who at this time was at Santiago. His major-domo, however, offered
the use of the house to the Consul, which he declined accepting, or
putting him to any trouble more than to prepare a supper, and allow
us to arrange our beds inside the corridor. We made a hearty supper;
Camilo messing with us, and treated as a valuable friend by the
Consul, who placed every confidence in his honesty, and, from his
better knowledge of the country people and Indians, intrusted to him
the entire arrangement of the journey. After supper, in the course of
conversation, it was agreed that Mr. Lane and Camilo should precede
us with letters to Captain Seymour and the commandant of Arauco,
acquainting them with our proceedings. The letters were written, and we
retired to rest.
At daylight, on the 28th, Mr. Lane and Camilo set out, the former to
be guided by Camilo’s son, Antonio. The Consul and myself proceeded
at 9 on our journey, but found some difficulty in getting the mules
on, the rains having rendered the roads almost impassable, the mules
constantly falling, and requiring to be relieved of their burdens. Came
to Colcura; and, in passing through Fuerte Viejo, I waved my hand to
the pretty brunette; and, about 9, after a long and tedious journey,
came to the Rio Carampanque, which we crossed about 10 o’clock; arrived
at Camilo’s house, where we supped on roasted turkey, cascuella, and
the roasted seeds of the Araucano pine; enjoyed our pipes, and retired
to rest.
_Friday, 29._--In no hurry to rise this morning: breakfasted at 10,
and occupied three hours in loading the mules and hiring horses and
additional mules for the conveyance of the shipwrecked crew. At 2 in
the afternoon we took leave of Camilo’s family, and proceeded towards
Arauco, where we arrived about 3; and dined with the Commandant
Valenzuela, and the officers who were so kind to us on our way up.
After dinner, a meeting of the friendly caciques was held at this
gentleman’s house; when, through the means of an interpreter, they
intimated to the Consul and Commandant their friendly disposition
towards the shipwrecked crew, and their readiness to assist them. The
Consul presented each of them with a jacket, some indigo, tobacco,
and Jew’s harps, together with some trinkets for their wives. The
Commandant having made up his mind to accompany us to the wreck, we
started at 5 o’clock, and about sunset came to a few ranchos on the top
of a hill, called Mitmessin: here we supped, and retired to bed; but
passed a miserable night, in consequence of its blowing a gale from the
northward, and the rancho being neither wind nor water tight.
_Saturday, 30._--Arose and breakfasted; it still blowing hard, and
raining heavily: our anxiety greatly increasing for the safety of the
crew. At 10 took leave of our friends, and arrived at the Indian pueblo
of Albarado at 11, and went to the rancho at which we slept on our
way up. Here we found the people celebrating a festival--singing and
dancing in a frightfully savage manner, all more or less intoxicated
with chichi. They would not allow us to proceed until we acknowledged
our friendship by partaking of some of their chichi. We then lit our
pajitas, and, about 3, crossed the river, which we found running very
rapidly, the current being increased by the heavy rains. I stopped a
few minutes at the house of Camilo’s major-domo: the inmates welcomed
my return; but I was obliged to hurry my visit, and rejoin the party.
We arrived at Lumaco at 6, having passed the troop of mules, which
were to remain at the major-domo’s house should night overtake them. We
dismounted perfectly drenched, it having rained incessantly during the
day, dried our clothes by the fire, supped, and retired to rest, with
the consolation that we were only a short day’s journey from the wreck.
Arose at daybreak, it still blowing and raining; waited till 10 for the
mules, when they arrived. The servants having breakfasted, at half-past
11 we mounted, and at 2 came to the Rio Leubu, which we crossed in a
much better conveyance than we did in our way up; the Consul having
brought a large batsa, and a man to manage it, in the hope of assisting
the shipwrecked crew in transporting parties and baggage across the
rivers. The Consul, Camilo, and myself having crossed, we hurried on
our way to the wreck, leaving the mules to follow.
