They Brought Food With Them, But At All Our Meals Sat
Watching Mr. King And Myself Whilst Eating, Till We Were
Fairly Shamed Into Feeding The Whole Party.
The night was
cloudless; and while lying in our beds, we enjoyed the sight
(and it is a high enjoyment) of the multitude of stars which
illumined the darkness of the forest.
January 23rd. - We rose early in the morning, and reached
the pretty quiet town of Castro by two o'clock. The old governor
had died since our last visit, and a Chileno was acting
in his place. We had a letter of introduction to Don Pedro,
whom we found exceedingly hospitable and kind, and more
disinterested than is usual on this side of the continent. The
next day Don Pedro procured us fresh horses, and offered
to accompany us himself. We proceeded to the south - generally
following the coast, and passing through several hamlets,
each with its large barn-like chapel built of wood. At
Vilipilli, Don Pedro asked the commandant to give us a guide
to Cucao. The old gentleman offered to come himself; but
for a long time nothing would persuade him that two Englishmen
really wished to go to such an out-of-the-way place
as Cucao. We were thus accompanied by the two greatest
aristocrats in the country, as was plainly to be seen in the
manner of all the poorer Indians towards them. At Chonchi
we struck across the island, following intricate winding
paths, sometimes passing through magnificent forests, and
sometimes through pretty cleared spots, abounding with corn
and potato crops. This undulating woody country, partially
cultivated, reminded me of the wilder parts of England, and
therefore had to my eye a most fascinating aspect. At Vilinco,
which is situated on the borders of the lake of Cucao,
only a few fields were cleared; and all the inhabitants appeared
to be Indians. This lake is twelve miles long, and
runs in an east and west direction. From local circumstances,
the sea-breeze blows very regularly during the day,
and during the night it falls calm: this has given rise to
strange exaggerations, for the phenomenon, as described to
us at S. Carlos, was quite a prodigy.
The road to Cucao was so very bad that we determined to
embark in a _periagua_. The commandant, in the most authoritative
manner, ordered six Indians to get ready to pull
us over, without deigning to tell them whether they would
be paid. The periagua is a strange rough boat, but the crew
were still stranger: I doubt if six uglier little men ever got
into a boat together. They pulled, however, very well and
cheerfully. The stroke-oarsman gabbled Indian, and uttered
strange cries, much after the fashion of a pig-driver driving
his pigs. We started with a light breeze against us, but yet
reached the Capella de Cucao before it was late. The country
on each side of the lake was one unbroken forest. In the
same periagua with us, a cow was embarked.
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