as inhabiting the portion south of the 

 Rio de la Plata, and to the east of the Cordilleras; 

 they are scattered over the vast plains of the inte- 

 rior. Those to the north of the Rio Colorado are 

 generally known under the name of the Pampas In- 

 dians; they call themselves Chechehets. Those to 

 the south of that river are termed Tehuiliches ; they 

 inhabit the table-land between the Cordilleras and 

 the desert plains of the coast. 



These people are represented as of gigantic sta- 

 ture, and it is said by the residents, that those from 

 the south are generally taller than those from any 

 other part; and Indians are said to have been met 

 with who are distinguished for their gigantic height 

 and well-formed limbs; but this rests on vague au- 

 thority. 



The Guachos and Indians are of course good 

 horsemen, being trained to it from their infancy. 

 Indeed they may be said to live on horseback, and 

 it is very seldom that they are seen to walk any 

 distance, however short. 



Their dress, although uncouth and ill-arranged, 

 is comfortable, and picturesque when they are on 

 horseback, particularly when at full speed in search 

 of a bullock to lasso. The ease and nonchalance 

 with which a Guacho mounts his steed, arranges 



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