278 



most always ride upon the full gallop^ followeci 

 by a great number of dogs, who are trained to 

 hold the horse by the bits when the rider alighfs^ 

 The eastern Chilians have no horses that exceed 

 the middle size^, probably from their riding them 

 when very young, and allov^^ing thuui too little 

 rest. Although they are not in want of cattle 

 for food, they prefer game to any thing else ; and 

 they are almost always to be seen in chase of the 

 guanaco or the ostrich, in the vast plains that 

 extend from the month of the Plata to the eastern 

 part of the Straits of Magellan. The weapon 

 which they employ in hunting and in war, is the 

 laqui, of which I have already spoken. It v, as 

 with this that they killed forty Spaniards, in a 

 skirmish at Saint Luis delia Punta, in 1767. 

 Tr.ese mountaineers sometimes attack the ca- 

 ravans which pass from Buenos Ayres to Chili, 

 and frequently the country houses belonging to 

 ihc capita!. 



between tlie sonlhern boundaries of Chili and 

 the Slrails of Mag-ollan, there are lu) nations 

 cxc(;pt the Pojas and the Cancans. The Pojas 

 are of a gigantic stature, but their language is 

 entirely diifeient from that of the Chilia;is, and 

 they never approach their territories. The 

 Caucaub arc of a middle stalure, aiid their lan- 

 guage is aho very different from the Chilians ; 

 these last dress themselves in garments made of 

 ^.e 8k:r;.i of sea- wolves. 



