220 
VOYAGE TO THE 
of troops, who presented arms as we passed. We alighted 
at the palace, and were received by the Intendente and his 
staff, all in full uniform. On entering the sala we were pre¬ 
sented to the wife of the Governor, and thought her the 
handsomest woman we had yet seen in Chile. 
Two of the most interesting of the persons who dined 
with the Intendente were the Araucanian chiefs Venancio 
and Peneleo. The latter has a stern and sullen counte¬ 
nance, but Venancio appears kindly and good-humoured. 
It is a great happiness to the Chilian Government that 
these two chiefs, w r hose influence over their countrymen is 
almost unbounded, should be in friendship with it. 
Some of us had never sat at a Chilian dinner before, and 
as this w r as a real feast, the full state of ancient hospitality 
w : as kept up—no less than ten courses succeeded one an¬ 
other, to each of which every guest was heartily pressed. 
Venancio seems to possess the true festive qualities, which 
his good-natured face promised: he ate of every dish, and 
drank between each. 
Towards the end of the dinner Captain Maling gave, as 
a brinda (toast or sentiment), “ The health of the Araucanian 
chiefs, and may the friendship between them and the Chilians 
lie strengthened by the friends of both, the English/ This 
being interpreted to Peneleo, he rose and said, witli an ani- 
