Part 6

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.

_Tuesday, June 9._--Squally weather, with showers of rain; the wind N.W. A few Indians made their appearance at the camp, bringing, tied to their saddles, some nets of potatoes and apples for barter: also Rafael Lobo, with a present to the captain of some avellanos (a species of nut, the kernels of which the Indians roast, and are not unlike a small chesnut); and to establish a claim of some reward, for having given us his protection and assistance against the hostile Indians at Molquillo, as he then had assumed the command of the armed Indians, and had sent spies out to the southward. The seine, which had been carefully preserved, and brought to the Leubu, was this day tried in the river, but with no great success. At night, we afterwards found the attempts were more productive of luck. The few fish we caught were highly acceptable. The crew’s employment for this day was draining the ground round their tents; a party bringing stones from the beach at the entrance of the river, to lay as a footpath through the camp,--the rain having rendered it almost impossible to walk, from the swampy state of the ground; and in cutting down trees to form a barricade round the encampment. The greatest regularity was observed in the hours of breakfast, dinner, supper; and such issues of provisions made as the state of our store-tent, and the destruction of the mice, would permit. We had brought the ship’s bell with us, which was under the charge of the sentinel posted at the entrance of our camp, and who struck it regularly on receiving the time from the officer on guard. The lights in the ship’s company’s tents were reported as put out every night at 8, and the midshipmen and warrant officers’ at 9. None of the crew were allowed to go outside the barricade after 6 P.M. Having some spare canvass, with abundance of timber surrounding us, two tents were put up in the form of a house, with a good sloping roof, which we covered, and used, one as a mess tent for the Captain and officers, the other for the warrant officers and midshipmen. This description of tent we found superior in point of dryness to the usual form, and, after a short interval, others were put up by the officers: one was occupied by the captain, and shared with Mr. Sarjeant; and in another were four or five of the officers. However, though each day saw some of us endeavouring to give dryness to our habitation, the damp and wet proved unconquerable.

Signor Sylva made himself very useful to us, whenever his authority with the Chilinos or friendly Indians was called for. He expressed great satisfaction at being associated with British officers after a service of twenty-three years, a part of which time he had been campaigning against the Araucanian Indians. He related to us many histories of their undaunted courage, as well as some cruel acts of treachery which they had been guilty of towards the Chilinos, by deceiving them in an assurance of a friendly disposition towards Chili. The information which Signor Sylva gave, together with that from other sources, put the Indian population at about 40,000: scattered over a vast tract of country, mustering 8000 fighting men, but rarely bringing against the Chilinos more than from 2000 to 3000 at any one time.

On examining and taking an account of our stores, baggage, and provisions, the cunning of the Indians proved to have been too much for us. We discovered that there had been a great number of articles plundered on the road from Molquilla, particularly clothing and small parcels of private property. They had also attempted to secrete a cask of spirits, by dropping it in the woods, and not making their appearance at the camp. We, however, sent a party out, and, with a few mules, found the rum, and brought it away in small barrels.

On a high headland, immediately above the camp, we erected a flag-staff, on which we kept a flag constantly flying, and a strict look-out to seaward. This hill had a commanding view, not only of the sea, but over the surrounding country, including the river and camp; and was peculiarly adapted to our purpose, as a spot to establish our look-out. The ascent to it from the camp was abrupt and laborious, though only at a short distance. It was to be got at more easily by making a little circuit through the wood in the rear of us. The timber which composed the forests with which we were encircled was principally myrtle and evergreen oaks, and of great variety. Large tracts of land were free from timber; and the soil was filled with various bulbous roots, several specimens of grasses, abundance of strawberry plants, and an infinity of flowering shrubs and creepers.

The lateness of the season unfortunately prevented our seeing in flower much of what has been enumerated. On the north side of the river a plain extended to the hills, on which were several patches of maize growing, and a herd of horses and a few sheep grazing. Two Indian huts were also situated there, the inmates of which attended to the care of the stock and labour of the cultivated parts.

This plain was rented by a Chilian of Arauco from the Indian proprietor. The land is exceedingly rich; and, whenever the time arrives that Chili is able to extend her authority over the Indian territory, the result of even a moderate attention to agricultural pursuits must prove most beneficial. At present, the system pursued by the Chilian farmer, who is fully alive to the value of the Indian land, is, by fair means and persuasion, or bribery, to induce the caciques to allow him to rent his land, which they do for a mere trifle; the only use now made of it is as a run, for the increase of their cattle, which is the most important part of a Chilian land-owner’s property,--a Chilino’s riches being estimated in proportion to the number of cattle he possesses. The price of a bullock is about sixteen dollars. The policy of the government of Chili appears to be, to exterminate the race of Indians, and get forcible possession of the whole country south of their present frontier. In some instances the caciques have allowed a sale of a portion of their land, on obtaining the consent of their neighbours; but there exists a great jealousy of their doing so. The mice continued their destructive and annoying visits.