CHILI. 



most violent disease is the chncao longo, a fever, accompanicil hy a disorder Ji tlic iiead and de- 

 lirium. The languages are the Spanish and the Chiliese, spoken 

 by the independent tribes and otliers. Traveling is more difficult 

 than in Peru, as a great part of the routes is over mountains. 

 The inhabitants of Spanish descent are cheerful, frank, and hon- 

 orable. They are as hospitable as the people of any country. 

 They use their slaves also with great kindness. The peasants 

 are dexterous horsemen, and are seldom out of the saddle. The 

 beggars in the cities are sometimes mounted, and ride to solicit 

 alms. The amusements are similar to those in the other South 

 American States, and the lasso is used by the countrymen with 

 the most astonishing precision. This, however, is general in 

 South America. The lasso is a long line with a noose, which, 

 in the hands of a Chilian riding at full speed, is cast over any 

 animal, and on any part of it, over the horns, the neck, the body, 

 or around the four legs, or any two of them. The children are 

 often seen practising on poultry and cats.* Knowledge is at a 

 low ebb in Chili, but the state of education is improving. There are 5 or 6 newspapers in 

 Santiago. The Roman Catholic is the principal religion, and there are several orders of monks. 

 Many of the Indians are pagans. 



The southern part of Chili is chiefly occupied by the Araucanians, a remarkable nation of 

 Indians, and is often called Arauco or Araucania. This region, celebrated in Spanish story 

 and song, is described as one of the finest in South America. The Araucanians, having adopted 

 the rude agriculture of the Spaniards, raise Indian corn in abundance, and have a good stock 

 of horses and horned cattle. Their whole country is divided into 4 districts, governed by he- 

 reditary rulers called toquis, who are confederated together, and inferior chiefs called ulmenes. 



Chilians. 



* " Ifa wild bull is to be caught, and two mounted horse- 

 men, or Guassos, undertake to kill it, as soon as tlicy dis- 

 cover him, they grasp the coil in the left hand, prepare the 

 noose in the right, and dash off at full gallop, each swing- 

 ing his lasso round his head. The first who comes within 

 reach, aims at the bull's horns, and when he sees, which 

 he does in an instant, that the lasso will take effect, he 

 stops his horse and turns it half round, the bull continuing 

 his course till the whole lasso, of 15 or 20 yards in length, 

 has run out from the Guasso's hand. The horse, mean- 

 while, knowing by experience what is going to liappen, 

 leans over as much as he can in the opposite direction from 

 the bull, and stands in trembling expectation of the vio- 

 lent tug which is given by the bull when he is brought up 

 by the lasso. So great, indeed, is the jerk which takes 

 place at this moment, that, were not the horse to lean over, 

 he would certainly be overturned ; but, standing as he 

 does, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, he offers 

 sufficient resistance to stop the bull as instantaneously as 

 if he had been shot, though at full speed ; and in some 

 oases, the checlr is so abrupt and violent, that the animal 

 is not only dashed to the ground, but rolls along at the full 

 stretch of the lasso ; while the horse, drawn sideways, 

 ploughs up the earth with his feet for several yards. This, 

 which takes so long to describe, is the work of a few sec- 

 onds, during which the other horseman gallops past, and, 

 before the bull has time to recover from the shock, places 

 the lasso over the horns, and continues advancing till it 

 also is at the full stretch. The bull, stupefied by the fall, 

 sometimes lies motionless on the ground ; but the horse- 

 men soon rouse him up, by tugging him to and fro. When 

 on his legs, he is like a ship moored with two cables; and 

 however unwilling he may be to accompany the hor.?einon, 

 or however great his struggles, he is irresistibly dragged 

 along by them in whatever direction they please. If the 

 intention be to kill the animal for the sake of the hide and 

 tallow alone, as is often the case, one of the Guassos dis- 

 mounts, and running in, cuts the bull's hamstrings with a 

 long knife which he always wears in his girdle, and in- 

 stantly afterwards despatches him by a dexterous cut across 

 the back of the neck. The most surprising thini^ is, the 

 manner in which the horse, after being left by his rider, 

 manages to preserve the lasso always tight ; this would be 



lose diiTioult, if the bull would remain steady ; but it some- 

 times happens that he mrikrs violent struggles to disen- 

 tangle himself from the lassos, rusliing backwards and 

 forwards in a furious manner; the horse, however, with 

 wonderful sagacity, alters his place and prances about, as 

 if conscious of what he is doing, so as to resist every move- 

 ment of tlie bull, and never allowing the lasso to be relaxed 

 for a moment. When a wild hoise is to be taken, the las 

 so is always placed round the two hind legs; and, as the 

 Guasso rides a little on one side, the jerk pulls the horse's 

 feet laterall}', so as to throw him on his side, without en- 

 dangering his knees or liis face. Before the horse can re- 

 cover t!ie shock, t!ie rider dismounts, and, snatching his 

 poncho or cloak from his shoulders, wraps it round the 

 prostrate animal's head ; he then forces into his moutli one 

 of the powerful bridles of the country, straps a saddle on 

 his back, and, bestriding him. removes the poncho; upon 

 which, the astcniished horse springs on his legs, and en- 

 deavors, by a thousand vain efforts, to di.sencumber him- 

 self of his new master, who sits composedly on his back, 

 and, by a discipline which never fails, reduces the horse 

 to such complete obedience, that he is soon trained (o lend 

 his speed and strength in the capture of his wild com- 

 panions. During the recent wars in tliis country, the 

 lasso was used as a weapon of great power in the hands 

 of the Gunssos, who made bold and useful troops, and never 

 failed to dismount cavalry, or to throw down tlie horses of 

 those who came within their reach. There is a well- 

 authenticated story of a party of 8 or 10 of these men, w ho 

 had never seen a piece of artillery till one was fired at 

 them in the streets of Buenos Ayres. They galloped fear- 

 lessly up to it, placed their I.issos over the cannon, and, by 

 their united strength, fairly overturned it. Another anec- 

 dote is related of them, which, though possible, does not 

 rest on s\ich good authority. A number of armed boats 

 were sent to elo'ct a landing nt a certain point on this 

 coast, guarded only by these horsemen. The party in the 

 boats, carinsr little for an enemy unprovided with fire-arms, 

 rowed confidently along the shore. The Guassos, mean 

 time, were watchinff their oppoitunity, and the moment 

 the boats came sufficiently near, dashed into the water, 

 and, throwing their lassos round the necks of the officers, 

 fairly dragged sverv one of them out of the boats." — TTnll 



