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[modesty and simplicity ; their dress is entirely of wool, and, agreeable to the natural taste, of a greenish blue colour ; it consists of a tunic, a girdle, and a short cloak, called ichella, which is fastened before with a silver buckle. The tunic, called chiamal^ is long, and descends to the feet ; it is without sleeves, and is fastened upon the shoulder by silver broches or buckles ; this dress, sanctioned by custom, is never varied ; but to gratify their love of finery, they adorn themselves with all those trinkets which caprice or vanity suggests. They divide their hair into several tresses, Avhich float in graceful negligence over their shoulders, and decorate their heads with a species of false emerald, called glianca, held by them in high estimation ; their necklaces and bracelets are of glass, and their ear-rings, which are square, of silver ; they have rings upon each finger, the greater part of which are of silver. It is calculated that more than 100,000 marks of this metal are employed in these female ornaments, since they are worn even by the poorest class.
4. Dwellings . — We have already given some account of the dwellings of the ancient Chilians : the Araucanians, tenacious, as are all nations not corrupted by luxury, of the customs of their country, have made no change in their mode of building. But as they are almost all polygamists, the size of their houses is proportioned to the number of women they can maintain ; the interior of these houses is very simple ; the luxury of convenience, splendour, and show, is altogether unknown in them, and necessity alone is consulted in the selection of their furniture. They never form towns, but live in scattered villages or hamlets on the banks of rivers, or in plains that are easily irrigated. Their local attachments are strong, each family preferring to live upon the land inherited from its ancestors, which they cultivate sufficiently for their subsistence. The genius of this haughty people, in which the savage still predominates, will not permit them to live irt walled cities, which they consider as a mark of servitude.
5. Division of the Araucanian state.— Although in their settlements the Araucanians are wanting in regularity, that is by no means the case in the political division of their state, which is regulated with much nicety and intelligence. They have divided it from n. to s. into four tdhal-mapiis, or parallel tetrarchates, that are nearly equal, to which they give the names of Laiiquen-mapu, the maritime country ; L,elbun-mapu^ the plain country ; Inapire-mapUy the country at the foot of the Andes ; and Pire-mapuj or that of the Andes.
Each uthal-mapu is divided into five aillaregues or provinces; and each aillaregue, into nine regues or counties. The maritime country comprehends the provinces of Arauco, Tucapel, lllicura, Boroa, and Nagtolten ; the country of the plain includes those of Encol, Puren, Reposura, Maquegua, and Mariquina ; that at the foot of the Andes contains Mar veil, Colhue, Chacaico, Quecheregua, and Guanagua ; and in that of the Andes is included all the valleys of the cordillerasy situate within the limits already mentioned, which arc inhabited by the Puelches. These mountaineers, who were formerly a distinct nation, in alliance Avith the Araucanians, are now united under their government, and have the same magistrates. In the second and third articles of the regulations of Lonquilmo, made in the year 1784, the limits of each uthal-mapu are expresslj" defined, and its districts marked out. It declares to be appertaining to that of the cordilleras., the Huilliches of Changolo, those of Gayolto and Rucachoroy, to the s. ; the Puelches and Indian pampas to the n. from Malalque and the frontiers of Mendoza to the Mamil-mapu in the pampas of Buenos Ayres ; the whole forming a corporate body with the Puelches and Pehuenches of Maule, Chilian, and Antuco; so that at present, in case of an infraction of the treaty, it may easily be known what uthal-mapu is to make satisfaction. This division of Araucania, Avhich discovers a certain degree of refinement in its political administration, is of a date anterior to the arrival of the Spaniards, and serves as a basis for the civil government of the Araucanians, w'hich is aristocratic, as that of many other barbarous nations has been. This species of republic consists of three orders of nobility, each subordinate to the other; the toqiiis, the apo~ulmenes, and the ulmenes, all of Avhom have their respective vassals. The toquis, who may be styled tetrarchs, are four in number, and preside over the uthal-mapus. The appellation of toqui is derived from the verb toquin, which signifies to judge or command ; they are independent of each other, but confederated for the public Avelfare. The apo-iilmenes or arch-ulmenes govern the provinces under their respective toquis. The ulraenes, who are the prefects of the regues or counties, are dependent upon the apo-ulmenes ; this dependence, however, is confined almost entirely to military affairs. Although the ulmenes are the lowest in the scale of the Araucanian aristocracy, the superior ranks, generally speaking, are comprehended under the same title, which is equivalent to that of cacique. The discriminative badge of the toqui is a species of battle-axe, made]
