310 



ARAUCANIANS DEPUTATION. March 1830. 



dress, and wore the deshabille of a Spaniard, a shirt and pair 

 of trowsers, in a very slovenly manner. He spoke Spanish with 

 great facility, and appeared to be quite at his ease in conversa- 

 tion. He has the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Chilian 

 army, and receives pay, as a retainer for his friendship. 



A very short visit was sufficient to satisfy us, and we took 

 the first opportunity of retiring, for fear of a second cup of 

 wine. While leaving the hut, we were beset by some of his 

 followers, asking for money. The Indian quarter is a scene of 

 drunkenness tlie whole day ; the women, however, are pre- 

 vented from thus injuring themselves; they are industrious 

 and cleanly, and are principally occupied in the manufacture 

 of ponchos. These Indians are frequently at war with other 

 tribes, who live on the south side of the Bio-Bio river, and who 

 have never yet been conquered by white men, of which they 

 are not a little proud, (w) 



These Araucanians are by no means to be despised. The 

 Cacique Mariloan,*who resides near San Carlos, on the Bio-Bio, 

 has three hundred fighting men under his own command ; and 

 from the influence he holds over neighbouring Caciques, could 

 bring upwards of one thousand men into the field. Upon the 

 occasion of a late revolution in Chile, a deputation of chiefs 

 was sent by the Araucanian Caciques to inquire into the cause 

 of those disturbances, of which they had received intelligence. 

 They first asked for an interpreter, whom they cautioned to 

 give a true and literal translation of their speech ; and then 

 they made a long harangue, in which they explained the cause 

 of their visit, and declared their willingness to assist their 

 friends, if their aid should be required, to expel a foreign foe ; 

 but if the troubles were caused only by the quarrels and dissen- 

 sions of parties, they would not take an active part. They 

 were then given to understand that an attempt had been made 

 by one party to put down another, upon which they declined 

 assisting either. The conference being ended, some horses were 



fivj Not since the first Spanish conquest, perhaps. — R. F. 

 * From ' Mari,' diez, and ' loan,' huapo : whence Mariloan means 

 ' huapo como diez,' or, ' equal to ten men.' 



