Part 4

_Sunday, May 31._--The wind still northerly and fresh, with heavy rain, rendering our camp and tents very uncomfortable. The marsh and flat round us was much flooded, and gave us some idea of what we might expect, should the winter rains commence before we were enabled to quit our present spot, which had, in several points of view, the appearance of an island. The little stream of water which skirted the base of our camp rose amongst the hills inland, in which direction it partook of the character of a small river; and a few small fish were occasionally to be seen jumping in its deepest parts. Its increase after rain was considerable; resuming its ordinary size and force on the return of dry weather. At the camp, in the absence of washing apparatus, it became the scene of each morning’s ablution; and was on every account of inestimable value to us, for it was of excellent quality. A walk on the banks of the little stream could be extended to three or four miles, and yet continuing in sight of our camp, from the flatness of the ground. Duck and widgeon constantly sprang up from under the banks, which were towards the hills, covered with myrtles, rushes, and a gigantic weed peculiar to the marshes of that part of Chili.

On the north side of the stream the officers had, as duty permitted them, gone out with their guns, and seldom returned without a supply of partridges and wild ducks, excellent in flavour, and most acceptable to our numerous mess, which included the officers of all grades, our excellent shipmate, Mr. Sarjeant, being the caterer, and fulfilling, under circumstances, so laborious and troublesome this duty, in a manner deserving the hearty thanks of his messmates. Anxious on every account to advance the necessary and evident object of moving to the banks of the Rio Leubu, and desirous of ascertaining the nature of that spot by an eyewitness of our own, in order that, on the arrival of the consul, no time might be lost in deciding on our future operation as concerned the Leubu, the captain at 10 A.M. despatched two officers, with a guide from the Chilino party, to examine the entrance of that river, with reference to forming an encampment there, and to the possibility of being able to embark from it. Every hour now sensibly proved to us the impossibility of remaining on our present ground. We had been dependent on the wreck for fire-wood, the quantity of which we had burnt was very great. Our spars, from their usefulness as tent-poles and as part of the barricades, we could not suffer to be cut up; parties, therefore, daily foraged the ship and beach for whatever was to be got at to supply the wants of the cooks: our distance from the wood on the hills was too great to send there, besides the risk of separating our force. The surf continued heavy, and the appearance of the weather to seaward squally and unsettled; the ship was working very much in her top sides, and sinking deep forward.

A pest, which eventually became very destructive and annoying to us, had now begun to trouble us, in the shape of a multitude of a large kind of mouse: our provisions, stores, clothes, tents, all suffered from their constant attacks, and the freedom with which they visited the sleepers almost exceeded belief.

At 5 30′ P.M. the British consul, Henry William Rouse, Esq. from Concepçion, arrived at our barricade, accompanied by Colonel Don G. J. Valenzuela, the governor and military commandant of Arauco, with Mr. Jagoe. They had had a severe journey, from the effects of the heavy rain that had fallen in a country where the existence of a road is unknown. Their arrival was hailed with joy as the dawn of our deliverance, and gave us fresh stimulus to exertion. They were fatigued, and gladly partook of what we had to offer them, which included some good wine we had got out of the wreck; and sought some early rest, deciding on the morrow to concert measures for our moving towards the Rio Leubu. The governor expressed himself highly pleased at the manner in which we had barricaded ourselves. We were indebted, for the governor of Arauco’s presence, to the high esteem in which Mr. Rouse is held, amongst the authorities, throughout the country which surrounds Concepçion, where he is much beloved. On Mr. Rouse’s arrival at Arauco, the governor, to whom he is known, insisted on accompanying him to Molquilla, urging the benefit which his authority and presence might be of in assisting him on a journey, if not of danger, at least of great discomfort, and having interviews with the different caciques who were considered friendly to the Chilian government. The reader may possibly feel an interest in knowing what occurred during the journey performed by our two shipmates to Concepçion, and on their return. Mr. Jagoe’s account of it is nearly as follows:--

“The captain had put me in charge of a letter to the British consul at Concepçion, with directions to take it, or find means of transmitting it: he also spoke to Mr. Lane on the same subject. We therefore consulted together as to the best manner of executing this mission, on which so much depended.

