THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



75 



"estancias," which a few years since had been destroyed by 

 the Indians. They withstood several attacks. A man present 

 at one gave me a very lively description of what took place. 

 The inhabitants had sufficient notice to drive all the cattle 

 and horses into the " corral m which surrounded the house, 

 and likewise to mount some small cannon. The Indians were 

 Araucanians from the south of Chile; several hundreds in 

 number, and highly disciplined. They first appeared in two 

 bodies on a neighbouring hill ; having there dismounted, and 

 taken off their fur mantles, they advanced naked to the 

 charge. The only weapon of an Indian is a very long bam- 

 boo or chuzo, ornamented with ostrich feathers, and pointed 

 by a sharp spearhead. My informer seemed to remember 

 with the greatest horror the quivering of these chuzos as they 

 approached near. When close, the cacique Pincheira hailed 

 the besieged to give up their arms, or he would cut all their 

 throats. As this would probably have been the result of 

 their entrance under any circumstances, the answer was 

 given by a volley of musketry. The Indians, with great 

 steadiness, came to the very fence of the corral : but to their 

 surprise they found the posts fastened together by iron nails 

 instead of leather thongs, and, of course, in vain attempted 

 to cut them with their knives. This saved the lives of the 

 Christians : many of the wounded Indians were carried away 

 by their companions, and at last, one of the under caciques 

 being wounded, the bugle sounded a retreat. They retired to 

 their horses, and seemed to hold a council of war. This was 

 an awful pause for the Spaniards, as all their ammunition, 

 with the exception of a few cartridges, was expended. In 

 an instant the Indians mounted their horses, and galloped 

 out of sight. Another attack was still more quickly repulsed. 

 A cool Frenchman managed the gun; he stopped till the 

 Indians approached close, and then raked their line with 

 grape-shot: he thus laid thirty-nine of them on the ground; 

 and, of course, such a blow immediately routed the whole 

 party. 



The town is indifferently called El Carmen or Patagones. 

 It is built on the face of a cliff which fronts the river, and 



x The corral is an enclosure made of tall and strong stakes. Every 

 estancia, or farming estate, has one attached to it. 