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[of porphyry or marble. The apo-ulmcnes and the ulmenes carry staves with silver heads, but the first, by Avay of distinction, have a ring of the same metal around the middle of their staves. AH these dignities are hereditary in the male line, and proceed in the order of primogeniture. Thus have the dukes, the counts, and marquises of the military aristocracy of the north been established, from time immemorial, under different names, in a corner of South America. With its rescinblance to the feudal system, this government contains also almost all its defects. The toqui possesses but the shadow of sovereign authority. The triple power that constitutes it is vested in the great body of the nobility, who decide every important question, in the manner of the ancient Germans or modern Poles, in a general diet, which is called bidacoi/o^ or aucacoijog^ the great council, or council of the Araucanians. This assembly is usually held in some large plain, wlierethey combine the pleasures of the table with their public deliberations. Their code of laws, which is traditionary, is denominated admapu^ that is to say, the customs of the country. In reality, these laws are nothing more than primordial usages or tacit conventions, that have been established among them, as was originally the case with almost all the laws of other nations; they have consequently all the defects peculiar to such systems.
6. Its political form , — The clearest and most explicit of their political and fundamental laws are those that regulate the limits of each authority, the order of succession in toquiates and in the ulmenates, the confederation of the four tetrarchates, the choice of the power of the commanders in chief in time of war, and the right of convoking the general diets, which is the privilege of the toquis ; all these laws have for their object the preservation of liberty, and the established form of government. According to them, two or more states cannot be held under the rule of ttie same chief. Whenever the male branch of the reigning family becomes extinct, the vassals recover iheir natural right of electing their own chief from that family which is most pleasing to them. But before he is installed, he must be presented to the toqui of their uthal-mapu, who gives notice of his election, in order that the new chief may be acknowledged and respected by all in that quality. The subjects are not, as under the feudal government, liable to a levT/, or to any kind of personal service, except in time of war. Neither are they obliged to pay any contributions to their chiefs, who must subsist themselves by means of their own property. They respect them.
however, as their superiors, or rather as the first among their equals ; they also attend to their decisions, and escort them whenever they go out of the state. These chiefs, elated with their authority, would gladly extend its limits, and govern as absolute masters; but the people, who cannot endure despotism, oppose their pretensions, and compel them to keep within the bounds prescribed by their customs.
7. Civil institutions . — The civil laws of a society whose manners are simple, and interests but little complicated, cannot be very numerous. The Araucanians have but a few; these, however, would be sufficient for their state of life, if thev were more respected and less arbitrary. Their system of criminal jurisprudence, in a particular manner, is very imperfect. The offences that are deemed deserving of capital punishment are treachery, intentional homicide, adultery, the robbery of any valuable article, and witchcraft. Nevertheless, those found guilty of homicide can screen themselves from punishment by a composition with the relations of file murdered. Husbands and fathers are not subject to any punishment for killing their wives or children, as they are declared by their laws to be the natural masters of their lives. Those accused of sorcery, a crime chiefly known in countries involved in ignorance, are first tortured by fire, in order to make them discover their accomplices, and then stabbed with daggers. Other crimes, of less importance, are punished by retaliation, which is much in use among them, under the name of thaulonco. Justice is administered in a tumultuous and irregular manner, and without any of those preliminary formalities that are observed among civilized nations. The criminal who is convicted of a caj>ital offence is immetliately put to death, accorditig to the military custom, witliout being suffered to rot in prison; a mode of conffnement unknown to the Araucanians. it has, however, lately been introduced into Tucapel, the seat of the government of Lauqueninapu, by Cathicura, the then toqui of that district ; but the success of this experiment, which was at first very ill received by his subjects, is supposed generally to liave failed. The ulmenes arc the lawful judges of their vassals, and for this reason their authority is less precarious. The unconquerable pride of this people prevents them from adopting the wise measures of public justice j they merely possess some general and vague ideas upon the principles of political union, whence the executive pow'er being without force, distributive justice is ill administered, or entirely abandoned to the caprice of individuals. The injurcdl
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[family often assumes the right of pursuing the aggressor or his relations, and of punishing them. From this abuse are derived the denominations and distinctions, so much used in their jurisprudence, of gengiieritiy genguman^ g^nla^ &c. denoting the principal connections of the aggressor, of the in]ured, or the deceased, who are supposed to be authorised, by the laws of nature, to support by force the rights of their relatives. A system of judicial proceedings so irregular, and apparently so incompatible with the existence of any kind of civil society, becomes the constant source of disorders entirely hostile to the primary object of all good government, and public and private security. When those who are at enmity have a considerable number of adherents, they mutually make incursions upon each other’s possessions, where they destroy or burn all that they cannot carry off'. These private quarrels, called malocas^ resemble much the feuds of the ancient Germans, and are very dreadful when the ulmenes are concerned, in which case they become real civil wars. But it must be acknowledged, that they are generally unaccompanied with the etfusion of blood, and are confined to pillage alone. This people, notwithstanding their propensity to violence, rarely employ arms in their private quarrels, but decide them w'ith the fist or with the club.
