Nov. 1834. 



INDIAN INHABITANTS. 



the Indian surname. In the census of 1832, there were in 

 Chiloe and its dependencies, forty-two thousand souls. The 

 greater number of these appear to be little copper-coloured 

 men, of mixed blood. Eleven thousand actually retain their 

 Indian surname ; but it is probable that not nearly all of them 

 are of pure blood. Their manner of life is the same with that 

 of the other poor inhabitants, and they are all Christians : but 

 it is said that they yet retain some strange superstitious cere- 

 monies, and that they pretend to hold communication with the 

 devil in certain caves. Formerly, every one convicted of this 

 offence was sent to the Inquisition at Lima. Many of those 

 people who are not included in the eleven thousand, cannot be 

 distinguished by their appearance from Indians. Gomez^ 

 the governor of Lemuy, is descended from noblemen of 

 Spain on both sides, but by constant intermarriages with 

 natives, the present man is an Indian. On the other hand, 

 the governor of Quinchao boasts much of his pure Spanish 

 blood. 



We reached at night a beautiful little cove, north of the 

 island of Caucahue. The people here complained of want 

 of land. This is partly owing to their own negligence 

 in not clearing the woods, and partly to restrictions of the 

 government, which makes it necessary before buying ever so 

 small a piece, to pay two shillings to the surveyor, for mea- 

 suring each quadra (150 yards square), together with whatever 

 price he fixes for the value of the land. After his valuation, 

 the land must be put up three times to auction, and if no one 

 bids more, the purchaser can have it at that rate. All these 

 exactions must be a serious check to clearing the ground, 

 where the inhabitants are so extremel)^ poor. In most 

 countries, forests are removed without much difficulty, by 

 the aid of fire ; but in Chilce, from the damp nature of the 

 climate, and the sort of trees, it is necessary first to cut 

 them down. This is a heavy drawback to the prosperity of 

 Chiloe. In the time of the Spaniards the Indians could not 

 hold land; and a family, after having cleared a piece of 

 ground, might be driven away, and the property seized by 



VOL. III. Z 



