122 OVALLE*S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



without witneffes, as he might eafily have done, but upon the deck, in the fight of 

 all thofe in the fhip, to get himfelf a greater name of bravery. To this end, he took 

 one day, a great knife in his hand, and fell upon the captain ; and having wounded 

 him in feveral places, with as much precipitation as he could, leaped overboard with 

 fo much fuddennefs, that he flipped away from thofe ^who endeavoured to feize him. 

 It is to be imagined they were all wonderfully furprized at the refolutenefs of the 

 aftion : they immediately brought the fhip to, and put out the boat in all the hafte 

 that could be to follow the Indian, who, fwimming like a fifh, was already almoft out 

 of fight ; but they overtook him, and bid him yield himfelf a prifoner, lince he could 

 not efcape ; and finding him ftill endeavour to get away, they ftruck at him with 

 their launces, but he dexteroufly avoided all their flrokes with great prefence of mind, 

 diving and appearing again where they leaft expeded him. Upon this they fired 

 upon him, and wounded him in feveral places ; but neither then did he yield, nor 

 would ever have had a thought of it, but the lofs of blood taking away his ftrength, 

 had made him unable to get away, fo they brought him almofl expiring to the fhip, 

 having more valued death with the reputation of a brave man, than life with the 

 infamy of a coward, and the lofs of reputation among his own people. This faft 

 does not only fhew the bravery of the nation, but likewife their great averfion to go 

 out of their own country, and how heavy a yoke they think fubjedion to be j and 

 we fhall fee hereafter how much they have done to defend their beloved liberty. 



Now let us fpeak of fome other cufloms thefe Indians have. They folemnize their 

 marriages their own way, and in a very contrary manner to that of the Europeans ; 

 , . for as to the portion, the woman does not provide it, but the man j and neither of 

 '^f^^ them enjoy it, but it palTes to the propriety and ufe of the father of the young woman ; 

 fo that the hufband has a charge upon him of maintaining his wife without any help j 

 nay, rather with lefs ability, for he parts with fome of his fubflance to purchafe her : 

 fo that in this country it is no charge at all to have many daughters, but rather a part 

 of their eftate and fubflance. 



They take many wives ; and the greatefl obflacle they have to be converted to our 

 religion, is this vice of polygamy, which they embrace with great fenfuality, though 

 it is chargeable, becaufe at the fame time it is a figure of power and riches. The firfl 

 wife has fome pre-eminence over the others, and has the ordering of them, yet they 

 all look upon themfelves as lawful wives, and their children as legitimate ; yet the 

 fon of the firfl inherits the eftate and the honour of Cacique, and has a power over 

 his other brothers. 



The fubjefts obey their lord with great punftuality, love, and refpedl ; and for 

 this reafon they have no ftrong places or prifons to hold them in ; for their natural 

 ,j^ .4^. love and refpe£l they bear their Cacique, is a law inviolable in their hearts, and a 

 reward of their obedience, which they fhow in all regards that may pleafe him. 



When a Cacique has a mind to make war, he need not make provifion of money 

 for pay, without which, amongft us, men will not fight, even for their king. He 

 need only give out his orders, and they all come with arms and horfes, bearing their 

 own charges during the enterprize ; and this is the reafon that they can affemble fo 

 powerful an army in fo little time, they all looking upon the common caufe as their 

 own ; and as they make the good of their country the motive of their arms, every 

 one thinks himfelf fufficiently rewarded if they can defend that from their enemies. 

 The found of the drum and trumpet is only to fhew them the neceffity of their meeting 

 in arms ; at which they immediately leave wife and children, and all that is dear to 

 them, with the hazard of never feeing them more, as it often happens. 



In 