8. Military system . — The military government of the Araucanians is not only more rational and better systematized than the civil, but in some respects appears to be superior to the genius of an uncultivated nation. Whenever the grand council determines to go to war, they proceed immediately to the election of a commander in chief, to which the toquis have the first claim, as being the hereditary generals or stadtholders of the republic. If neither of them is deemed qualified for the command, dismissing all regard for rank, they entrust it to the most deserving of the ulmenes, or even the officers of the common class, as the talents necessary for this important station are what alone are required. In consequence, Vilumilla., a man of low origin, commanded the Araucanian army, with much honour, in the war of 1722 ; and Curignanca, the younger son of the ulmen of the province of Encol, in that which terminated in 1773. On accepting his appointment, the new general assumes the title of toqui, and the stone hatchet, in token of supreme command ; at which time the native toquis lay aside theirs, it not being lawful for them to carry them during the government of this dictator. They likewise, sacrificing private ambition to the public good, take the oaths of obedience and fealty to him, to-
gether with the other ulmenes. Even the people, who in peace shew themselves repugnant to all subordination, are then prompt to obey, and submissive to the will of their military sovereign. He cannot, however, put any one to death without the consent of the principal officers of his army ; but as these are of his own appointment, his orders may be considered as absolute. From the arrival of the Spaniards in the country to the present time, it isobservable, that all the toquis who have been appointed in time ofwar were natives ofthe provinces of Arauco, of Tucapel, of Encol, or of Puren. Whether this partiality be owing to some superstitious notion, or rather to some ancient law or agreement, we are unable to determine ; it appears, however, to be repugnant to the principles of sound policy, as it is very rare for the component parts of a state to maintain themselves long in any sort of union when they do not all participate equally in the advantages of the government. But it is a peculiarity worthy of admiration, that this discrimination has liitherto produced no division among them. One of the first measures of the national council, after having decided upon war, is to dispatch certain messengers or expresses, called guer-quenis^ to the confederate tribes, and even to those Indians Avho live among the Spaniards, to inform the first of the steps that have been taken, and to request the others to make a common cause with their countrymen. The credentials of these envoys are some small arrows tied together with a red string, the symbol of blood. But if hostilities are actually commenced, the finger, or (as Albedo will have it) the hand of a slain eneiuy is joined to the arrows. This embassy, called pulchitum^ to run the arrow, is performed with such secrecy and expedition in the Spanish settlements that the messengers are rarely discovered. The toqui directs what number of soldiers are to be furnished by each uthalmapu ; the tetrarchs, in their turn, regulate the contingencies of the apo-ulmenes, and these last apportion them among their respective ulmenes. Every Araucanian is born a soldier. All are ready to proff'er their services for war, so that there is no difficulty in raising an army, wh^ich usually consists of five or six thousand men, besides the corps de reserve, which are kept in readiness for particular occasions, or to replace those killed in battle. The commander in chief appoints his vicc-toqui, or lieutenant-general, and the other officers of his staff’, who in their turn nominate their subaltern officers : by this method harmony and subordination are maintained between the respective commanders. The vicc-toqui is almost always selected from among the]
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[Puelclies, in order to satisfy that valiant tribe, who amount to the fourth part of the population of the state. Nor have the Araucanians ever Jiad cause to repent of this selection. During the last war, one of these mountaineers, Leviantu, lieutenantgeneral of Curignancu, harassed the Spaniards greatly, and gave their troops constant employment. The army is at present composed of infantry and of horse. It originally consisted entirely of the former : but in their first battles witli the Spaniards, perceiving the great advantages which their enemies derived from their cavalry, they soon began to discipline themselves in the same manner. Their first care was to procure a good breed of horses, which in a short time became so numerous, that in the year 1568, seventeen years after their first opposing the Spanish arms, they were able to furnish several squadrons ; and in the year 1585, the cavalry was first regularly organized by the Toqui Cadegtiala. The infantry, which they call narrwntuUnco, is divided into regiments and companies : each regiment consists of one thousand men, and contains ten companies of one hundred. The cavalry is divided in like manner, but the number of liorse is not always the same. They have all their particular standards, but each bears a star, which is the national device. The soldiers are not clothed in uniform, according to the European custom, but all wear beneath their usual dress cuirasses of leather, hardened by a peculiar mode of dressing ; their shields and helmets are .also m.ade of the saiiie materi.al.
