es, and
strew calthrops at all the avenues to repress attacks from the cavalry
of the enemy. In short there are few military stratagems with which they
are unacquainted, and are wonderfully expert in tactics [53].

[Footnote 53: From the singular excellence of the military institutions
of the Araucanians, by which they have been enabled to preserve their
liberties against the superior arms of the Spaniards, down even to the
present day, we have been induced to extend these observations much
beyond our usual limits on such occasions. Such as are inclined to
inquire more minutely into the civil institutions of this wonderful
people, will find them detailed in the work of the Abbe Molina, together
with a minute account of the natural productions of Chili.--E.]

SECTION II.

_Of the Origin, Manners, and Language of the Chilese_.

The origin of the primitive inhabitants of Chili, like that of all the
nations and tribes of the aboriginal Americans, is involved in
impenetrable obscurity. Many of the natives consider themselves as
indigenous, while others derive their origin from a foreign stock,
supposing their ancestors to have come from the north or from the west;
but as they were utterly unacquainted with the art of writing, they have
no records or monuments from which to elucidate this inquiry, and their
traditionary accounts are too crude and imperfect to afford any degree
of rational information on the subject. The Chilese call their first
progenitors _Pegni Epatum_, signifying the brothers named Epatum. They
call them likewise _glyce_, or primitive men; and in their assemblies
invoke their ancestors and deities in a loud voice, crying _Pom, pam,
pum, mari, mari, Epunamen, Amimalguen, Pegni Epatum_. The meaning of
these words is uncertain, unless we may suppose it to have some
connexion with the word _pum_, used by the Chinese to signify the first
created man, or the one who was saved from the deluge. The lamas or
priests of Thibet are likewise said to repeat to their rosaries, the
syllables _om, am, um_, or _hom, ham, hum_; which corresponds in some
measure with the customary exclamation of the Chilese.

It appears probable that the whole of Chili had been originally peopled
by one nation, as all the native tribes, however independent of each
other, speak the same language, and have a similar appearance. The
inhabitants of the plains are of good stature, but those who dwell in
the valleys of the Andes, usually