BETAGH*S ACCOUNT OF PERU. 21 



efpecially the nuns, with whom they cohabited, and had many children, who have a 

 fort of natural affeftion for their mothers country ; and, though they are too proud to 

 fubmit to the Spaniards, yet they are not willing to hurt them. Thefe people inhabit 

 that ridge of the mountains which the Spaniards call La^ Cordilera ; and, as the manner 

 of trading with them is very fingular, it may not be amifs to give an account of it. 



When the Spanilh pedlar, or walking merchant, makes a tour into this country, he 

 goes direftly to the cacique, or chief, and prefents 'himfelf before him without fpeaking 

 a word : the cacique breaks filence firft ; and -fays to the merchant, Are you come ? 

 Then he anfwering, I am come. What have you brought me ? replies the cacique. I 

 bring you, rejoins the Spaniard, wine (a neceflary article !) and fuch a thing. Where- 

 upon the cacique fails not to fay. You are welcome. He appoints him a lodging near 

 his own cottage, where his wives and children, bidding him welcome, each of them 

 alfo demand a prefent, which he gives, though never fo fmall: at the fame time the 

 cacique, with the horn-trumpet which he has by him, gives notice to his fcattered fub- 

 jefts of the arrival of a merchant, with whom they may trade : they come and fee the 

 commodities, which are knives and axes, combs, needles, thread, looking-glafles, 

 ribbands, &c. The beft of all would be wine, were it not dangerous to fupply them 

 therewith, to make them drunk ; for then they are not fafe among them, becaufe they 

 are apt to kill one another. When they have agreed upon the barter, they carry the 

 things home without paying ; fo that the merchant delivers all without knowing to 

 whom, or feeing any of his debtors : in fhort, when he defigns to go away, the cacique 

 orders payment by founding the horn again ; then every man honeflly brings the cattle 

 he owes ; and, becaufe thefe confift of mules,, goats, and efpecially oxen and cows, he 

 commands a fufficient number of men to condud: them to the Spanilh frontiers. By 

 what has been faid may be obferved, that as much civility and honefly is to be found 

 among thefe people, whom we call favages, as among the moll polite and well-governed 

 nations. 



That great number of bullocks and cows, which are confumed in Chili, where abun- 

 dance are flaughtered every year, comes from the plains of Paraguay, which are 

 covered with them. The Puelches bring them through the plain of Tapapapa, inhabited 

 by the Pteheingues, or unconqucred Indians, being the befl pafs to cirofs the mountains, 

 becaufe divided into two hills, of lefs difficult accefs than the others, which are alraoft 

 impaffable for mules. There is another, eighty leagues from La Conception, at the 

 burning mountain, called Silla Velluda, which now anfl then cafts out fire, and fome- 

 times with fo great a noife, that il is heard in the city ; that way the journey is very 

 much fhortened, and they go in fix weeks to Buenos Ayres. By thefe communications, 

 they generally make good all the lierds of beeves and goats, which they flaughter in Chili 

 by thoufands, for tallow and lard, made by trying up the fat and the marrow of the 

 bones, which, throughout all South America ferves inftead of butter or oil, not ufed 

 by them in their fauces : the flefh they either dry in the fun, or in the fmoke, to preferve 

 it inftead of faking as is ufed in France. Thefe flaughters alfo afford the hides, and 

 efpecially the goats-lkins, which they drefs like Morocco leather, by them called Cordo- 

 vanes, and fent to Peru to make fhoes, or for other ufes. Befides the trade of hides, 

 tallow, and fait meat, the inhabitants of La Conception deal in corn, with which they, 

 every year, lade eight or ten fhips, of forty or fifty tons burden, for the port of Calao ; 

 befides the meal and bifcuit they fupply the French fhips with, that take in provifions 

 there to proceed to Peru, and to return to France. All this would be inconfiderable 

 for fo fine a country, fince, if the land were well improved, it is fo extraordinary' fertile, 

 and fo eafy to till, that they only fcratch it with the plough for the mofl part, made 



^v 



