686 clloa's voyage to south America. 



buy at San Juan, as moft convenient for tranfportation. During the affiento for negroes, 

 they are ufually brought to Chili from the fadory at Buenos Ayres, the way of Peru 

 being attended with great inconveniences ; as in their journey from Panama, they take 

 an opportunity of concealing themfelves among the farm-houfes ; fo that, what with 

 the great expence, and the numbers who die during their long rout, by the variety of 

 climates, their purchafe muft confequently be very high. 



The home-commerce of Chili, or that carried on within itfelf, chiefly confifts in the 

 provifions fent to Valdivia to the amount of ten thoufand dollars, which, as the de- 

 duced part of its remittance, are fent from Lima to Santiago for that purpofe. Valdi- 

 via furnifhes the reft of the places with cedar. Chiloe purchafes from the other parts 

 brandy, wine, honey, fugar, the Paraguay herb, fait, and Guinea-pepper ; and returns 

 to Valparaifo and Conception feveral kinds of fine wood, in which the ifland abounds ; 

 alfo woollen ftuffs of the country-manufadure, made into ponchos, cloaks, quilts, and 

 the like ; together with hams, which, from the particular delicacy of the flavour, are 

 in great requeft even in Peru, and dried pilchards, the bay and coaft of that ifland be- 

 ing the only places in the South Sea where the fifli are caught. 



Coquimbo fends copper to Valparaifo ; for, though all parts of the Cordillera, to- 

 wards Santiago and Conception, abound in mines of that metal, and particularly a place 

 called Payen, where feveral were formerly worked, and where mafles of fifty or a hun- 

 dred quintals of pure copper have been found, yet as thefe mines are now no longer 

 worked, the whole country is under a neceflity of receiving their copper from the Co- 

 quimbo and Guafco mines ; fending thither in exchange cordovan leather and foap, 

 made at Mendoza, from whence it is carried to Santiago, and thence fold to different 

 parts of the kingdom. 



Having thus confidered the trade of Chili in both particulars, I fliall next proceed 

 to mention that carried on with the wild Indians, and this confifts in felling them hard- 

 ware, as bits, fpurs, and edge tools ; alfo toys, and fome wine. All this is done by bar- 

 ter ; for, though the countries they inhabit are not deftitute of gold, the Indians can- 

 not be prevailed upon to open the mines ; fo that the returns confift in ponchos, horn- 

 ed cattle, horfes of their own breeding, and Indian children of both fexes, which are 

 fold even by their own parents for fuch trifles ; and this particular kind of traffic they 

 call Refcatar, ranfoming. But no Spaniard of any character will be concerned in fuch 

 barbarous exchanges, being carried on only by the guafos, and the meaneft clafs of 

 Spaniards fettled in Chili. Thefe boldly venture into the parts inhabited by the Indians, 

 and addrefs themfelves to the heads of the feveral families. 



The Indians of Arauco, and thofe parts, are not governed by caciques, or Curacas, 

 like thofe of Peru, the only fubordination known among them being with regard to 

 age, fo that the oldeft perfon of the family is refpetted as its governor. The Spaniard 

 begins his negociation with offering the chief of the family a cup of his wine. After 

 this he difplays his wares, that the Indian may make choice of what beft pleafes him ; 

 mentioning, at the fame tirne, the return he experts. If they agree, the Spaniard 

 makes him a prefent of a little wine ; and the Indian chief informs the community that 

 they are at hberty to trade with that Spaniard as his friend. Relying on this protec- 

 tion, the Spaniard goes from hut to hut, recommending himfelf at firft by giving the. 

 head of every family a tafte of his wine. After this they enter upon bufinefs, and the 

 Indian having taken what he wanted, the trader goes away without receiving any equi- 

 valent at that time, and vifits the other huts, as they lie difperfed all over the country, 

 till he has difpofed of his ftock. He then returns to the cottage of the chief, calling 

 on his cuftomers in his way, and acquainting them that he is on his return home. 



Upon 



