402 BOROA INDIANS MOCHA. Feb 



be dangerous, for the low land projects considerably, and 

 would not then be readily seen. We could not distinguish 

 the mouths of eitlier the Tolten or the Imperial (or Cauten) 

 quite satisfactorily, but as they are bar rivers — useless to 

 shipping — I would not risk anchoring on so exposed a coast, 

 or sending a boat away into sudi a surf as we saw breaking, 

 without having more time at my disposal and a higher object 

 in view. 



On the Cauten was the city called Imperial — celebrated in 

 Araucanian story — and near its site now live the Boroa tribe, 

 some of whom have light-coloured eyes, fair complexions, and 

 even red hair. I saw one of these Indians at Valdivia, who had 

 blue eyes, but dark hair. She told me that in her own country, 

 ' Boroa,'' there were many with eyes like her"'s ; that some were 

 ' rubios,' that is, of a red and white complexion, and that a few 

 had red hair. Her parents had told her, she said, that those 

 people were descended from the ' Huincas.''* How the red hair 

 originated is rather curious ; I have heard of it from good 

 authorities at other times, while in Chile. 



Late on the 24th we anchored at Mocha, and the follow- 

 ing week was occupied in surveying its shores and the space 

 between them and the inainland.-f- Shocks of earthquakes were 

 frequently felt, more or less severely ; sometimes I thought that 

 the anchor had been accidentally let go, and the chain was run- 

 ning out ; and while at anchor, I often fancied the ship was 

 driving, tUl I saw that there was neither swell, current, nor wind 

 sufficient to move her from the anchorage. We naturally con- 

 cluded that some strange convulsion was working, and anxious 

 for the fate of Concepcion, hastened to Talcahuano Bay as 

 soon as our duty would allow : arriving there on the 4th of 

 March — to our dismay — we saw ruins in every direction. 



The following account of this catastrophe was subsequently 

 obtained : — 



At ten in the morning of the 20th of February, very large 

 flights of sea-fowl were noticed, passing over the city of Con- 



* An Araacanian name for the Spaniards, signifying assassins. 

 1 1 shall recur to Mocha again. 



