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[Illustration: NATIVES OF VALPARAISO.]
[Illustration: CHILIAN HORSEMANSHIP.]
TRAVELS
IN PERU,
ON THE COAST, IN THE SIERRA, ACROSS THE CORDILLERAS
AND THE ANDES, INTO THE PRIMEVAL FORESTS.
BY DR. J. J. VON TSCHUDI.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN
BY THOMASINA ROSS.
NEW EDITION, COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME.
NEW YORK:
A. S. BARNES & CO., 51 JOHN-STREET.
CINCINNATI: H. W. DERBY.
1854.
PREFACE.
The Work from which the present Volume is translated consists of
extracts from the Author's Journal, accompanied by his recollections
and observations. The absence of chronological arrangement will be
sufficiently accounted for, when it is explained that the zoological
investigations for which the journey was undertaken frequently
required the Author to make repeated visits to one particular place or
district, or to remain for a considerable time within the narrow
circuit of a few miles; and sometimes to travel rapidly over vast
tracts of country. Disclaiming any intention of making one of those
travelling romances, with which the tourist literature of the day is
overstocked, the Author has confined himself to a plain description of
facts and things as they came within the sphere of his own observation.
But though Dr. Tschudi lays claim to no merit beyond the truthfulness
of his narrative, yet the reader will no doubt readily concede to him
the merit of extensive information, and happy descriptive talent. His
pictures of Nature, especially those relating to the animal world, are
frequently imbued with much of the charm of thought and style which
characterizes the writings of Buffon.
Lima, the oldest and most interesting of the cities founded by the
Spaniards on the western coast of South America, has been frequently
described; but no previous writer has painted so animated a picture of
the city and its inhabitants, as that contained in the following volume.
After quitting the capital of Peru, Dr. Tschudi went over ground
previously untrodden by any European traveller. He visited the Western
Sierra, the mighty chain of the Cordilleras, the boundless level
heights, the deep mountain valleys on the eastern declivity of the
Andes, and the vast primeval forests. Whilst recounting his wanderings
in these distant regions, he describes not only the country and the
people, but every object of novelty and interest in the animal,
vegetable, and mineral creations.
Those lovers of Natural History who are familiar with the German
language, and who may wish to make themselves extensively acquainted
with the animal world, in those parts of Peru visited by Dr. Tschudi,
will find abundant information on the subject in his work, with plates,
entitled "Untersuchungen ueber die Fauna Peruana." The present
Publication, though containing a vast deal to interest the naturalist,
is addressed to the general reader, and will, it is presumed, gratify
curiosity respecting the highly interesting and little known regions to
which it relates. It may fairly be said that no previous writer has
given so comprehensive a picture of Peru; combining, with animated
sketches of life and manners, a fund of valuable information on Natural
History and Commerce.
T. R.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Embarkation at Havre--The Voyage--Arrival at the Island of
Chiloe--Landing--The Gyr-Falcon--Punta Arena--The Island of
Chiloe described--Climate and Cultivation--Cattle--The Bay--San
Carlos--The Governor's House--Poverty and Wretchedness of the
Inhabitants of the Town--Strange method of Ploughing--Coasting
Vessels--Smuggling--Zoology--Departure from Chiloe 1
CHAPTER II.
Valparaiso and the adjacent country--The Bay--Aspect of the
Town--Lighthouses--Forts--Custom House--Exchange--Hotels and
Taverns--War with the Peru-Bolivian Confederation--First
Expedition--Preparations for the Second Expedition--Embarkation
of the Troops--Close of the Port--July Festival in honor of
the French Revolution--The _Muele_, or Mole--Police--_Serenos_,
or Watchmen--Movable Prisons--Clubs--Trade of
Valparaiso--Santiago--Zoology 15
CHAPTER III.
Juan Fernandez--Robinson Crusoe--Passage to Callao--San
Lorenzo--Rise and fall of the coast--Mr. Darwin's opinions
on this subject--Callao--The Fortress--Siege by the
Spaniards--General Rodil--Siege by the Chilians--The
Colocolo--Pirates--Zoology--Road to Lima 26
CHAPTER IV.
Lima--Situation and extent of the City--Streets,
Houses, Churches and Convents--San Pedro--The
Jesuits--Nunneries--Beatarios--Hospitals--San Andres--The
Foundling House--The Pantheon--The Palace--The Plaza
Mayor--Pizarro--The Cabildo--Fountains--Palace of the
Inquisition--The University--National Library--Museum of
Natural History and Antiquities--Academy of Design--The
Mint--The Theatre--Circus for Cock-fighting--The Bridge--The
City Wall--Santa Catalina--Barracks 42
CHAPTER V.