About 5 we arrived; and I introduced the Captain to the Consul, who
presented the Commandant, and was gratified by the kind welcome of
my shipmates and fellow-sufferers, who hailed us as the harbingers
of their deliverance from the wretchedness and privations they had
endured; and those only who have been placed in similar circumstances
can imagine the delightful feelings produced by such a meeting:
having left them surrounded by danger, and now finding them encamped
in comparative safety on a mound of sand about 200 yards from the
unfortunate ship.
_Monday, June 1._--Wind light from the north. Several pieces of the
ship’s bottom were picked up on the beach. The officers sent to examine
the entrance of the Rio Leubu returned, bringing a favourable report
on the objects in view. The Consul, with the governor, being convinced
of the absolute necessity of instantly removing from our present
encampment, the Captain and officers met in the presence of the Consul,
for the purpose of drawing up a statement of the reasons which caused
such a course (of abandoning the wreck) imperative. The opinion of all
on this subject was unanimous.
The nature of the resolutions at this meeting will be understood by a
perusal of them; they are signed by each person then present, and were
prepared as a public document for the information of the Admiralty, if
called for. Captain Seymour, feeling it his duty to protect the wreck
as long as circumstances would permit, in order that a communication
might be made to the senior officers for his decision on the case,
also addressed a letter, through the Consul, to the governor of
Arauco, requesting his authority, with a force from him to guard it
from the inroads of the Indians, until the pleasure of the Commodore
could be received. The reply to this request from the governor states
his inability, from various insurmountable difficulties, to give the
assistance asked for.
The decision of moving to the entrance of the Rio Leubu drew the
attention of all to the necessary preparations. The crew were,
therefore, variously employed in packing provisions for carriage on
mules, a number of which, with many horses, had followed or accompanied
the governor of Arauco. The sail-makers were employed in making small
tents of a transportable size, the carpenters fitting poles for them;
and spars were prepared to form sledges for the conveyance of heavy
articles and casks, to be drawn by oxen, which we hoped, through the
interference of the governor and the friendly caciques, to have driven
down to our encampment for that purpose.
The officers examined into the state of the men’s clothing, and gave
directions for every thing to be packed ready for a moment’s warning;
and they were allowed to furnish themselves with bags, where wanted,
out of certain sails, or canvass appropriated to that purpose. The
crew, as well as the officers, being much distressed for shoes, the
hides of the bullocks which we had been furnished with were carefully
portioned out in pieces of a size to make moccassins, which, being
laced on tight to the foot, soon assumed a form, and proved a
convenient and excellent substitute in so important a want; and, during
the latter part of our sojourn on the shores of Chili, were used almost
universally.
At 1 P.M. Lieutenant Collins, with Mr. Macdonald, the master, was
sent to the entrance of the Rio Leubu, to make a more particular
examination, with reference to the safety of a ship’s approach to it.
The former, furnished with a passport from the governor of Arauco, and
a guide, was to proceed on to Concepçion, with a letter from Captain
Seymour to the senior or naval officer there, or elsewhere, stating
our intention of proceeding to the Rio Leubu, there to await succours
for our removal by sea. Lieutenant Collins was furnished with an order
from the Captain to this effect: that if he found, on his arrival
at Concepçion, there appeared no early prospect of any naval officer
having it in his power to come to our assistance, he was to use his
endeavours to hire a vessel capable of embarking the crew, and bring
her himself to our relief.
At sunset the weather was moderate and cloudy. The usual daily muster
under arms was gone through, and preparation made for the night, on
board the wreck as well as on shore.
_Tuesday, June 2._--Light winds from the east, and fine weather. Mr.