9. Their army and mode of mailing war . — The cavalry is .armed with swords and lances; the infantry Avith pikes or clubs pointed with iron. They formerly employed boAvs and slings, in the use of Avhich they AA'ere very dexterous ; but since the arrival of the Spaniards, they have almost entirely relinquished them ; experience having taught them to avoid the destructive eft'ect of their musketry, by immediately closing in, and fighting hand to hand Avith the enemy. The art of njaking gunpoAvder is as yet unknoAvn to this Avarlike people. Either they regard it but little, or, Avhat is more probable, those Spaniards Avith Avhom they have sometimes traded Avould not, if they Averc themselves acquainted Avith it, communicate to them the composition. It is, however, believed tlmt they made use at first of the greatest exertions to obtain the knowledge of this secret, so important in the present system of warfare. The discovery of poAvder is Avell ascertained to have been owing more to accident than to the efforts of human ingenuity, although some pretend that it Avas knoAvn
in China long before the period that it was discocoA'ered in Europe. The inhabitants of the country relate the following anecdote respecting gunpowder, Avhich, however fabulous and absurd it may appe.ar, is generally credited. The Araucanians, on first seeing Negroes Avith the Spaniards, imagined th.at tliey prepared from them the powder Avhich tliey used. Soon after, having taken one of those unfortunate men, tliey first covered liim with stripes from head to foot, and afterw ards Inirned him to a coal, in order, by reducing it to pow'der, to obtain the so much Avislied-for secret ; but were soon convinced of the fallacy of their chemical principles. In their various encounters Avith the Spaniards, they occasionally took from them powder and muskets, which, in the subsequent battles, they employed Avith as much skill as if they had been for a long time accustomed to them; but as soon as the powder Avas expended, they were forced to resume their former arras. The Dutcli, Avhen they took the city of Valdivia, attempted to form an alliance Avith them, and promised to supply them Avith powder and cannon ; but as they distrusted all Europeans, they Avould not listen to their proposal. Before setting out on his expedition, the general assigns three days for consultation, in order to consider aneAv the plans of the campaign, and to adopt the best expedients. Upon this occasion every one has the liberty of offering his opinion, if he deems it conducive to the public Avelfare. In the mean time the general consults in secret with the officers of his staff upon the plans Avhich he has formed, and the means of remedying sinister events. After tiiis the army commences its march to the sound of drums, being alvAays preceded by several advanced parties, in order to prevent a surprise. The infantry, as Aveil as cavalry, jrroceed on horseback ; but on coming to action, they immediately dismount, and form themselves into their respective comp.anies. Each soldier is obliged to bring from home not only his arms, but his supply of provisions, according to the custom of the Romans. As all are liable to military service, so no one in particular is obliged to contribute to the support of the army. The provision consists in a small sack of parched meal for each, which, diluted with Av.ater, furnishes sufficient food for them until they are enabled to live at free quarters upon the enemy. The Araucanian troops are extremely vigilant; they adopt at night the most prudent measures, by encamping in secure and advantageous positions. On these occasions centinels are placed upon all sides ; and in presence of the enemy tliey re-]
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[double their precautions, and sirengthen the posts they occupy with strong entrenchments. Every soldier during night is obliged, in order to prove his vigilance, to keep up a fire before his tent : the great number of tliese fires serves to deceive the enemy, and have at a distance a very singular appearance. They are, besides, well acquainted with the art of constructing military works, and of protecting themselves with deep ditches, which they guard with branches of thorn, and strew caltrops in the environs to repress the incursions of the enemy’s horse. In short, there are few military stratagems that they do not employ at a proper time and place. The celebrated Spani.di poet Ercilla, who fought against them under Don