Population of Lima--Its diminution--Different races of the
Inhabitants--Their characteristics--Amusements--Education--The Women
of Lima--Their Costume--the _Saya y Manto_--Female domestic
life--Love of dress--Beatas--Indians--Slaves--Bosales--Free
Creoles--Negroes--Negresses--Black Creoles--Their
varieties--Mestizos--Mulattoes--Pelanganas--Zambos--Chinos--Foreigners
in Lima--Corruption of the Spanish language 63
CHAPTER VI.
Primary Schools--Colleges--The University--Monks--Saints--Santo
Toribio and Santa Rosa--Religious Processions--Raising the Host--The
Noche Buena--The Carnival--Paseos, or Public Promenades--Ice--Riding
and Driving--Horses--Their Equipments and Training--Mules--Lottery
in Lima--Cookery--Breakfasts, Dinners, &c.--Coffee-houses and
Restaurants--Markets--The _Plazo Firme del Acho_--Bull Fights 89
CHAPTER VII.
Geographical Situation of Lima--Height above Sea
level--Temperature--Diseases--Statistical Tables of Births and
Deaths--Earthquakes--The Valley of Lima--The River Rimac--Aqueducts,
Trenches, &c.--Irrigation--Plantations--Cotton--Sugar--Various
kinds of Grain--Maize--Potatoes, and other tuberous
roots--Pulse--Cabbage--Plants used for Seasoning--Clover--The Olive
and other Oil Trees--Fruits--Figs and Grapes--The Chirimoya--The
Palta--The Banana and other Fruits 111
CHAPTER VIII.
Robbers on the coast of Peru--The Bandit Leaders Leon and Rayo--The
Corps of Montoneros--Watering Places near Lima--Surco, Atte and
Lurin--Pacchacamac--Ruins of the Temple of the Sun--Difficulties of
Travelling on the Coast of Peru--Sea Passage to Huacho--Indian
Canoes--Ichthyological Collections--An old Spaniard's recollections
of Alexander Von Humboldt--The Padre Requena--Huacho--Plundering of
Burial Places--Huaura--Malaria--The Sugar Plantation at
Luhmayo--Quipico--Ancient Peruvian Ruins--The Salinas, or Salt
Pits--Gritalobos--Chancay--The Piques--Mode of extracting
them--Valley of the Pasamayo--Extraordinary Atmospheric
Mirrors--Piedras Gordas--Palo Seco 137
CHAPTER IX.
The Coast southward of Lima--Chilca--Curious Cigar cases made
there--Yauyos--Pisco--Journey to Yea--A night on the Sand
Plains--Fatal Catastrophe in the year 1823--Vine Plantations at
Yea--Brandy and Wine--Don Domingo Elias--Vessels for transporting
Brandy (Botijas and Odres)--Cruel mode of skinning Goats--Negro
Carnival--Peculiar species of Guinea Pig--The Salamanqueja--Cotton
Plantations--Quebrada of Huaitara--Sangallan--Guano--Retrospect of
the Peruvian Coast--Rivers--Medanos--Winds--Change of Seasons--The
Garuas--The Lomas--Mammalia--Birds--Amphibia 160
CHAPTER X.
Roads leading to the Sierra--Chaclacayo and Santa Ines--Barometrical
observations--San Pedro Mama--The Rio Seco--Extraordinary Geological
Phenomenon--Similar one described by Mr. Darwin--Surco--Diseases
peculiar to the Villages of Peru--The Verugas--Indian mode of
treating the disorder--The Bird-catching Spider--Horse-Shoeing--Indian
Tambos--San Juan de Matucanas--The Thorn-apple and the Tonga--The
Tambo de Viso--Bridges--San Mateo--Passports--Acchahuari--Malady
called the Veta--Its effects on horses--Singular tact and caution
of Mules--Antarangra and Mountain Passes--Curious partition of
Water--Piedra Parada--Yauli--Indian Smelting Furnaces--Mineral
Springs--Portuguese Mine owners--Saco--Oroya--Hanging
Bridges--Huaros--Roads leading from Oroya 179
CHAPTER XI.
The Cordillera and the Andes--Signification of the terms--Altitude
of the Mountains and Passes--Lakes--Metals--Aspect of the
Cordillera--Shattered Rocks--Maladies caused by the diminished
Atmospheric Pressure--The Veta and the Surumpe--Mountain Storms--The
Condor--Its habits--Indian mode of Catching the Bird--The Puna or
Despoblado--Climate--Currents of Warm Air--Vegetation--Tuberous
Plant called the Maca--Animals of the Puna--The Llama, the Alpaco,
the Huanacu and the Vicuna--The Chacu and the Bolas--Household
Utensils of the Ancient Peruvians--The Viscacha and the
Chinchilla--Puna Birds and Amphibia--Cattle and Pasture--Indian
Farms--Shepherds' Huts--Ancient Peruvian Roads and
Buildings--Treasure concealed by the Indians in the Puna 203
CHAPTER XII.