Macdonald returned from the entrance to the Leubu, confirming its
advantages in favour of our measure of encamping there, as well as
for embarkation. At noon, Lieutenant Tause, with an armed party to
the number of about thirty men, including two midshipmen, started for
the newly destined site of encampment, taking under their escort from
thirty to forty mule-loads of provisions, tents, and various articles
of baggage. We were most fortunate in a continuance of a few days of
fine weather, as rain would almost have put a stop to our march, from
the obstacles offered on the road. In one instance we had a mile to
cut through an aged forest, whose solitude would appear to have reigned
unbroken for centuries. The governor of Arauco was most attentive and
vigilant in acquiring a knowledge of the movement and position of the
hostile Indians, and constant spies were despatched to the hills south
of us. A good number of mules and horses had been collected and driven
to the vicinity of our camp, and great exertions were made, therefore,
by all to expedite our march. Several of the caciques had consented to
allow their bullocks to be yoked to assist the transport of our heavy
baggage. Pinoleo, his wife and daughter, and followers, took another
look at us this day, but did not remain any length of time, though they
accepted a little rum and water previous to returning to the hills.
_June 3._--Fine weather, light wind from N.E. We this day loaded
about sixty mules, and, with poles lashed together, on which were
secured casks, and other heavy articles, made up loads for eleven
yokes of oxen; the whole of which started for the Leubu: a party of
men in advance, to cut down the trees and clear the road for them. The
difficulties which the oxen had to overcome, in dragging heavy loads
through swampy ground and thick abrupt woods, were very great, and
could only have been overcome by the steady perseverance and patience
so characteristic of the Indians who guided them. Five caciques now
arrived from different directions, and with many followers, for the
purpose of having a formal interview with the Governor of Arauco, the
Consul, and Captain. They were, Cheuquante, cacique of Molquilla;
Pinoleo, cacique of Lumuco; Antinao, cacique of Arauco; Currinir,
cacique of Tucapel; and Udalevi, cacique of Arauco (father of Antinao).
Rafael Lobo was also present: he is the accredited interpreter for the
Chilian government amongst the Indians of the district of Arauco, and
is allowed to style himself Teuciente de la Reduçion di Tucapel. This
interview was highly interesting, as displaying much of the character
and manners peculiar to the Araucanian Indians: it lasted almost three
hours; an interpreter, accustomed to the office, on the part of the
governor, undertaking to make and receive the various communications
that passed. The Indian language is not unpleasant, and reminded us a
good deal of that of the South Sea Islands. Their mode of address,
however, is very singular, in short abrupt sentences, on the latter
words of which was laid a loud and peculiar emphasis. Before the
conclusion of the meeting the Consul spread out his bundle of presents,
consisting of strings of coloured glass beads, papers of indigo,
tobacco, cotton printed handkerchiefs, and Jew’s harps, the whole of
which were appropriately distributed, and received by the Indians with
great apparent satisfaction, as offered by Mr. Rouse, the Consul, in
the name of His Majesty the King of Great Britain. With the caciques
came the infant child of one of them: the mode in which it was brought
was singular. It was placed in a rude wooden box, framed something
like a wooden coal-scuttle, contrived so as to make a snug fit for its
little imprisoned inmate, whose head only was visible over the edge of
the front; the back formed the handle, by which it was slung, by hide
straps, to the Indian woman who took charge of it, and who, mounted on
horseback, conveyed it away. On taking leave, the caciques went through
the ceremony of a parting embrace with the governor, Consul, and
Captain; which was by putting the right arm over the left shoulder, the
left arm round the waist, under the right arm, the head resting on the
right shoulder, and the contrary. They finally accepted from the Consul
a small cask of Concepçion wine, with which they retired to the hills
to drink.
_June 4._--The weather continued quiet and fine. The Captain, taking
with him a guide, started early this morning to examine the progress
and position of our new encampment at the entrance of the Leubu.
