Yungue, and thence to a pass over the principal range, communicating
with the Other side of the island. This pass, called
the Puertozuela, is 1,800 feet high, and was visited several
times by the officers. On one occasion, they went to the western
part of the island, to hunt wild goats. Ih e party set
out in boats with the mayor-domo, or governor, as their guide ;
but before they reached the proper landing-place, became so
impatient that they l a n d e d , intending to walk back. The govm--
nor, however, persevered, and returned, in the evening, with
five fine she-goats, which he had taken with ‘ lazos.’ Our pedestrians
found their return hy no means so easy as they had
contemplated, being obliged to pass the night in a cave, which
they fortunately found at sunset, and they did not reach the
ship until the following afternoon, fatigued, hut much pleased
hy their ramble.
The thermometer on hoard ranged, during the day, between
63° and 82°, and the barometer between 29'98, and SO 16.
On shore the thermometer stood higher, in fine, unclouded weather,
and lower when the summits of the hills were covered
ivith clouds.
W e put to sea on the 22d, anchored at Taleahuano on the
3d of March, and sailed again on the 17th, to proceed through
the Strait of Magalhaens.
AVhile at Concepcion I had an opportunity of seeing Pinoleo,*
the Indian chief, from whom Captain Basil Hall endeavoured
to obtain the release of a captured Araucanian female,
whose husband had been murdered in cold blood before her
eyes.-j-
Mr. Rouse, our consul, procured for me the necessary introduction,
and, with one of the governor’s aides-de-camp,
accompanied us to the Indian quarters, situated on the out-
• Pmoleo (from ‘ Pin o ,’ pisando; and ‘ leo,’ r i o ; or, pisando sobre el
rio, living-close to the banks of a river), is the Chief of a small tribe,
whose territory is near the River Im p e ria l; but he generally lives in tho
confines of Concepcion. He has four wives in the in te rio r (la tierra)
and three in the town.
+ Hall’s Extracts from a .lournal, vol. i. pp. 31G. 322.
skirts of the town, towards the river Bio-Bio. We found the
chiefs residence (little better than a rancho, or hut of the
country), surrounded by Indians, some of whom were armed ;
and at the door were his two daughters, young, and rather
good-looking, whose persons and dress we had leisure to
examine, whilst waiting the chiefs pleasure to receive us. They
were clothed with a mantle, or wrapper, of green baize, enveloping
the body from the neck to the feet, and fastened at the
breast by a toup, or tupu* (a silver pin, or skewer, headed with
a round silver plate, three inches in diameter), over which hung
a string of beads. Their hair, which was remarkably fine and
clean, as well as neatly dressed, was divided into two plaited
tails (‘ trensas’), and their foreheads were ornamented with a
broad fillet, worked over with beads.-) They also wore necklaces,
bracelets, ear-rings, and anklets of similar manufacture.
Our names having been announced to Pinoleo, he came to
the door to receive us, and invited us to enter. Some of our
party he recognized, and seemed pleased at their visiting him.
We were early, and found him sober ; but from his bloated and
haggard appearance, it seemed that he had not been long so.
On entering the hut, we observed a number of Indians, scarcely
sober, seated round, near the walls. Some turbid wine was
presented to us, in a silver cup, which we sipped as it passed
round ; but the last of our party knowing that to return the
cup without emptying it, would be an offence, was obliged to
drink the contents, and a bitter potion they were. Pinoleo was
then stout and rather corpulent, five feet ten inches in height,
of a fairer complexion than the generality of his countrymen,
and had lost much of his hair. He had laid aside the Indian
* In F ebres ‘A rte de la lengua de C hile’ they are thus described “Ahujas
grandes con una plancha redonda de plata como una hostia, 6 mayor, con
que prenden las mujeressus mantas—Certain large bodkins, w ith a round
silver plate, as large as, or larger than, an oyster, with which the women
fasten the ir m antles.”
t The ornament on the forehead, which is worn only by unmarried
women, is called Trare-lonco, from the old Chilian words tra rin, to
fasten, and lonco, the head. T h e bracelet is called Anello c u re ; the
anklets, Ancllco.