Cerro de Pasco--First discovery of the Mines--Careless mode of
working them--Mine Owners and Mine Laborers--Amalgamating and
Refining--Produce of the Mines--Life in Cerro de Pasco--Different
Classes of the Population--Gaming and Drunkenness--Extravagance
and Improvidence of the Indian Mine Laborers--The Cerro de San
Fernando--Other Important Mining Districts in Peru--The Salcedo Mine
Castrovireyna--Vast Productiveness of the Silver Mines of Peru--Rich
Mines secretly known to the Indians--Roads leading from Cerro de
Pasco--The Laguna of Chinchaycocha--Battle of Junin--Indian
Robbers--A Day and a Night in the Puna Wilds 229
CHAPTER XIII.
The Sierra--Its Climate and Productions--Inhabitants--Trade--Eggs
circulated as money--Mestizos in the Sierra--Their Idleness
and Love of Gaming and Betting--Agriculture--The Quinua Plant,
a substitute for Potatoes--Growth of Vegetables and Fruits
in the Sierra--Rural Festivals at the Seasons of Sowing and
Reaping--Skill of the Indians in various Handicrafts--Excess of
Brandy-Drinking--Chicha--Disgusting mode of making it--Festivals of
Saints--Dances and Bull-Fights--Celebration of Christmas-Day,
New-Year's Day, Palm Sunday, and Good Friday--Contributions levied
on the Indians--Tardy and Irregular Transmission of Letters--Trade
in Mules--General Style of Building in the Towns and Villages of
the Sierra--Ceja de la Montana 253
CHAPTER XIV.
Road to the Primeval Forests--Barbacoas, or Indian Suspension
Bridges--Vegetation--Hollow Passes--Zoology--the Montana
Plantations--Inhabitants--Trade in Peruvian Bark--Wandering
Indians--Wild Indians or Indios Braves--Languages,
Manners, and Customs of the Indios Bravos--Dress--Warlike
Weapons and Hunting Arms--Dwellings--Religion--Physical
formation of the Wild Indian Tribes--Animals of the Aboriginal
Forests--Mammalia--Hunting the Ounce--Birds--Amphibia--Poisonous
Serpents--Huaco--Insects--Plants 271
CHAPTER XV
Montana of San Carlos de Vitoc--Villages--Hacienda of
Maraynioc--the Coca Plant--Mode of Cultivating and Gathering
it--Mastication of Coca--Evil Consequences of its excessive
Use--Its Nutritious Qualities--Indian Superstitions connected
with the Coca Plant--Suggestions for its Introduction in
the European Navies--Fabulous animal called the Carbunculo--The
Chunchos--Missions to Cerro de la Sal--Juan Santos Atahuallpa--The
Franciscan Monks--Depopulation of Vitoc 309
CHAPTER XVI.
Oppressions exercised by the Spaniards upon the Peruvian Indians--The
Repartimiento and the Mita--Indian Insurrections--Tupac Amaru--His
Capture and Execution--War of Independence--Character of the Peruvian
Indians--Music--Dress--Superstitions--Longevity--Diminished Population
of Peru--Languages spoken by the Aboriginal Inhabitants--Specimen of
Quichua Poetry--The Yaravies--The Quipu--Water Conduits--Ancient
Buildings--Fortresses--Idols--Domestic Utensils--Ancient Peruvian
Graves--Mode of Burying the Dead--Mummies 329
TRAVELS IN PERU.
CHAPTER I.
Embarkation at Havre--The Voyage--Arrival at the Island of
Chiloe--Landing--The Gyr-Falcon--Punta Arena--The Island of
Chiloe described--Climate and Cultivation--Cattle--The Bay--San
Carlos--The Governor's House--Poverty and Wretchedness of the
Inhabitants of the Town--Strange method of Ploughing--Coasting
Vessels--Smuggling--Zoology--Departure from Chiloe.
On the 27th of February, 1838, I sailed from Havre-de-Grace on board the
"Edmond." This vessel, though a French merchantman, was freighted with a
cargo of Swiss manufactured goods, suited to any commercial transactions
which might be entered into in the course of a circumnavigatory voyage.
It was a boisterous morning. A fall of snow and heavy clouds soon
intercepted our view of the coast of France, and not one cheering
sunbeam shone out to betoken for us a favorable voyage. We passed down
the British Channel, where the multitude of vessels, and the flags of
all nations, presented an enlivening picture, and we finally cleared it
on the 5th of March. Favored by a brisk north wind, we soon reached
Madeira and came in sight of Teneriffe, the peak being just perceptible
on the skirt of the horizon. Easterly breezes soon brought us to the
island of Fogo, which, having passed on the 35th day of our voyage, we
received the usual marine baptism, and participated in all the
ceremonies observed on crossing the equator. We soon reached the tropic
of Capricorn, and endeavored to gain the channel between the Falkland
Islands and Patagonia; but unfavorable winds obliged us to direct our
course eastwards, from the Island of Soledad to the Staten Islands. On
the 3d of March we made the longitude of Cape Horn, but were not able to
double it until we got into the 60th degree of south latitude. In those
dangerous waters, where it is admitted by the boldest English sailors
that the waves rage more furiously than in any other part of the world,
we encountered great risk and difficulty. For twenty-two days we were
driven about on the fearfully agitated sea, southward of Tierra del
Fuego, and were only saved from being buried in the deep, by the
excellent build and soundness of our ship.
