89 



preserve it in its purity, taking great care to avoid 

 the introduction of any foreign word, in which they 

 are so particular that whenever a foreigner settles 

 among them, they oblige him to relinquish his name 

 and take another in the Chilian language. The mis- 

 sionaries themselves are obliged to conform to this 

 singular regulation, if they would obtain the public 

 favour. They have much to endure from this ex- 

 cessive fastidiousness, as even while they are preach- 

 ing the audience will interrupt them, and with im- 

 portunate rudeness correct the mistakes in language 

 or pronunciation that escape them. Many of them 

 are well acquainted with the Spanish language, both 

 from their frequent communication with the neigh- 

 bouring Spaniards, and from having been accustom- 

 ed to speak a soft, regular and varied language, 

 which readily adapts itself to the pronunciation of 

 the European dialects, as has been observed by 

 Captain Wallis respecting the Patagonians, who are 

 real Chilians.^ They, however, make but little 

 use of it, none of them ever attempting to speak 

 in Spanish in any of the assemblies or congresses 

 that have been held between the two nations, on 

 which occasion they had much rather submit to 

 the inconvenience of listening to a tiresome in- 

 terpreter, than, by speaking another language, to de- 

 grade their native tongue. 



The speeches of their orators resemble those of 

 the Asiatics, or more properly those of all barbarous 

 nations. The style is highly figurative, allegorical, 



* Hawkesworth's Voyage of Captain Wallis, 

 Vol. II. M 



