nt to
marry me. As the old man doated upon her, he readily agreed to it; and
accordingly, on the next visit I made him, acquainted me with the young
lady's proposal, and his approbation of it, taking me at the same time into
a room where there were several chests and boxes, which he unlocked, first
shewing me what a number of fine clothes his niece had, and then his own
wardrobe, which he said should be mine at his death. Amongst other things,
he produced a piece of linen, which he said should immediately be made up
into shirts for me. I own this last article was a great temptation to me;
however, I had the resolution to withstand it, and made the best excuses I
could for not accepting of the honour they intended me; for by this time I
could speak Spanish well enough to make myself understood.

Amongst other Indians who had come to meet the governor here, there were
some caciques of those Indians who had treated us so kindly at our first
landing upon Chiloe. One of these, a young man, had been guilty of some
offence, and was put in irons, and threatened to be more severely punished.
We could not learn his crime, or whether the governor did not do it in a
great measure to shew us his power over these Indian chiefs; however, we
were under great concern for this young man, who had been extremely kind to
us, and begged Captain Cheap to intercede with the governor for him. This
he did, and the cacique was released; the governor acquainted him at the
same time, with great warmth, that it was to us only he owed it, or
otherwise he would have made a severe example of him. The young man seemed
to have been in no dread of farther punishment, as I believe he felt all a
man could do from the indignity of being put in irons in the public square,
before all his brother caciques and many hundreds of other Indians. I
thought this was not a very politic step of the governor, as the cacique
came after to Captain Cheap to thank him for his goodness, and in all
probability would remember the English for some time after; and not only
he, but all the other caciques who had been witnesses of it, and who seemed
to feel, if possible, even more than the young man himself did.

We now returned to Chaco, and the governor told us, when the annual ship
came, which they expected in December, we should be sent in her to Chili.
We felt several earthquakes while we were here. One day, as I happened to
be upon a visit at a house where I was very well acqu