We suffered much, and were long delayed by this storm; but when it
subsided, a smart breeze sprang up from the southward, and we held our
course along the Pacific to the coast of Chile. After a voyage of 99
days we cast anchor on Sunday the 5th of June, in the Bay of San Carlos.
Like the day of our departure from Europe, that of our arrival off
Chiloe was gloomy and overcast. Heavy clouds obscured the
long-looked-for island, and its picturesque shore could only be seen,
when, at intervals, the wind dispersed the dark atmospheric veil. We had
no sooner cast anchor than several boats came alongside rowed by
Indians, who offered us potatoes, cabbage, fish, and water, in exchange
for tobacco. Only those who have been long at sea can form an idea of
the gratification which fresh provisions, especially vegetables, afford
to the weary voyager. In a couple of hours, the harbor-master came on
board to examine the ship, the cargo, &c., and to give us permission to
go ashore. The long-boat being got out, and well manned, we stepped into
it, and were conveyed to the harbor. The Bay of San Carlos being
shallow, large ships, or vessels, heavily laden, are obliged to go three
English miles or more from the landing-place before they can anchor. Our
boat was gaily decorated and newly painted; but this was mere outside
show, for it was in a very unsound condition. During our passage through
the tropics, the sun had melted the pitch between the planks of the
boat, which lay on the deck keel uppermost. In this crazy boat, we had
scarcely got a quarter of a league from the ship, when the water rushed
in so forcibly through all the cracks and fissures, that it was soon
more than ankle deep. Unluckily the sailors had forgotten to put on
board a bucket or anything for baling out the water, so that we were
obliged to use our hats and boots for that purpose. Fourteen persons
were crowded together in this leaky boat, and the water continued
rising, until at length we began to be seriously apprehensive for our
safety, when, fortunately, our situation was observed by the people on
shore. They promptly prepared to send out a boat to our assistance, but
just as it was got afloat, we succeeded in reaching the pier, happy once
more to set our feet on _terra firma_.
Our first business was to seek shelter and refreshment. There is no
tavern in San Carlos, but there is a sort of substitute for one, kept
by an old Corsican, named Filippi, where captains of ships usually
take up their quarters. Filippi, who recognized an old acquaintance in
one of our party, received us very kindly, and showed us to apartments
which certainly had no claim to the merits of either cleanliness or
convenience. They were long, dark, quadrangular rooms, without
windows, and were destitute of any article of furniture, except a bed
in a kind of recess.
As soon as I got on shore, I saw a multitude of small birds of prey.
They keep in flocks, like our sparrows, hopping about everywhere, and
perching on the hedges and house-tops. I anxiously wished for an
opportunity to make myself better acquainted with one of them.
Presuming that shooting in the town might be displeasing to the
inhabitants, who would naturally claim to themselves a sort of
exclusive sporting right, I took my gun down to the sea-shore, and
there shot one of the birds. It belonged to the Gyr-Falcon family
(_Polyboriniae_), and was one of the species peculiar to South America
(_Polyborus chimango_, Vieil). The whole of the upper part of the body
is brown, but single feathers here and there have a whitish-brown
edge. On the tail are several indistinct oblique stripes. The
under-part of the body is whitish-brown, and is also marked with
transverse stripes feebly defined. The bird I shot measured from the
point of the beak to the end of the tail 1 foot 6-1/2 inches. Though
these Gyr-Falcons live socially together, yet they are very greedy and
contentious about their prey. They snap up, as food, all the offal
thrown out of doors; and thus they render themselves serviceable to
the inhabitants, who consequently do not destroy them. In some of the
valleys of Peru, I met with these birds again, but very rarely and
always single and solitary. I continued my excursions on the
sea-shore, but with little satisfaction, for the pouring rain had
driven animals of every kind to their lurking-holes. After a few days,
I went on board the "Edmond," for the purpose of visiting PUNTA ARENA,
a town on the side of the bay, whither our boat used to be sent for
fresh water. The ground surrounding the spring whence the ships obtain
supplies of water, is sandy, and it becomes exceedingly marshy further
inland. After wandering about for a few hours, I found myself quite
lost in a morass, out of which I had to work my way with no little
difficulty. The whole produce of my hard day's sport consisted of an
awlbeak, a small dark-brown bird (_Opethiorhyncus patagonicus_), and
some land-snails. On our return, as we were nearing the ship, we
killed a seal (_Otaria chilensis_, Muell.), which was rising after a
dive, close to the boat.
