SHIP "DRACUT," PACIFIC OCEAN. lat. 18.
March 13, 1852.
PRESIDENT YOUNG.
Dear Brother—We are well. Elder Rufus Allen, myself and wife, sailed from San Francisco, September 5, 1851, for Chili, S. A., and arrived in Valparaiso, November 8—passage sixty-three days. From that time to the present has been devoted to the study of the Spanish language and the laws, constitutions, geography, history, character, religion, manners, customs, revolution, and events of Chili and Peru in particular, and of Spanish America in general.
By intense application I soon became able to read with a degree of understanding and interest in that language. I have already read through the Spanish Testament; while, in the same language, I have copied in writing many of its most important passages, and have read them over perhaps twenty times—committing some of them to memory.
I have also read a small work, on Natural History of Chili, near three times through, in which are many curious and important facts in relation to the wars with that brave and patriotic nation freemen called Arraucanians. These have maintained their liberty and independence unimpaired for 300 years against the combined powers of old Spain and of all her colonies, sustaining a defensive war, with but little cessation, for near 200 years, without firearms or other modern means of defense. Some of their history I hope to translate and publish hereafter.
I have also read the Spanish school geography of Chili, and some other works, while a constant perusal of their newspapers, and those of Peru and Buenos Ayres, have given me a general insight into their governments, laws, politics, religion, revolutions, hopes, feelings and prospects.
The civil wars, and my own pecuniary circumstances, but more particularly the want of language, prevented my travelling much in the country, or even visiting the Arraucanians. I, however, visited a small town in the interior, forty miles, and lived there one month.
On the second day of March we embarked on this ship bound for San Francisco, without a sufficiency of the language to turn the keys of the Gospel as yet to these nations. We stayed till all our means were exhausted and sought and prayed diligently for our way to open; but we could neither speak the language sufficiently to preach the gospel nor find any way to earn our living, so we found it necessary to return to California while we still study the language on board.
We have one fine young man in the cabin who is very useful to us. He is a native Chilean, reads and converses fluently in Spanish, is conversant with the Scriptures, which we read together and converse upon. He has borrowed the Spanish Bible of me and is reading it by course. I have told him of our doctrine, baptism, Church persecution, settlement in the mountains, and of the Book of Mormon. Also of the evils of adultery, drunkenness, gambling, and other sins, and the wickedness of the Catholic abominations. He has taken the whole in good part, and talks of going to the mountains with us. What is very remarkable for a Chilean, he neither smokes nor drinks. He has some means, and is going to California to make more. We pray much in secret that God will open his heart and give him to us for a help in the ministry.
The Chileans are a mixed race of Spanish and Indian blood—say four-fifths Indian—consequently coarse features, black hair and eyes, low foreheads, high cheek bones, broad faces, and in most cases copper color in its various shades and degrees, whilst a few are white and even fair and beautiful. In general they are ignorant and devoted Catholics. Probably more than one-half of them can neither read nor write. Their knowledge of arts and industry is extremely limited. In manners they are simple, frank, and extremely sociable and apparently affectionate but subject to a small low meanness in their dealings, and to trifling thefts. There are, however, many honorable exceptions to those faults or evil habits.
The Bible is not in general use among them, being prohibited by their religion; but I found many who had read it, and all, so far as I tried the experiment, seemed willing to hear it read. Some said they could understand it better when I read it than when it was read by their own natives. I spoke freely to many against their priestcraft and errors; showed them the true mode of baptism, etc., which very seldom gave offense.