266 JOURNAL. 



fine-looking intelligent woman ; and when we entered, she was sit- 

 ting on the estrada with a friend and one of her daughters, while 

 another, a most beautiful girl, was kneading bread. The house is of 

 the simplest description of straw ranchos, though large and commo- 

 dious. The gardens and fields behind it are beautiful, and in the 

 highest order, maintained by the labour of the Cacique, his two sons, 

 and his Indians ; over whom he still exercises a nominal jurisdiction, 

 and possesses the authority of opinion, not less powerful here than in 

 more civilised nations. As the land is all supposed to be his of 

 right, he receives a small voluntary contribution in produce, by way 

 of acknowledgment, for each field. Two-thirds of his village have 

 been taken from him during the two last generations ; so that now 

 the Cacique is but a shadow. He talks of going, attended by a score 

 of his best men, to the capital, to talk face to face with the Director, 

 and to free himself from the interference of the commandants of 

 districts, who vex him in every way. There is no difference what- 

 ever between the language, habits, or dress of these Indians, and 

 other Chilenos, — a few customs only distinguish them ; so completely 

 have they assimilated with their invaders, who, on the other hand, 

 have borrowed many of their usages. 



On our return from the Cacique's, where our visit was acknowledged 

 as a favour, and much regret that he himself had missed the oppor- 

 tunity of receiving English people in his house, and showing us how 

 he had improved it *, we entered another Indian cottage, to return 

 a staff which the mistress of it had kindly lent us to assist in crossing 

 a muddy pool on the road. There we found a woman very ill with 

 ague, and another consumptive ; and I learn that these complaints 

 are common, owing to the undrained marshes below the town. I 

 should think the mud floors and the straw walls of the cottages, which 

 cannot keep out the keen frosty winds from the Andes, must be 

 equally injurious. 



In the evening, Dona Dolores Ureta and her very pleasing daugh- 



* He has actually made windows in it. 