On the 22d of June, all our ship's company were on board by order of
the captain. We weighed anchor, and cruized about for some time. At
length, about five in the afternoon, we returned, and the ship was
anchored again precisely on the spot she had left a few hours before.
It was set down in the log-book that the wind was not sufficiently
favorable to allow the ship to pass out safely through the narrow
entrance to the bay. But all on board were well aware that this was
merely a pretence on the part of the captain, who, for some reason or
other, wished to stop longer at San Carlos.
I was very much pleased at this opportunity of prolonging my stay at the
Island of Chiloe, hoping that better weather would enable me to make an
excursion into the interior. But the sky still continued overcast, and
the rain poured incessantly. One day, however, I undertook a journey to
Castro, in company with the French Charge d'Affaires to Peru, one of my
fellow passengers on the voyage. A merchant accommodated us with two
horses, saddled in the Chilian manner; but he warned us to be on our
guard, as horses were often restive when just returned from their summer
pasturage. We set off very promisingly. The commencement of our ride was
pleasant enough, though the road was steep and very difficult. It
sometimes lay over smooth slippery stones, then through deep marshes, or
over scattered logs of wood, which bore evidence of attempts to render
the ground passable, by this rude kind of paving. After we had ridden
for several hours in the forest, the rain checked our further progress,
and we turned, to retrace our way back. Our horses seemed well pleased
with the project of returning home. For a time they proceeded with
wonderful steadiness; but on coming to a part of the road where the
ground was comparatively level and firm, they quickened their pace, and
at length dashed forward through the wood, uncontrolled by the bridle.
The long narrow saddle, with its woollen covering, the crescent-shaped
wooden stirrups, and the heavy spurs, with their clumsy rowels, baffled
all our skill in horsemanship, and it was with no little difficulty we
kept our seats. We thought it best to give the animals the rein, and
they galloped through the umbrageous thickets, until at last, panting
and breathless, they stuck in a morass. Here we recovered our control
over them, and pursued the remainder of our journey without further
accident, though we were drenched to the skin on our return to the town.
On subsequent days, I took my rambles on foot, and found myself richly
rewarded thereby. The long evenings we spent in the company of our host
and the harbor-master, from both of whom I obtained some useful
information respecting the island.
Chiloe is one of the largest islands of the Archipelago which extends
along the west coast of South America, from 42 deg. south lat. to the
Straits of Magellan. It is about 23 German miles long, and 10 broad. A
magnificent, but almost inaccessible forest covers the unbroken line of
hills stretching along Chiloe, and gives to the island a charming aspect
of undulating luxuriance. Seldom, however, can the eye command a
distinct view of those verdant hills; for overhanging clouds surcharged
with rain, almost constantly veil the spreading tops of the trees. At
most parts of the shore the declivity is rapid. There are many inlets,
which, though small, afford secure anchorage; but there are no harbors
of any magnitude. While Castro was the capital of the island, Chacao was
the principal port; but San Carlos having become the residence of the
governor, this latter place is considered the chief harbor; and with
reason, for its secure, tranquil bay unites all the advantages the
navigator can desire on the stormy coast of South Chile. At Chacao, on
the contrary, reefs and strong currents render the entrance dangerous
and the anchorage insecure.
Chiloe is but little cultivated, and scantily populated. If the
statement of my informant, the harbor-master, be correct, Chiloe and the
adjacent small islands contain only from 48,000 to 50,000 inhabitants,
part of whom live in _ranchos_ (huts), and part in a few villages. Next
to San Carlos, and the half-deserted Castro, to which the title of
"City" is given, the chief places are Chacao, Vilipilli, Cucao, Velinoe.
It is only in the neighborhood of these towns or villages that the
forest trees have been felled, and their removal has uncovered a fertile
soil, which would reward by a hundred-fold the labor of the husbandman.
The climate of the island is moist and cool, and upon the whole very
unpleasant. During the winter months, the sun is seldom seen; and it is
a proverbial saying in Chiloe, that it rains six days of the week, and
is cloudy on the seventh. In summer there are occasionally fine days,
though seldom two in succession. The thick forests are therefore never
dry, and beneath the trees, the vegetation of the marshy soil is
peculiarly luxuriant. The constant moisture is one of the greatest
obstacles to agriculture. To clear the ground for cultivation, it would
be necessary to burn the forests, and as the trees are always damp, that
could not be done without great difficulty. To some kinds of culture the
soil is not favorable. The cereals, for example, seldom thrive in
Chiloe; the seed rots after the ear is formed. Maize grows best; though
it shoots too much into leaf, and bears only small grain. The damp soil,
on the other hand, is favorable to potatoes, of which vast quantities
are planted. There is a degenerate kind of potato, very abundant in
Chiloe. On bisection it exhibits a greater or lesser number of
concentric rings, alternately white and violet; sometimes all of the
latter color. It is well known that southern Chile is the native land of
the potato. In Chiloe and also in the neighboring islands, potatoes grow
wild; but, both in size and flavor, they are far inferior to the
cultivated kind. Like the maize, they shoot up in large leaves and
stalks. The climate is also very favorable to the different kinds of the
cabbage plant; but peas and beans do not thrive there.
