334 



CHILOE. 



Nov. 1834. 



to watch^ as the sun rose^ the outhne gradually fading away 

 in the glare of the eastern sky. 



The inhabitants, from their complexion and low stature, 

 appear to have three-fourths of Indian blood in their veins. 

 They are an humble, quiet, industrious set of men. Al- 

 though the fertile soil, resulting from the decomposition of 

 volcanic rocks, supports a rank vegetation, yet the climate 

 is not favourable to any production which requires much 

 sunshine to ripen it. There is very little pasture for the 

 larger quadrupeds ; and in consequence, the staple articles of 

 food are pigs, potatoes, and fish. The people all dress in 

 strong woollen garments, which each family makes for itself, 

 and dyes with indigo of a dark blue colour. The arts, how- 

 ever, are in the rudest state ; — as may be seen in their strange 

 fashion of ploughing, their method of spinning, grinding 

 corn, and in the construction of their boats. 



The forests are so impenetrable, that the land is nowhere 

 cultivated except near the coast, and on the adjoining islets. 

 Even where roads exist, they are scarcely passable from the 

 soft and swampy state of the soil. The inhabitants, like 

 those of Tierra del Fuego, chiefiy move about on the beach, 

 or in boats : in some cases the latter aiFord the only means 

 of getting from one house to another. Although with plenty 

 to eat, the people are very poor: there is no demand for 

 labour, and consequently the lower orders cannot scrape to- 

 gether money sufficient to purchase even the smallest luxuries. 

 There is also a great deficiency of a circulating medium. I 

 have seen a man bringing on his back a bag of charcoal, with 

 which to buy some trifle, and another a plank to exchange 

 for a bottle of wine. Hence every tradesman must also be 

 a merchant, and again sell the goods which he takes in ex- 

 change. 



November 24th. — The yawl and whale-boat were sent 

 under the command of Mr. Sulivan, to survey the eastern or 

 inland coast of Chiloe ; and with orders to meet the Beagle 

 at the southern extremity of the island ; to which point she 

 would proceed by the outside, so as thus to circumnavi- 



