The Araucanians are, in general, strong and well proportioned, and have a fine commanding appearance, though they do not exceed the ordinary size of Euro peans. Their complexion is of a reddish brown, their faces round, their eyes small and lively, and their nose rather flat, their mouth handsome, their teeth white, their legs muscular and well-formed, and their feet small and flat. They have almost no beard, and the greatest care is taken in removing every hair from their body. The hair upon their head is long, thick, black and coarse : and, being regarded as a great ornament, is winded carefully in tresses round .their heads. From the strength of their constitutions, [Trey rarely begin to become grey till 60 or 70, and they are seldom bald or wrinkled till 80. They live to a greater age than the Spaniards ; and though many are to be found who are more than a hundred years old, yet they preserve, un impaired to the last, their sight, teeth, and memory.
The minds of this people are marked by an intrepi dity of character, a patience of fatigue, an ardour of pa triotism, and an enthusiastic love of liberty, which they will surrender only with their lives. Jealous of their honour, polite, hospitable, and grateful, they are gener ous and humane to their vanquished enemies. If these virtues formed the leading features in the Araucanian character, we might pronounce them to be the happiest people upon earth ; but, from the want of culture and refinement, these qualities are debased by debauchery, drunkenness, presumption, and an insolent contempt for other nations.
The dress of the Araucanians, which is made of wool, consists of a shirt, a vest, a pair of short close breeches, and a cloak, called poncho, in the form of a scapulary, with an opening in the head, and of a sufficient length to cover the hands and the knees. The colour of the poncho is greenish blue among the lower orders, but of different colours among the higher classes, and generally striped, and ornamented with flowers and animals. The rest of their clothes is always greenish blue, which is the colour of the nation. Their heads are covered with a bandage of embroidered wool, which they raise a little as a mark of courtesy. They wear round their bodies a woollen sash ; the lower class go barefooted, but people of rank wear woollen boots and leather sandals.
The women, who are delicately formed, and frequent ly handsome, arc remarkable for the modesty and sim plicity of their attire. A tunic, a girdle, and a short cloak, clasped before with a silver buckle, and always of a greenish blue colour, are invariably the articles of their dress. The tunic, which has no sleeves, descends to the feet, and is fastened on the shoulder with silver buckles. Their hair floats in graceful tresses over their shoulders, and a false emerald sparkles in their fore heads. Theirsquare ear-rings are of silver, their neck laces and bracelets are made of glass, and a silver ring is worn upon each finger. As ornaments of this kind are
used even by the poorest class, it is computed that a hundred thousand marks of silver are employed in fe male ornaments.
The food of the Araucanians is chiefly indian corn and potatoes ; and when they do eat flesh, which is very sel dom, it is simply boiled or roasted. Though they have plenty of excellent fish, they do not use it much as food. Their substitute for bread is small cakes, or roasted po tatoes with salt. Their drinks are various kinds of beer and cyder, made from their corn and fruits. They are very fond of wine, which they purchase from the Spani ards, tllough their own climate and soil is well adapted for the culture of the vine. Their mode of living is, in general, temperate ; but, at the public entertainments, which are given at marriages, funerals, and other events of importance, they are extremely profuse and luxurious. Three hundred people sometimes partake of these feasts, which last often for two or three days, and which are open to every person without invitation. When they give feasts on the occasion of cultivating their fields, thrashing their grain, or building a house, no person is allowed to participate, but those who have laboured till the work is done. From their fondness for fermented liquors, they consider every entertainment as wretched when they have not plenty to drink. These Bacchana lian feasts are accompanied with music and dancing ; but the women are generally forced to dance in separate companies from the men.
The Araucanians are celebrated for the number and the ingenuity of their games. The game of chess, which they call comican, has been in their possession from time immemorial. Their game of quechu resembles back gammon ; but, in place of dice, they use triangular pieces of bone, marked with points, which are thrown with a small hoop supported by two pegs.
The youths amuse themselves in wrestling, running, and playing with the ball. Their chief games, however, are the peuco and the Jialican, the first of which repre sents the seige of a fort, and the other a regular battle. In the peuco, several persons, joining hands, form a cir cle round a little boy. Their enemies, who equal them in number, attempt, by stratagem or force, to take pos session of the boy, which gives great exercise to the skill and strength of both parties. The Palican is played with a wooden ball, called Pali, on a plain, half a mile long, marked out by branches of trees, and is exactly similar to the orpasto of the Greeks, the calcio of the Florentines, and the shinty of the Scotch. The success ful players obtain great credit, and are invited to all the principal parties in the country. Sometimes two pro vinces challenge each other, and crowds of spectators assemble to witness the spectacle.