In the forests there are often clear spots on which the grass grows to a
great height, and supplies excellent pasturage for numerous herds of
cattle. The inhabitants of Chiloe breed for their own use, horses, oxen,
sheep, and swine. The horses are small, and not handsomely formed, but
very spirited and strong. Some are scarcely twelve hands high. The cows
are small and lank, and the same may be said of the swine and sheep. It
is remarkable that all the rams have more than two horns; the greater
number have three, and many are furnished with four or five. I
afterwards observed the same in Peru. The domestic animals on this
island, notwithstanding the abundance of food, are small, and
sickly-looking. I believe the cause to be want of care, for they remain
all the year round exposed to every sort of weather and discomfort.
The population of Chiloe consists of Whites, Indians, and people of
mixed blood. The Indians are now few in number, and those few are
chiefly in the southern part of the island, and the adjacent islets.
They are of the Araucana race, and appear to be a sept between that
race and the people of Tierra del Fuego, on the one side, and the
Pampas Indians on the other. People of mixed races form by far the
greater portion of the population. They are met with in every variety
of amalgamation. Taken in general, they are the reverse of handsome.
They are short and thick-set, and have long, straight coarse hair.
Their faces are round and full, their eyes small, and the expression
of their countenances is unintelligent. The whites are either
Chilenos or Spaniards: the latter are almost the only Europeans
who have become settlers here.
The principal town, San Carlos, called by the natives "Ancud," lies on
the northern coast of a very fine bay. Without a good chart, the
entrance to this bay is difficult. Numerous small islands form a
labyrinth, out of which vessels, if not commanded by very experienced
pilots, cannot easily be extricated. Besides, near the land, the sky is
usually obscured by clouds which prevent any observation for the
latitude, as the sun's altitude cannot be taken even at noon; and when
the sun gets lower, the hills, which would serve as guiding points,
cease to be distinctly seen.
Several whalers, which for some days vainly endeavored to work through
this passage, were afterwards obliged to direct their course northward,
and to cast anchor in Valivia. One of the largest islands at the
entrance of the bay is San Sebastian, where there are numerous herds of
cattle. Cochino is a small island, distant only a few miles from San
Carlos. It is hilly, and thickly crowned with brush-wood. It has only
one landing-place, and that is rather insecure for boats. The water of
the bay is remarkably clear and good; only round the little island of
Cochino, and along the harbor, it is covered with an immense quantity of
sea-moss, which often renders the landing difficult. It frequently
happens that commanders of ships, wishing to go on board to make sail
during the night, get out of the right course, and instead of going to
the ship, steer to Cochino and get into the moss, where their boats
stick fast, till returning daylight enables them to work their way out.
The poor inhabitants boil this sea-moss and eat it. It is very salt
and slimy, and is difficult of digestion. Among the people of Chiloe,
this sea-moss occupies an important place in surgery. When a leg or an
arm is broken, after bringing the bone into its proper position, a
broad layer of the moss is bound round the fractured limb. In drying,
the slime causes it to adhere to the skin, and thus it forms a fast
bandage, which cannot be ruffled or shifted. After the lapse of a few
weeks, when the bones have become firmly united, the bandage is
loosened by being bathed with tepid water, and it is then easily
removed. The Indians of Chiloe were acquainted, long before the French
surgeons, with the use of the paste bandage.
The town of San Carlos is dirty; the streets unpaved, narrow, and
crooked. The houses, with few exceptions, are wretched wooden huts, for
the most part without windows; but there is a board divided in the
middle horizontally, the upper part of which being open, it serves for a
window, and when both parts are open, it forms a door. The flooring
usually consists merely of hard-trodden clay, covered with straw
matting. The furniture, like the apartments, is rude and inconvenient.
These remarks of course apply to the habitations of the very poor class
of people. The richer families live in more comfortable style. Of the
public buildings, the custom-house and the governor's residence are the
most considerable, but both make a very indifferent appearance. In front
of the governor's house, which occupies a tolerably large space of
ground, in the upper part of the town, a sentinel is constantly
stationed. This sentinel parades to and fro, without shoes or stockings,
and not unfrequently without a coat, his arms being covered only by his
shirt sleeves. As to a cap, that seems to be considered as unnecessary a
part of a well-conditioned uniform, as shoes and stockings. After sunset
every person who passes the governor's house is challenged. "Who goes
there?" is the first question; the second is _Que gente?_ (what
country?) The sailors amuse themselves by returning jocular answers to
these challenges; and the sentinel, irritated by their jeers, sometimes
runs after them through part of the town, and when weary of the chace
returns to his post.
