piragua's sail PLOUGH. 



1829. 



the course and all their movements, provides two ponchos, all 

 which are sewn together to form their sail, which is hoisted by 

 ' lazos,' or thongs of bullock's hide. 



These sails are generally in a wretched state, the name San- 

 tisima is applied to them all by the crews, with the hope of 

 securing tlie protection of their patron saint. The anchor is of 

 wood, formed of four crooked pieces, in the shape of a grapnel 

 with four flukes, at the bottom, or crown of which a large stone 

 is fastened, to increase its weight. The crews are exceedingly 

 timid, and instead of making exertions to extricate their vessel 

 from any impending danger, they throw themselves on their 

 knees, beating their breasts and calling loudly upon their saint, 

 for ' misericord i a.' 



I was given to understand that very few of them can swim? 

 which seems extraordinary, since they are born and bred in 

 the immediate vicinity of the sea, and depend chiefly upon its 

 productions for subsistence. The fact speaks strongly for the 

 indolence of their character, even although the rigour of the 

 climate forms a bar to bathing as a mere amusement. Several 

 piraguas were lost while we were at Childe, and, as may be 

 inferred, their crews were all drowned. 



With regard to the cultivation of land, they are very far 

 behind, and, comparing the present state with the description 

 of Byron (1740), and of Agiieros (1791), very little improve- 

 ment seems to have been made. The ground is prepared by 

 make-shift ploughs, of a very rude construction. Two poles of 

 hard wood (luma), about three yards long and proportion ably 

 large, trimmed to a sharp point at one end and rounded at the 

 other, are held by the middle, one in each hand, and pointed 

 very obliquely into the ground ; in this direction they are 

 forced forward, by pressing against the blunt end with the 

 abdomen, which is defended by a sheepskin, suspended in the 

 form of an apron. After these have penetrated twelve or four- 

 teen inches into the soil, a second person, generally a woman or 

 a boy, places a stout stick under the poles, or ' lumas,' as they 

 are called, close to the earth, to form a solid support for them. 



