the South -Sea. £9 



pour Chicha on their Bodies, that is, their Liquor, and to 

 fit their Equipage as for undertaking a very long Journey; 

 It is not hence to be concluded, that they have any Notion 

 of the Spirituality of the Soul, or of its Immortality : They 

 look upon it as fomething corporeal, which is, to go be- 

 yond the Sea to Places of Pleafure, where they fhall abound 

 in Meat and Drink ; That they ftiall there have feveral 

 Wives, who will bear no Children, but will be employed 

 in making them good Chicha y in ferving them, &c. 



However, this they believe very confufedly, and many 

 of them look upon it as a Conceit of their own framing. 

 Some of the Spaniards imagine, that this Notion has been 

 inftill'd into them by a Corruption of the Do&rine which 

 S. ^Thomas the Apoftle taught, on the other Side of the 

 Cordillera, or Ridge of Mountains which feparates Chili 

 from the Inland of South America ; but the Reafons on 

 which they ground their Belief, that the faid Apoftle and 

 S. Bartholomew came into that Province, are fo wretched, 

 as not to deferve being mention'd. 



The Indians of Chili have no Kings or Sovereigns among Their Go- 

 them to prefcribe Laws to them : Every Head of a Family vernment, 

 was Matter in his own Hqufe ; but thofe Familks increafing, 

 thofe Chiefs are become Lords of many Vaffals, who 

 obey, without paying them any Tribute: The Spaniards 

 call them Caciques. All their Prerogative confifts in com- 

 manding in Time of War, and in exercifing Juftice. They 

 fucceed in that Dignity by the Right of Elderlhip, and 

 every one of them is independent of any other, and abfo- 

 lute Matter in his own Dominions. I do not only fpeak of 

 thofe who are Savage, or Unconquer'd, but even of thofe 

 who are reckoned Subdued ; for tho', by a Treaty of Peace, 

 they have confented to own the King of Spain for their 

 Prince, they are not obliged to pay him any other Ac- 

 knowledgment, but a Supply of Men to repair the Forti- 

 fications, and defend themfelves againft the other Indians. 

 The Number of thefe is reckon d to be 14 or 1500. 



I 2 It 