Poverty and uncleanliness vie with each other in San Carlos. The lower
class of the inhabitants are exceedingly filthy, particularly the women,
whose usual dress is a dirty woollen gown, and a greasy looking
mantilla. In their damp gloomy habitations, they squat down on the
floor, close to the _brasero_ (chafing pan), which also serves them as a
stove for cooking. They bruise maize between two stones, and make it
into a thick kind of soup or porridge. When employed in paring potatoes
or apples, or in cutting cabbages, they throw the skins and waste leaves
on the ground, so that they are frequently surrounded by a mass of
half-decayed vegetable matter. Their favorite beverage is _mate_ (the
Paraguay tea), of which they partake at all hours of the day. The mode
of preparing and drinking the _mate_ is as follows: a portion of the
herb is put into a sort of cup made from a gourd, and boiling water is
poured over it. The mistress of the house then takes a reed or pipe, to
one end of which a strainer is affixed,[1] and putting it into the
decoction, she sucks up a mouthful of the liquid. She then hands the
apparatus to the person next to her, who partakes of it in the same
manner, and so it goes round. The mistress of the house and all her
guests suck the aromatic fluid through the same pipe or _bombilla_.
The poverty of the people is extreme. Specie is seldom current, and is
exclusively in the hands of a few traders, who supply the Indians with
European articles, in payment of their labor, or in exchange for the
produce of the island, which is sent to Chile and Peru. With much
surprise I learned that there is no saw-mill in Chiloe, where the vast
abundance of trees would furnish a supply of excellent deals, for which
ready and good payment would be obtained in Peru.
The inhabitants direct their industry chiefly to agriculture and
navigation. But rude and imperfect are their implements for field labor,
as well as their nautical vessels. To a stranger nothing can appear more
extraordinary than their mode of ploughing. As to a regular plough, I do
not believe such a thing is known in Chiloe. If a field is to be tilled,
it is done by two Indians, who are furnished with long poles, pointed at
one end. The one thrusts his pole, pretty deeply, and in an oblique
direction, into the earth, so that it forms an angle with the surface of
the ground. The other Indian sticks his pole in at a little distance,
and also obliquely, and he forces it beneath that of his fellow-laborer,
so that the first pole lies as it were above the second. The first
Indian then presses on his pole, and makes it work on the other, as a
lever on its fulcrum, and the earth is thrown up by the point of the
pole. Thus they gradually advance, until the whole field is furrowed by
this laborious process.
The Chiloe boats are merely hulks. They obey the helm reluctantly, but
they bear away before the wind. Several individuals usually join
together, and convey in these boats, the produce of their respective
localities, in the southern villages, to San Carlos. Women as well as
men take their turn at rowing the boats, and after being out all day,
they run into some creek, where they pass the night. When a favorable
breeze springs up, they hoist a sail, made of _ponchos_. The poncho is
an important article of male clothing in this country. It consists of a
piece of woollen cloth, measuring from 5 to 7 feet long, and from 3 to 4
feet broad. In the middle there is a slit from 12 to 14 inches long;
through this slit the wearer passes his head. The poncho thus rests on
the shoulders, and hangs down in front and behind as low as the knees.
At the sides, it reaches to the elbow, or middle of the forearm, and
thus covers the whole of the body. The carters and wagoners in Swabia
wear, in rainy weather, a covering somewhat resembling the poncho, which
they make out of their woollen horse-coverings. When a Chiloe boat is on
its passage on the coast, and a sail happens to be wanted, the men give
up their ponchos and the women their mantillas. The slits in the ponchos
are stitched up, and both ponchos and mantillas being sewn together are
fixed to a pole or bar of wood, which is hoisted to a proper position on
the mast. This patchwork sail can only be serviceable when the wind is
fresh. At nightfall, when the boat runs into one of the creeks for
shelter, the sail is lowered, and the sewing being unpicked, the ponchos
and mantillas are returned to their respective owners, who wrap
themselves in them, and go to sleep.
There is but little trade in San Carlos, for Chile itself possesses in
superfluity all the productions of Chiloe, and the inhabitants of the
island are so poor, and their wants so limited, that they require but
few foreign articles. The port is therefore seldom visited by any
trading vessel from Europe. Some of the Chiloe boats keep up a regular
traffic along the coast. They carry wood, brooms, hams, and potatoes, to
Valparaiso, Arica, Callao, &c., and they bring back in return, linen,
woollen and cotton cloths, ironware, tobacco, and spirits.