“We attempted to communicate with the Indians (who by this time were collecting on the beach, and who evidently seemed inclined to be friendly, and disposed to render assistance to the party on shore), but to no purpose, as we could not make ourselves understood. Happily for us, at this moment a Chilino rode up: he possessed a pleasing countenance, and to him we communicated our wish to be guided to Concepçion, and inquired the distance, which, to our great surprise, we found to be 180 miles. I introduced Mr. Sarjeant (who understands the Spanish language thoroughly) to this Chilino, who, after a few preliminary remarks, agreed to conduct us to Concepçion for a stipulated sum, furnishing horses and all necessaries on the road: but as this Chilino’s horses were at his petraro, eight leagues from the beach, he stood our guarantee for eight dollars with the cacique Cheuquante, for the hire of two horses to take us there; and about half-past 4 three horses arrived, equipped in perfect Indian style, when, after some slight refreshment of biscuit and rum, we took leave of our fellow-sufferers. We rode along the beach about a league, then turned off for the interior, pursuing our way to the foot of some low hills, until we came to the cacique Cheuquante’s dwelling, at about 6 o’clock, at which time it was nearly dark. There we met Don Rafael Lobo, an Indian apparently of Spanish blood from his countenance. He speaks the Spanish language well, and acts as interpreter, and holds the commission of lieutenant of the friendly Indians of the district of Tucapel, and appears to have much influence over them. He urged us much to remain the night. We were much questioned whether we belonged to a merchant ship; if the cargo was saved; of what it consisted; and when we were going to land it: to which Mr. Lane replied, that she was a vessel of war, laden with “powder and ball;” which, on communicating to the group of Indians surrounding us, they held up their hands, howled, and scratched their savage heads, expressive either of astonishment or disappointment. After exchanging our horses, which was the object of our coming here, we continued our way by the side of a thickly-wooded mountain, until the road, if such it maybe called, the horses being knee-deep in water, turned off through this forest. We had not proceeded more than a hundred yards, when the guide called out, ‘Yo he perdido el camino,’ (I have lost the road.) It was at this time quite dark. Such were our prospects, on a cold freezing night, without a dry thread, and Mr. Lane without shoes. The guide rode about two hours, endeavouring to regain the road, or find an opening through almost impenetrable wood, whilst we remained on one spot, occasionally striking sparks with a flint and steel to show our position. At last, fatigued and weary with disappointment, he returned, and pronounced sorrowfully that he had quite lost the road, and we must make up our mind to wait for daylight. Not knowing more of our guide than might be judged of by inexperienced physiognomists, we thought it prudent, in spite of his pleasing countenance, to retire to some distance from him: here we laid down, with our heads on each other’s knees, to keep them out of the wet, giving the signal to turn when either became so insufferably cold or cramped as to require relief. During the night we were alarmed by the frightful neighing of our horses, which our guide informed us was occasioned by the approach of the pinna, a small lion of South America, which is reported to be an enemy to horses, but not to man. In the confusion our guide’s horse got away, and he was a considerable time before he found it; and we heard no more of the intruders. To prevent any further accident, we secured the long bridles of our horses to our arms, in such a manner as made it impossible they could escape without our knowledge, should we be so fortunate as to sleep. Shortly after this we were again alarmed by the barking of dogs, and trampling of horses approaching, as we supposed, in the road we had lost.

“We distinctly heard the voices of Indians, and, if we had known their language, might have been in possession of their intentions: we had no doubt but that they were the party we left at the raucho, who endeavoured to prevail on us to stop the night, and that they were in search of us. When they were so near as to hear if we uttered a word, our guide, in a low tone, said ‘Hush!’ and when the horses made a rustling noise amongst the bushes, he evaded suspicion by grunting like a pig. We asked no questions, but remained in a state of indescribable anxiety till daylight, the 21st, when, wet, cold, hungry, and miserable, we rubbed ourselves to circulate the blood and reanimate our almost frozen limbs. Some time was lost in searching for Mr. Lane’s coat, which had been lost when Camilo’s horse took fright, as we could make no use of it as a covering or protection from the weather, it having been washed on shore, and consequently thoroughly wet. On finding the coat, we saddled our horses, mounted, and discovered the road to be only ten yards from us, and that we had not more than a hundred yards of the forest to pass through. We continued our journey at seldom less speed than a canter; these horses having a peculiar sort of pace, which they can maintain for a length of time almost incredible to an English traveller. We came to a branch of the river Leubu, about twenty or thirty miles inland: with little difficulty we crossed it on horseback; and our guide’s horse being fagged, he took mine, fixed his lasso to the saddle, rode after a few horses which were grazing near us, and in a few minutes entrapped one of the poor animals in that never-failing lasso: this was accomplished in less than ten minutes, and we continued our way across the country till we came to the Rio Leubu. (We had gone to some distance out of our way for the purpose of getting this horse.) Here we dismounted, unsaddled our horses, and hailed an Indian woman on the other side of the river, distant about fifty yards, to know if she had any means of conveying us over. She pointed to something in the shape of a canoe, lying on the bank of the river, filled with mud and water, which, with the assistance of another woman, she managed to turn bottom up, when it proved to be nothing more than a trough, in which they kept their apples for making chiahi, or cider (a very common beverage amongst them): after partially cleaning it, stopping the holes with mud, they floated it, and one of the women embarked, and, with a long pole, shoved it up the river on one side; and when the river turned, she allowed the current to sweep it across, which nothing but her local knowledge of its windings could have enabled her to accomplish. I was the first nominated by our guide to trust to this conveyance, and accordingly slid down the bank (for it was impossible to walk), and introduced myself to the goddess of the deep, by the friendly Indian expression of ‘Mai mai,’ which serves for ‘how do you do?’ ‘good bye,’ ‘very good,’ and is the beginning of every friendly conversation. I embarked, after relieving myself of all incumbrances, such as jacket, waistcoat, &c. thus preparing myself to swim, if necessary; and, standing upright, balanced myself, much to the satisfaction of my _waterwoman_. Mr. Lane and Camilo (our guide) came over in the same way, each bringing his saddle gear. Previous to embarkation our guide drove the horses into the river, over which they swam without difficulty; and, on landing, the lasso was thrown over their necks, which immediately stopped them. Here we went into a raucho, where our waterwoman assumed the character of hostess, and appeared to keep an Indian eating-house, from the quantity of dried beef hanging about the raucho, and some boiling in an earthenware pot on the fire, which she served up in a wooden bowl, when it proved to be cascuella, made from cherqui and ahi (capsicums) boiled together. As a substitute for spoons we used muscle-shells, and for bread we had heated corn, beaten between stones, and moistened with water, something about the consistency of birdlime. Our beverage was a mixture of water and roasted barley, pounded; which, being put into a bullock’s horn and violently stirred, produces an effervescence, in which state it is drank. I need not say, however foreign as this was to our usual fare, we made a hearty meal, not having eaten any thing substantial since the night of the wreck. This repast occupied us about ten minutes; after which we lighted our pajitas, and resumed our journey towards the patraco of our guide, called Eurihuillin, from the river of that name, which runs through it. Here we dismounted, and our guide, with the assistance of his major-domo, went out and caught fresh horses, while we sat by the fire drying our clothes, amused by the interesting interrogations of two old dames, the major-domo’s wife and wife’s sister, who were feeding us with roasted apples and potatoes.

