APPENDIX. 429 
did not carry arms or go to war, it was unbecoming a brave and warlike 
people to kill or carry them away captives. They could not listen to this 
tenet, as it struck at the very foundations of their customs respecting war ; 
and even their honour was implicated. The honour of an Indian is computed 
by his train of captives: they destroy all their enemies of the male kind; 
and if they took no women or children prisoners, they should have no captives, 
and consequently no honour. Such is the reasoning of the Indians on the 
subject; and if any chief, however popular he might be, would undertake an 
expedition, and deny that right to the Indians, he would not have one solitary 
follower : Carrera seeing he could not prevail, waived all further conversation 
on the subject. The assembly was prorogued, and we retired with the caciques 
to dine on some bullocks, which had been roasted for the occasion ; and after 
dinner, a bacchanalian revel succeeded, in which they gave themselves up to 
the uncontrolled enjoyment of their favourite excess, — drunkenness: we 
continued the revel all night, amidst the prophecies and songs of’ priests and 
bards. It is an abomination to an Indian to eat, drink, or sleep, with a woman ; 
however, the principal or favourite women of some of the caciques had their 
meetings apart ; they were unnoticed by the Indiaus, but had some attention 
paid them by us: they were, if possible, more intoxicated than the men. 
Their songs seemed to take much effect on them, as they sometimes laughed, 
and sometimes wept, at the ideas which they expressed. The airs were wild, 
sweet, irregular, and plaintive ; rather pleasing, and not void of harmony. 
The repetitions of these fetes were numerous ; but it would be tiresome and 
unnecessary to enter into a particular detail of them, as what I have men- 
tioned may serve to give a general idea of their sacrifices, councils, and 
revels. 
These inhospitable regions of America, where water is extremely scarce, 
and wood in most places not to be found, were but little inhabited before the 
conquest by the Spaniards ; and were first peopled by refugees from the south 
of Chile, who came hither for the exercise of that liberty which they feared 
it would have been impossible for them to enjoy there. Various other causes 
since that time, such as wars with each other, &c., have driven various tribes 
and remnants of tribes to settle there, that they might escape the vengeance of 
their more powerful rivals. 
Amongst the various tribes there is no union of government : they are fre- 
quently at war with each other; and only act in concert with each other, and 
under one chief, when threatened by some real or imaginary danger ; and 