North American and French whalers have for several years past been
frequent visitors to San Carlos, as they can there provide themselves,
at a cheap rate, with provisions for the long fishing season. All the
captains bring goods, which they smuggle on shore, where they sell or
exchange them at a high profit. A custom-house officer is, indeed, sent
on board every vessel to examine what is to be unshipped; but a few
dollars will silence him, and make him favor the contraband operations,
which are carried on without much reserve. A French captain brought to
Chiloe a quantity of water-proof cloaks and hats, made of a sort of
black waxed cloth, and sold them to a dealer in San Carlos. To evade the
duty, he sent his men on shore each wearing one of these hats and
cloaks, which they deposited in the dealer's store, and then returned on
board the ship, dressed in their sailors' garb. This was repeated so
often, that at length it was intimated to the captain that, if his men
had a fancy to come on shore with such hats and cloaks they would be
permitted to do so, but it must be on condition of their returning on
board dressed in the same costume.
The people of Ancud (San Carlos), formerly so simple and artless, have
gradually become corrupt and degenerate, since their frequent
intercourse with the whale-fishers. Among the female portion of the
population, depravity of morals and unbecoming boldness of manners have
in a great degree superseded the natural simplicity which formerly
prevailed. All the vices of the lowest class of sailors, of which the
crews of the South Sea Whalers are composed, have quickly taken root in
San Carlos, and the inseparable consequences of those vices will soon be
fatal to the moral and physical welfare of the inhabitants.
In the interior of the island of Chiloe there are few quadrupeds. The
largest, the domestic animals excepted, is a fox (_Canis fulvipes_,
Wat.), which was first discovered by the naturalists who accompanied
Capt. King's expedition. This is the only beast of prey. The coast
abounds in seals of the sea-dog species (_Otaria chilensis_, Muell.,
_Otaria Ursina_, Per., _Otaria jubata_, Desm.)--in sea-otters (_Otaria
chilensis_, Ben.)--and in the water mouse (_Myopotamus Coypus_, J.
Geoff). Among the birds, there are some very fine species of ducks, well
worthy of notice, which are also found on the continent of South
America. There is the little Cheucau (_Pteroptochus rubecula_, Kettl.),
to which the Chilotes attach various superstitious ideas, and pretend to
foretell good or ill luck from its song. The modulations which this bird
is capable of uttering are numerous, and the natives assign a particular
meaning to each. One day, when I wished to have some shooting, I took
an Indian lad with me. Having levelled my gun at one of these birds,
which was sitting in a low bush, and uttering its shrill _huit-huit_, my
young companion firmly grasped my arm, earnestly entreating me not to
shoot the bird, as it had sung its unlucky note. But my desire to
possess a specimen was too great to be thus baffled, so I fired my gun
and brought it down. I was engaged in examining the elegant little bird,
when a mule, probably alarmed by the shot, came running at full speed
towards the spot where we were, and we deemed it prudent to get behind a
hedge as speedily as possible. The infuriated mule made an attack on my
gun, which was resting against the hedge. It was thrown down, bitten,
and trampled on by the mule. The Indian boy turned to me, with a serious
countenance, and said:--"It is well if we escape further danger! I told
you the bird had piped bad luck!"
The day fixed for our departure from Chiloe now approached. The wind,
which had heretofore been unfavorable for leaving the port, promised to
change, and we began to ship provisions. Whilst I was waiting for the
boat which was to take me on board, I had an opportunity of observing
the dexterity with which the Indians slaughter their cattle. This
business is performed on the Mole, where, in the space of a quarter of
an hour, and by two men only, an ox is killed, and the carcase cut up
into the proper pieces. When it is necessary to ship live oxen, the
animals are brought to the shore, where their feet are bound together,
and then they are rolled over planks into the _lancha_ (boat). On
nearing the ship, the Indians tie a rope round the animal's horns, and
then the sailors hoist him up with a strong tackle. It is a curious
sight to behold a strongly-bound struggling ox, hanging by the tackle,
and swinging between wind and water. My little Chilotean pony, which I
intended to take to Peru, was dealt with more gently: he was got on
board with a girth, purposely made for hoisting horses on board ship.
At length we sailed out of the bay with a fresh easterly wind. Three
coasting boats, one of which was heavily laden with brooms, left the
roads at the same time, and their crews said they hoped to reach
Valparaiso before us. But they had too great confidence in their
round-bottomed keels, for they did not anchor in their place of
destination till five or six days after our arrival. The wind soon got
up, blowing W.N.W., but rather flat. In the course of the night, during
the second watch, we were roused from our sleep by a heavy shock,
followed by a peculiarly tremulous motion of the whole ship. We
concluded we had struck in passing over some hidden rock. The lead was
thrown, but no ground was found; the pumps were set a-going, but we were
free of water. The captain attributed the shock to an earthquake, and on
our arrival at Chile, his conjecture was confirmed. In Valdivia, in the
latitude of which place we were at the time, a severe shock of an
earthquake had been experienced.
After a pretty favorable passage of seven days, we anchored on the 30th
of June in the harbor of Valparaiso.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: _Bombilla_ is the name given to this pipe, and the cup or
gourd in which the decoction of the _mate_ is prepared, is called the
_macerina_.]