28 



A DIARY OF THE 



now appropriated to the warrant officers and 

 stores. At one end of the officers' tent was 

 placed the dingy, now converted into a powder 

 magazine. The state of our arms was particu- 

 larly examined into in the course of the day, 

 and the camp as much organised as circumstances 

 had as yet permitted us. The Indians had been 

 numerous throughout the day, but not unfriendly, 

 and many exchanges had been made between 

 them and the crew, of apples, fowls, and potatoes, 

 for wet clothes, or any description of metal : still 

 we were far from feeling easy about them, from 

 their known savage and wild character. Several 

 of the Cacique Cheuquante's Indians arrived, with 

 their long spears, and had collected close to us, 

 as our accepted look-outs against their brethren 

 the hostile Indians, who were in force beyond 

 the neighbouring hills, but kept in check by an 

 opposing party, under the influence of the go- 

 vernment of Chili, in command of the Cacique 

 Colissi. With Cheuquante's Indians was the 

 Spanish interpreter before mentioned^ — Rafael 

 Lobo, a half-bred Indian, who assumed an au- 

 thority over them, and with whom we had after- 

 wards much communication. A vast quantity 

 of scattered articles was collected from the 



