Thevegetationisscanty；andalthoughtherearebushesofmanykinds，allarearmedwithformidablethorns，whichseemtowarnthestrangernottoenterontheseinhospitableregions。
Thesettlementissituatedeighteenmilesuptheriver。Theroadfollowsthefootoftheslopingcliff，whichformsthenorthernboundaryofthegreatvalley，inwhichtheRioNegroflows。Onthewaywepassedtheruinsofsomefine“estancias。”whichafewyearssincehadbeendestroyedbytheIndians。Theywithstoodseveralattacks。Amanpresentatonegavemeaverylivelydescriptionofwhattookplace。Theinhabitantshadsufficientnoticetodriveallthecattleandhorsesintothe“corral“[1]whichsurroundedthehouse，andlikewisetomountsomesmallcannon。TheIndianswereAraucaniansfromthesouthofChile；severalhundredsinnumber，andhighlydisciplined。Theyfirstappearedintwobodiesonaneighbouringhill；havingtheredismounted，andtakenofftheirfurmantles，theyadvancednakedtothecharge。TheonlyweaponofanIndianisaverylongbambooorchuzo，ornamentedwithostrichfeathers，andpointedbyasharpspearhead。
Myinformerseemedtorememberwiththegreatesthorrorthequiveringofthesechuzosastheyapproachednear。Whenclose，thecaciquePincheirahailedthebesiegedtogiveuptheirarms，orhewouldcutalltheirthroats。
Asthiswouldprobablyhavebeentheresultoftheirentranceunderanycircumstances，theanswerwasgivenbyavolleyofmusketry。TheIndians，withgreatsteadiness，cametotheveryfenceofthecorral：buttotheirsurprisetheyfoundthepostsfastenedtogetherbyironnailsinsteadofleatherthongs，and，ofcourse，invainattemptedtocutthemwiththeirknives。ThissavedthelivesoftheChristians：manyofthewoundedIndianswerecarriedawaybytheircompanions，andatlast，oneoftheundercaciquesbeingwounded，thebuglesoundedaretreat。Theyretiredtotheirhorses，andseemedtoholdacouncilofwar。ThiswasanawfulpausefortheSpaniards，asalltheirammunition，withtheexceptionofafewcartridges，wasexpended。
InaninstanttheIndiansmountedtheirhorses，andgallopedoutofsight。