The Chileses are not the tallest, but strong and well set, betwixt a white and sallow colour: Those that are in the Spaniards Service, wear long Hair, by which they are distinguish’d from the shorn Ucais, who do the Spaniards all the mischief imaginable. The Women are for the most part low of stature, but of a strong Constitution, they go bare-headed, letting their Hair hang loose over their Shoulders, except when they are indispos’d, and then they tie it up: But those that dwell about Castro wear Locks like our English Ladies. In Coquimbo and Loquimbo they go after the same manner as the Peruvian Women: All of them have thick black Hair.
Their Apparel, though mean, is neat: The Men wear wide Breeches girt about their Wastes, and a piece of woollen Cloth, three Yards long and two broad, which having a Hole in the middle, they put over their Heads, and so let it hang on their Shoulders, leaving their Arms and Legs bare; but on Festival Days they wear curious embroider’d Stockings. The Women likewise cover themselves with the same piece of Cloth, but after another manner, tying it first about their Middle, then let it down to the Ground, pinn’d before with Silver or Golden Pins; their Heads, Breasts and Legs are uncover’d; the Cloth it self is strip’d with red, white, blue, and yellow, and fring’d at the edges. For an Example of their quick and easie Labor, Hendrick Brewer relates, That a Woman being Deliver’d in his Ship, within an hour after walk’d up and down the Deck, and gave the Child suck. Some of them have such great Breasts, that throwing them over their Shoulders they suckle their Children, being ty’d at their Backs.
Their Huts being low, are made of Straw, Canes, and Boughs, and not built for one single Family; for often thirty, fifty, a hundred, or a hundred and twenty dwell under one Roof, and have a Governor, by them call’d Caruca.
Their Housholdstuff is little and mean, viz. two or three Cans to keep their Liquor Chica in, Horn Cups, a Stone whereon they grind their Corn, and one or two woodden Stools: The chiefest of them also use Sheep-skins, which they spread on the Ground before their Guests. They live without care, for they neither Sowe nor Plant any more than will serve them a Year.
Their Riches consist in Cattel, of which they have no great plenty.
About the beginning of October a whole Town meets together to Plough and to Sowe, which the Men perform in two days time, the rest of the Work being left to the care of the Women; for the Men never meddle with Reaping or Harvest.
They eat and drink from Morning to Evening, when they do not travel, for then they eat at set-times. Their Liquor is made of Barley-Meal, or Wheat boyl’d in Water. On Festival Days they drink Chica, Brew’d of Maiz chew’d by the Teeth of old Women. They likewise make a Liquor of the Fruit Unni, which tastes like Madera Wine.
Their Marriages.
Every Man Marries as many Wives as he can buy and maintain, for Maids and Widows must be sold by the Parents, who set not a Price upon them according to their Beauty or Quality, but their skill in managing Houshold Affairs. Their Marriages are perform’d after a strange manner: A Son having no Inheritance, lives on the Charity of his nearest Relations, who Present him, one with a Hog, another with a Cow, a third with a Sheep, and a fourth with somewhat else: thus enrich’d, he goes to his Mistresses Father, and hangs some Turkoises and Plates of Silver about his Neck, and acquainting him with what Estate he can make his Wife, he agrees as well as he can with his intended Father-in-law, to whom he gives ten, fifty, or a hundred Sheep, Oxen, Cows, Hogs, Horses, Poultrey, a Coat, and some Vessels full of Chica; which done, the Father leads his Daughter to the Bridegroom’s House, where he is Entertain’d with Meat, but finds the Drink at his own Cost. Some days after the Celebration of the Wedding, the nearest Relations come to congratulate the young Marry’d Woman, and at Dinner sing an Epithalamium to their Nuptial Deity Maruapeante, all of them sitting on the Ground on Sheep-skins. The Allies often take away a Woman from her Husband, especially when he misuses her; and if a Man kill his Wife, her Death is reveng’d by her Relations. Persons of Quality build a Hut for every one of their Wives, sending word to her whom they have a mind to enjoy: They respect one above the rest, who are in a manner but Slavesses, being forc’d to do all the Drudgery. The Men are exceeding jealous and chollerick, cruelly beating their Wives, if they chance but to look on another Man; and if they take them in the Act of Adultery, they immediately kill them; yet for all this they are not Chaste, but very Libidinous. As soon as a Woman is Deliver’d of a Child, she washes her self and the Child in cold Water; then kills a Lamb call’d Chiluraque, makes a Feast; at which she her self eats and drinks freely amongst the rest, and the next day goes about her usual Employment.
The Spaniards tell us, that their Women, if they continue long in this Countrey, are more and more hardned by the Air, and are as little concern’d at the Birth of a Child as the Natives.