318 



CHARLES DARWIN 



as they can support, and a cacique will sometimes have more 

 than ten : on entering his house, the number may be told by 

 that of the separate fires. Each wife lives a week in turn 

 with the cacique; but all are employed in weaving ponchos, 

 etc., for his profit. To be the wife of a cacique, is an honour 

 much sought after by the Indian women. 



The men of all these tribes wear a coarse woolen poncho: 

 those south of Vald ; via wear short trousers, and those north 

 of it a petticoat, like the chilipa of the Gauchos. All have 

 their long hair bound by a scarlet fillet, but with no other 

 covering on their heads. These Indians are good-sized men ; 

 their cheek-bones are prominent, and in general appearance 

 they resemble the great American family to which they be- 

 long; but their physiognomy seemed to me to be slightly 

 different from that of any other tribe which I had before 

 seen. Their expression is generally grave, and even austere, 

 and possesses much character : this may pass either for hon- 

 est bluntness or fierce determination. The long black hair, 

 the grave and much-lined features, and the dark complexion' 

 called to my mind old portraits of James L On the road we 

 met with none of that humble politeness so universal in 

 Chiloe. Some gave their " mari-mari " (good morning) with 

 promptness, but the greater number did not seem inclined to 

 offer any salute. This independence of manners is probably 

 a consequence of their long wars, and the repeated victories 

 which they alone, of all the tribes in America, have gained 

 over the Spaniards. 



I spent the evening very pleasantly, talking with the 

 padre. He was exceedingly kind and hospitable ; and coming 

 from Santiago, had contrived to surround himself wifh some 

 few comforts. Being a man of some little education, he bit- 

 terly complained of the total want of society. With no par- 

 ticular zeal for religion, no business or pursuit, how com- 

 pletely must this man's life be wasted! The next day, on 

 our return, we met seven very wild-looking Indians, of whom 

 some were caciques that had just received from the Chilian 

 government their yearly small stipend for having long re- 

 mained faithful. They were fine-looking men, and they rode 

 one after the other, with most gloomy faces. An old cacique, 

 who headed them, had been, I suppose, more excessively 