Our guide came in with his trousers very much torn; and knowing that I had a needle and some thread about me, applied to have them repaired. This I was most ready to do, in return for the kind treatment we had received, and the essential services he had rendered us. He then killed a sheep, which was cut in halves, and put under our saddles, as provisions for the journey. About one we again mounted, leaving directions for the horses to be returned to the Indian from whom we had borrowed them, took leave of our kind hostesses, and galloped off on our fresh steeds, much invigorated; but before night things we realtered--we were for galloping, and they for walking. About two leagues from our guide’s residence, we crossed the river Euriheullin, which forms the boundary of this part of his portraco, which is about twelve miles in length, and as many in breadth, and consists principally of coarse grazing ground in its primitive state, with plenty of wood. For this estate he pays sixteen dollars a year to the widow of a cacique. His stock consists of about 100 bullocks, and as many sheep; the former valued at sixteen dollars, and the latter at six reals each. A man’s rank or station in life is here generally estimated by the number of cattle he possesses, together with the quality of the poncho or mantle he rides in, without reference to the appearance of any other part of his dress: from this we judged our guide to be above mediocrity. During this day we rode from eighty to ninety miles, over a rich and beautiful country, where Nature has bestowed her favours with a liberal hand on an indolent and savage race, who are strangers to every kind of agriculture beyond the cultivation of a few potatoes, for which they prepare a fresh spot of ground every year. This will account for the fine specimens we have met with in this country.

About 4 o’clock this afternoon, I lost my sword, from my carelessness in forgetting to buckle my belt, after looking at my watch on horseback. We were an hour looking for it; and this delay occasioned our being benighted on a thickly wooded mountain, where we encountered many difficulties from the intricacies of the passes, and the quantity of water we had to wade through; but as our guide knew this part of the road much better than that of the preceding day, we surmounted them all, and reached the Indian pueblo of Albarada at 9 o’clock. Here we went into a large rancho, crowded with dirty figures of both sexes, and all sizes; besides a number of dogs, which were kicked out, and a place near the fire cleared for us. We sat down cross-legged, enjoying tobacco and chichi, whilst supper was preparing, which was soon done, as they appear to have the pot always boiling, and also plenty of potatoes at hand, which they prepare in the most dexterous manner, with the edge of a muscle shell. Meanwhile the grey-headed dirty señora of the family was engaged, with the guide, in cutting up one of the halves of the sheep, and putting it into the boiler with potatoes and ahi. In the course of an hour it was served up in the usual way; and, after inviting the señor and señora of the party, we brandished our muscle shells in style, having become adepts in an art in which we were novices but yesterday. We made a hearty meal, and having drunk a sufficient quantity of chichi, we prepared our comfortless beds, having only our saddle gear on which to rest our weary limbs. These we placed close by the fire, and lay down to rest, surrounded by dogs and dirty children: however, after our excessive fatigue, we slept tolerably well.