440 



ELF.CTION OF SUPREME CHIEF. 



chiefs, in which, after expostulating with them upon their 

 ruinous rivalry ; he exhorted them to choose a leader by some 

 trial of ability, which should be publicly made ; and suggested 

 that the man who could bear a heavy weight for the longest 

 time must be the fittest to endure the burthen of governing. 



The caciques agreed to his proposal, and prepared a large 

 trunk of a tree for this great trial of strength. Colocolo well 

 knew that the qualifications of an Indian general were not 

 bodily strength and activity, unless accompanied by qualities 

 of mind proportionably superior ; but it happened that Cau- 

 polican exceeded all his countrymen in mental, and all but 

 Lincoya in bodily qualifications. Accident had impeded his 

 attendance at the ' gathering,' and the object of Colocolo in 

 proposing so tedious and otherwise absurd a trial was to gain 

 time for Caupolican's arrival. 



Fourteen chiefs successively bore the ponderous tree upon 

 their shoulders. No one gave up the trial, until he had 

 endured more than four hours' oppression ; some even sustained 

 the burthen six, eight, or ten hours ; and one hardy mountaineer 

 carried the tree for fifteen. But the famed Lincoya claimed 

 the prize ; confiding in his Herculean strength, he had allowed 

 all others to precede him in the trial. When at last he threw 

 the mantle from his Atlas shoulders, he took the tree from the 

 ground as if it had been a stick ; ran, jumped, and danced with 

 it on his back, seeming to feel no weight ; and the multitude, 

 astonished, exclaimed, ' Lincoya shall be general ! the rest are 

 infants in comparison!' but the wise Colocolo insisted upon 

 the completion of the trial, knowing that Caupolican would 

 soon arrive, and that Lincoya's antics would exhaust even his 

 great strength, and make it possible for an infei'ior to carry the 

 tree longer. The crafty veteran had himself excited Lincoya to 

 the unnecessary exertions which he knew would undermine 

 him. From sunrise, until noon of the following day, full thirty 

 hours, did the gigantic Lincoya sustain his immense- load. 

 While the air yet resounded to the shouts of ' Lincoya,' Cau- 

 polican arrived, and demanded to try his strength ; but Colo- 

 colo interposed, saying that Caupolican had arrived from a 



