63 



ponent parts of a state to maintain themselves long 

 in a state of union, when they do not all participate 

 equally in the advantages of the government. But 

 it is a peculiarity worthy of admiration, that this dis- 

 crimination has hitherto produced no division among 

 them. 



One of the first measures of the national council, 

 after having decided upon war, is to dispatch certain 

 messengers or expresses, called guerquenis^ to the 

 confederate tribes, and even to those Indians who 

 live among the Spaniards, to inform the first of the 

 steps that have been taken, and to request the others 

 to make a common cause with their countrymen. 

 The credentials of these envoys are some small ar* 

 rows tied together with a red string, the symbol of 

 blood. Eut if hostilities are actually commenced, 

 the finger of a slain enemy is joined to the arrows. 

 This embassy, called pulchitum^ to run the arrow, is 

 performed with such secrecy and expedition in the 

 Spanish settlements, that the messengers are rarely 

 discovered. 



The Toqui directs what number of soldiers are 

 to be furnished by each Uthalmapu ; the tetrarchs 

 in their turn regulate the contingencies of the Apo- 

 Ulmenes, and these last apportion them am.ong their 

 respective Ulmenes. Every Araucanian is born a 

 soldier. All are ready to proffer their services for 

 war, so that there is no difficulty in raising an army, 

 which usually consists of five or six thousand men, 

 besides the corps de resei've^ which are kept in 

 readiness for particular occasions, or to replace those 

 killed in battle. 



