338 



CHTLOE. 



Nov. 1834. 



the government. The ChiUan authorities are now perform- 

 ing an act of justice^ l)y making retribution to these poor 

 Indians ; giving to each man^ according to his grade of hfe, 

 a certain portion of land. The value of uncleared ground is 

 very Httle. The government gave Mr. Douglas (the present 

 surveyor, who informed me of these circumstances) eight 

 and a half square miles of forest near S. Carlos, in lieu of a 

 debt; and this he sold for 350 dollars, or about seventy 

 pounds sterling. 



The two succeeding days were fine, and at night we 

 reached the island of Quinchao. This neighbourhood is the 

 most cultivated part of the Archipelago ; for a broad strip of 

 land on the coast of the main island, as well as on many of 

 the smaller adjoining ones, is almost completely cleared. 

 Some of the farm-houses seemed very comfortable. I was 

 curious to ascertain how rich an}^ of these people might be, but 

 Mr. Douglas says that no one can be considered as possessing a 

 regular income. One of the richest landowners might pos- 

 sibly accumulate, in a long industrious life, as much as a thou- 

 sand pounds sterling ; but should this happen, it would all be 

 stowed away in some secret corner ; for it is the custom of 

 almost every family to have a jar or treasure-chest buried in 

 the ground. 



November 30th. — Early on Sunday morning we reached 

 Castro, — the ancient capital of Chiloe, but now a most 

 forlorn and deserted place. The usual quadrangular arrange- 

 ment of Spanish towns could be traced, but the streets and 

 plaza were coated with fine green turf, on which sheep were 

 browsing. The church, which stands in the middle, is 

 entirely built of plank, and has a picturesque and venerable 

 appearance. The poverty of the place may be conceived 

 from the fact, that although containing some hundreds of 

 inhabitants, one of our party was unable any where to pur- 

 chase either a pound of sugar, or an ordinary knife. No 

 individual possessed either a watch or a clock ; and an old 

 man, who was supposed to have a good idea of time, was 

 employed to strike the church bell by guess. 