Advantage was taken of this day to transport our sick, eight in
number, to the camp: they were mounted on the quietest horses we could
procure, and made their journey very comfortably under the charge of
Mr. Lane, the assistant-surgeon. The Captain returned towards sunset,
highly satisfied with the judicious selection, by Mr. Tause the
first lieutenant, of the spot, on which his exertions had made great
progress towards the erection of tents for the reception of the crew,
provisions, and stores. An attempt was made to-day to drag the cutter
on spars beyond the promontory of land W.N.W. of the wreck, distant
about a league, with the intention of watching an opportunity, if the
surf should ever permit it, to launch her, under the shelter of a reef
of rocks, and take her round to the entrance of the Leubu; but it was
not persisted in, from the little chance of success; the strength and
exertions of the crew being, also, of much more consequence for other
purposes. The governor of Arauco had procured a small ox, which he
presented to the Captain, and which we killed for the mess. Towards
the evening a messenger arrived with despatches from Arauco for the
governor, informing him that a body of 600 hostile Indians, under the
cacique Cadin, were within two days’ march of us, and that 2000 more
were assembled on the hills to support them. This intelligence, with
other reports, was sufficient to keep us on the alert, and increased
our desire to leave our present encampment for one where, we hoped, we
should feel less apprehension of being molested. Spies were immediately
sent in the direction of the hostile Indians. The usual preparations
were made for the night, with a muster, and discharge and reload, of
the small arms.
_June 5._--Northerly winds and fine weather, with occasional fog.
Busily employed in forwarding baggage to the Leubu, as our means of
carriage permitted. The caciques came again in a body with their
followers to pay another visit to us; occupying, most inconveniently,
much of the valuable time of some of our party. A few more presents
were found for them. A sort of apology was made to the governor for
the unruly drunken conduct of a connection of one of the caciques on
their former visit, when the interpreter drew his sword, and threatened
to cut him down if he did not desist from interrupting him. The
penitent Indian afterwards made himself very useful, in conducting and
influencing other Indians in the transport with oxen of our baggage to
the Leubu. The dress of the caciques was, in both their visits, not
very different from their followers, except in the case of Pinoleo,
whose costume has been already described, and Cheuquante, who looked
not very unlike one of the monkies which the Savoyard boys exhibit in
the streets of London; he having, by some means or other, furnished
himself with what was meant for a cocked hat, with a cockade, a blue
coatee with red cuffs and collar, and a very long sabre, and adding to
his ridiculous appearance by his evident self-satisfaction.
A supply of rum and water, in a small cask, was given them; on which
they took the hint, and retired to the hills.
_June 6._--Moderate breeze from S.W., with thick foggy weather: the
crew busily employed in collecting every useful article to pack for
our newly destined camp; a party in the wreck clearing every part
that could be got at of all worth the difficulty of transporting to
the Leubu. The governor of Arauco earnestly requested that we would
destroy any powder which we had saved over the full supply we moved
with, lest it should fall into the hands of the Indians, when it would
be turned to the serious disadvantage of the Chilian arms; he not
having it in his power to take safe custody of it. Several cases of
large-grained powder were consequently blown up, to the astonishment
of the wonder-stricken Indians. A detachment of sixteen loaded mules
again started this day for the Leubu. Sad complaints began to be made
of the mice, and bitter denunciations against them; but their numbers
overpowered every effort on our part to get rid of them. It was now
not uncommon, in the morning, on putting on what had been a jacket, or
other whole garment, at night, to discover the disappearance of a large
portion of it,--the effects of the mice during the interval. To the
canvass they were most destructive, eating large holes in all parts of
our tents. Our force having been now much divided, we were most anxious
to make a final march of all to our new camp. Our usual precautions
were exercised in examining the arms and mustering watches.
