A ''Voyage to 



clown : They never draw together to live fociably, wherein 

 they differ from the Peruvians ; fo that, throughout all 

 Chili, there is not a Town or Village of the Natives of the 

 Country to be feen* Nay, they are fo little fix'd to the 

 Place they take up for their Habitation, that, whenfoever 

 they take a Fancy to remove, they either abandon, or carry 

 their Houfes elfewhere: Whence it is, that the Art of ma- 

 king War on them, does not confift in going out to find 

 them, but in taking Poft in the Midft of their Country, 

 with a fmall Number of Troops, obftru&ing their Sowing, 

 deftroying their Corn, and driving away their Cattle. 

 This way of living difpers'd up and down, makes the 

 Country look like a Defart ; but, in reality, it is very po- 

 pulous, and their Families are very numerous. As they 

 have many Wives, fo they have alfo many Children, 

 wherein their Wealth confifts, becaufe they fell them, es- 

 pecially the Daughters, who are bought for Wives : Thus 

 they become perfect Slaves, whom they fell again, when 

 they do not like them, and put them to the hardeft Labour. 

 The Men only hough the Land once a Year to fow their7#- 

 dianCom, French Beans, Lentils, and other Grain they feed 

 on ; and when they have' done, they meet their Friends, 

 drink, get drunk, and reft. Then the Women fow, wa- 

 ter, and gather in the Harveft. She who lies with the Ma- 

 iler, dreffes his Meat that Day, takes care to treat him well, 

 and to faddle and bridle his Horfe ; for they are fo little 

 ufed to walk a-foot, that tho' they are to go but 200 Paces 

 they will ride $ and they are excellent Horfemen : They 

 go up and down fuch* fteep Places, that our European Horfes 

 would not be able to ftand on.them without any Burden. 

 When obliged, upon a Rout, to fly into the Woods, they 

 place themfelves under the Bellies of the Horfes, to prevent 

 being torne by the Boughs of the Trees. In fliort, they 

 perform on Horfeback, all that we are told extraordinary 

 of the Arabs, and perhaps they out-do them. Their Sad- 

 dle is a double Sheep's Skin, which fervesthem to lie on m 

 Uic Field. Their Stirrups are fquare wooden Boxes or 



Cafes 



