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, Dojia Dolores Ureta and her very pleasing daugh- 
* He has actually made windows in it. 