Garcia, expresses his admiration at meeting with troops so well disciplined, and possessing such perfection in tactics, which, to use his expressions, the most celebrated nations in the W'orld have not been able to attain without great trouble, and after a long course of years. When an action becomes necessary, they separate the cavalry into two wings, and place the infantry in the centre, divided into .several battalions, the files being composed alternately of pikemen and soldiers armed with clubs, in such a manner, that between every two pikes a club is always to be found. The vicetoqui has the command of the right wing, and that of the left is committed to an experienced officer. The toqui is present every where, as occasion may require, and exhorts his men with much eloquence to fight valiantly for their liberties. But of this there appears little need, as the soldiers manifest such ardour, that their officers have much more difficulty in restraining their impetuosity than in exciting them to action. Fully impressed with the opinion, that to die in battle is the greatest honour that a man can acquire in this life, on the signal for combat being given, they advance desperately, shouting in a terrific manner ; and notwithstanding the slaughter made among them by the cannon, endeavour to penetrate the centre of the enemy. Though they know full well that the first ranks will be exposed to almost certain destruction, they eagerly contend with each other for these posts of honour, or to serve as leaders of tte files. As soon as the first line is cut down, the second occupies its place, and then the third, until they finally succeed in breaking the front ranks of the enemy. In the midst of their fury they nevertheless preserve the strictest order, and perform all the evolutions directed by their officers. The most terrible of them are the club-bearers, who, like so many Hercules, destroy with their
iron-pointed maces all whom they meet in their way.
10. Division of the spoil . — The spoils of w'ar are divided among those who have had the good fortune, to' take them. But when the capture has been general, they are distributed among the whole in equal p arts, called ?eg, so that no preference is shown to ai;y of the officers, nor even to the toqui. The prisoners, according (o tiie custom of all barbarous nations, are made slaves, until they are exchanged or ransomed. According to the admapu, one of tliese unfoilunate men must be sacrificed to the manes of the soldiers killed in the war. This cruel law", traces of which are to be found in the annals of almost all nations, is nevertheless very rarely put in practice, but one or two instances having occurred in tlie space of nearly 200 years. The Araucanians are sensible to the dictates of compassion, altliough the contrary is alleged by certain writers, who having assumed as an incontrovertible principle, that they never give quarter to their enemies, afterwards contradict themselves in mentioning the great number of prisoners who have either been exchanged or ransomed after the war.
11. Sacrifice after the war . — The sacrifice above mentioned, called pruloneon., or the dance of the head, is performed in the following manner ; The officers, surrounded by the soldiers, form a circle, in the centre of which, in the midst of four poniards, representing the four uthal-mapus, is placed the official axe of the toqui. The unfortunate prisoner, as a mark of ignominy, is then led in upon a horse deprived of his ears and tail, and placed near the axe, with his face turned towards his country. They afterwards give him a handful of small sticks and a sharp stake, with which they oblige him to dig a hole in the ground ; and in this they order him to cast the sticks one by one, repeating the names of the principal warriors of his country, while at the same time the surrounding soldiers load these abhorred names with the bitterest execrations. He is then ordered to cover the hole, as if to bury therein the reputation and valour of their enemies, whom he has named. After this ceremony the toqui, or one of his bravest companions, to whom he relinquishes the honour of the execution, dashes out the brains of the prisoner with a club. The heart is immediately taken out by two attendants, and presented palpitating to the general, who sucks a little of the blood, and passes it to his officers, who repeat in succession the same ceremony ; in the mean time he fumigates with tobacco smoke from his pipe the four cardinal]