_Sunday, June 7._--Fresh breezes, and cloudy from the southward. It had
been our intention this day to have abandoned our Molquilla encampment;
but the failure of the means of carriage, the mules not having returned
from the Leubu, prevented our accomplishing it. The tents were struck
at daylight, cut up, and placed ready for transport. An express had
reached the governor, requiring his return to his command at Arauco,
and announcing that the second in authority there, the major of the
troops, was on his road, by the concurrence of the Chilian government,
to relieve him. This major arrived about mid-day. It being evident that
it would be only by getting a detachment away to-day to Leubu that the
final abandonment of Molquilla could be accomplished on the morrow, all
the mules that were on the spot were laden and forwarded; and about 2
P.M. the captain, with Mr. Sarjeant, the major, and six men, quitted
the now dismantled camp for the Leubu; having previously appointed a
strong rear-guard, under the third lieutenant, Mr. W. K. Stephens,
with Mr. Rouse, the Consul, consisting of a full quarter-watch,
twelve marines, the surgeon, Mr. Mould, the second master, a mate,
and a midshipman, to guard the few remaining stores, and to proceed
as early as possible the next day to join our new camp. Great was
the satisfaction felt by all at quitting a spot the scene of which
embittered every recollection. The Captain and officers, on clearing
the wreck, had got on shore the remains of their cabin furniture, which
proved very acceptable presents to the governor and Chilino party, the
late earthquake having destroyed the little they could previously boast
of. The journey to the Leubu began by passing the promontory along the
beach, on the north, to a distance of three leagues; then up an abrupt
grassy slope to a thick forest of very old timber, ascending through
it, for a mile and a half or two miles, to an open level country, from
two to three leagues, covered with several species of dwarf myrtles and
coarse grass, to a second and third patch of wood, and eventually to a
short steep descent to a swamp, the western side of which skirted the
slope and hill on which was situated our Leubu encampment: seventeen or
eighteen miles was considered the whole distance.
_June 8._--Southern bank of the entrance of the Rio Leubu. Fair
weather, with light S.E. winds. The whole number of cargoes that were
transported from Molquilla were 279 mule and 61 bullock-loads. The
situation of our present encampment was the direct opposite of the
last. From a flat deep sand, we were now on a steep declivity in the
niche of a thick wood; the soil greasy and slippery, and in wet weather
it was difficult to preserve a footing. The river Leubu ran into a
bay about 200 yards below us. The system which had been practised at
Molquilla was adhered to here; the men being carefully mustered every
night at sunset, and their arms reported ready for immediate use:
sentinels being placed at different points of the camp to prevent
any Indian from entering it. Our tents were now reduced in size, and
therefore more numerous. The crew was divided into one large tent, and
ten small circular ones; four or five of the latter form being allotted
for the captain and officers. The consul had brought a small tent
with him, one in which he had been some time living at Concepçion
after the earthquake. In the course of the day the party from Molquilla
arrived; and we were once more united in our full force, and confiding
in a hope that from this spot we should, ere long, be relieved. Two
of the seamen who had lost their way in the fog on the hills, during
their march from Molquilla, also had come into the camp. We had felt a
little uneasy about them, and two Chilino guides on horseback had been
despatched in search of them. They had passed the night in the woods.
A pet English sheep, which had been saved and carefully protected by
many friends amongst the crew, had also moved with them. He marched
with them half the distance, with a pair of saddle-bags, which his
friends had made for him, across his back, containing a supply, as
Jack termed it, of provisions for his journey: on becoming tired, he
was carried on a horse to his journey’s end. The evident intelligence
displayed by this animal, on first landing from the raft, was very
striking; he no sooner got on the beach than, turning to the wreck,
he bleated in a most unusual and extraordinary manner. He had no fear
of the Indian dogs, and would attack any that offered to come into
the camp. His daily custom was to attend the grog tub, and he was sure
of collecting a dinner from all quarters. “Jack,” as he was called by
his _messmates_, was a Southdown sheep, taken from Portsmouth in 1833,
as part of the Captain’s live stock. After passing over above 55,000
miles, in the course of two years, he was landed from the Conway, with
the Challenger’s crew, at Portsmouth in 1835; and has now a run on his
native soil for the remainder of his life.
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE LEİİBU CAMP FROM THE NORTH BANK OF THE
RIVER.
_C Hullmandel’s Lithography_
]
The weather, which had so long befriended us, now began to threaten
with those heavy rains, the effects of which we were afterwards to
feel so severely; the tents proving very inadequate to protect us from
them. The evening cleared the weather, and a bright moon was visible.
The note of the horned plover was loudly heard. In allusion to this
bird, we were told by the major, Signor Sylva, who had been on many
expeditions against the Indians, that they had a superstition regarding
the horned plover; which was, that if the note was heard on the right,
it was to them a bad omen, and the contrary if heard on the left. The
inmates of each tent had worked hard during the past day, to discover
the means of keeping off the damp from below, as well as from above.