Their second Deity Maruapeante (they say) informs them in a Dream when they must Marry; but he doth not do them this kindness before they have made themselves Drunk, and sung Sonnets to his praise.
The manner of chusing the Nentoque.
This Countrey is Govern’d by prime Persons, call’d Ulmen, or peculiar Lords, call’d Curacen. The Ulmens and Curacens Command twenty five, sometimes fifty, a hundred Families: Their Power consists in calling all the People together, and consulting with them about State-Affairs, which they dare not do with any particular Person, nor Levy any Tax without extraordinary occasion. They are bound to march in the Front of their Subjects against an Enemy, and are under a Governor-General call’d Apocurace, or under a Nentoque. Other lesser Offices are dispos’d of by the Curaces, or Pulmenes; but their Netonques are chosen after this manner, viz. When that honorable Place is vacant, then whoever aims at it, computes with himself whether his Means will extend so far as to treat the Curaces and Pulmenes with a noble Treat; which if he is able to do, then he sends for them to an appointed place, whither they all go Arm’d, and whilest they are eating and drinking, he that desires the Place begins to tell them of his noble Extract, valiant Exploits, Riches, and eminent Relations, and therefore desires the Place of the deceased Nentoque: then the Curace rising, the intended Nentoque hangs a Chain of Turkoises, or Cockle-shells about his Neck; whereupon the Curace moves the rest to the Election, without any Articles, the new Nentoque onely promising to Govern all things for the best advantage and benefit of the common State: which done, the Curace takes the Chain of Turkoises, and distributes them amongst the primest Persons of Quality, and so they end the Day in Drinking, Dancing and Singing.
After the same manner they chuse an Apocurace or prime Governor; which of late the Uca’s, that they may enjoy the more Priviledge themselves, have not elected.
Their Arms.
The Chileses Arms consist of Lances as long again as the Europeans, made sharp at the Points. They all use Clubs plated with Iron, and Spanish Swords. The Pulches, who dwell behind the high Mountains Cordilbra, use poyson’d Arrows, make Helmets and Breastplates of Ox-hides, which neither Sword nor Arrow can enter: they all know how to manage a Horse, and the use of a Lance, but are very much afraid of Musquets or Fire-locks.
Because they can neither write nor read, the Governor by a faithful Messenger sends to his inferior Officers such Commands as he judges may tend to the most advantage of the Publick both in Peace and War. This Messenger carries an Arrow with a Ribbon, as a Sign of his Employment; the Arrow is held in the Right-hand, and if he who receives it will answer the Message, then he sends back the same Arrow with another; but if he judges it convenient to acquaint any other Curaces and Pulmenes with the same Message, then he sends one of his own Servants to them with the same Arrow.
A particular Account of Chili.
As touching the Climate and Production of Chili, this Account is given by an Eye-witness: “The Winter Season (saith he) is so tempestuous, that sometimes the Trees are not onely blown up by the Roots, but the Earth it self is rent asunder; some Valleys being fill’d with Snow, swell the Rivers exceedingly when it melts, which overflowing part of the Countrey, makes the same very fruitful. It is also extream cold here, because such sharp Winds blow from the Mountains, that they pierce through the Skin and Flesh of a Man: and indeed these Winds would make the whole Countrey desolate, were not the Mountains overgrown with great Oaken Trees, against which the Wind breaks. Moreover, the Valleys produce Coals, which serve the Inhabitants for Fewel. The Winter bereaves the Trees of Leaves; but not those which grow in the Wildernesses. In March the Fields are full of innumerable sorts of sweet-smelling Flowers; out of some whereof are boyl’d the Angel-Water, so call’d for its smell and wholsom taste. The Grass grows in November and December as high as our standing Corn. Turnips, Mint, Clover, and Mustard-seed, grow naturally for several Leagues together. Likewise excellent Physical Herbs grow here, whose power and operation their Doctors, call’d Maci, keep from the Spaniards. These Maci are in great esteem, not onely amongst the Chileses, but also the Spaniards, for their great skill in Physick. Amongst these Herbs the chiefest is call’d Quincia-mali which grows but half a hands-breadth above the Ground, and spreads into several Stalks like a Nosegay; and on each Stalk is a Saffron-colour’d Flower. This Herb pull’d Up with the Root, and boyl’d, and the Decoction given to any one that is bruis’d within, works most wonderfully, for it draws out the putrifi’d Blood, though sunk never so deep in the Wound. Moreover the Juice of Culen is also very healing, if us’d for an Ointment, or pour’d on any Wound. This Herb, by the Spaniards call’d Albaciga, hath sweet-smelling Leaves, and a tall Body. In some places also grows an Herb, not unlike Grass, which boyl’d in Water, immediately cures the Feaver and Spleen, and cleanses the Blood. There are likewise Medicines here, which dissolving the Stone in the Bladder or Kidneys, cause it to be urin’d forth. The Plant Luce, which grows out of rented Rocks which are often overflow’d by the Sea, makes a sort of well tasted Bread.”
The Wilderness Atacama, which makes a Boundary betwixt Peru and Chili, extends Northward ninety Leagues, is dry and barren in Summer, and in the Winter exceeding cold, and cover’d with Snow. No Provision is to be found upon it, except a few wild Sheep, call’d Guanacos. About the middle thereof the Brook La Sal rising in the Eastern Mountains, flows Westward through a deep Valley to the Southern Ocean.