sherode，however，astride，andwithoutshoesorstockings。Iwassurprisedatthetotalwantofprideshownbyherandherbrother。Theybroughtfoodwiththem，butatallourmealssatwatchingMr。Kingandmyselfwhilsteating，tillwewerefairlyshamedintofeedingthewholeparty。Thenightwascloudless；andwhilelyinginourbeds，weenjoyedthesightanditisahighenjoymentofthemultitudeofstarswhichilluminedthedarknessoftheforest。
January23rd——Weroseearlyinthemorning，andreachedtheprettyquiettownofCastrobytwoo’clock。Theoldgovernorhaddiedsinceourlastvisit，andaChilenowasactinginhisplace。WehadaletterofintroductiontoDonPedro，whomwefoundexceedinglyhospitableandkind，andmoredisinterestedthanisusualonthissideofthecontinent。ThenextdayDonPedroprocuredusfreshhorses，andofferedtoaccompanyushimself。Weproceededtothesouth——generallyfollowingthecoast，andpassingthroughseveralhamlets，eachwithitslargebarn-likechapelbuiltofwood。AtVilipilli，DonPedroaskedthecommandanttogiveusaguidetoCucao。Theoldgentlemanofferedtocomehimself；butforalongtimenothingwouldpersuadehimthattwoEnglishmenreallywishedtogotosuchanout-of-the-wayplaceasCucao。
Wewerethusaccompaniedbythetwogreatestaristocratsinthecountry，aswasplainlytobeseeninthemannerofallthepoorerIndianstowardsthem。AtChonchiwestruckacrosstheisland，followingintricatewindingpaths，sometimespassingthroughmagnificentforests，andsometimesthroughprettyclearedspots，aboundingwithcornandpotatocrops。Thisundulatingwoodycountry，partiallycultivated，remindedmeofthewilderpartsofEngland，andthereforehadtomyeyeamostfascinatingaspect。AtVilinco，whichissituatedonthebordersofthelakeofCucao，onlyafewfieldswerecleared；andalltheinhabitantsappearedtobeIndians。Thislakeistwelvemileslong，andrunsinaneastandwestdirection。Fromlocalcircumstances，thesea-breezeblowsveryregularlyduringtheday，andduringthenightitfallscalm：thishasgivenrisetostrangeexaggerations，forthephenomenon，asdescribedtousatS。Carlos，wasquiteaprodigy。
TheroadtoCucaowassoverybadthatwedeterminedtoembarkina_periagua_。Thecommandant，inthemostauthoritativemanner，orderedsixIndianstogetreadytopullusover，withoutdeigningtotellthemwhethertheywouldbepaid。Theperiaguaisastrangeroughboat，butthecrewwerestillstranger：Idoubtifsixuglierlittlemenevergotintoaboattogether。Theypulled，however，verywellandcheerfully。Thestroke-oarsmangabbledIndian，andutteredstrangecries，muchafterthefashionofapig-driverdrivinghispigs。Westartedwithalightbreezeagainstus，butyetreachedtheCapelladeCucaobeforeitwaslate。Thecountryoneachsideofthelakewasoneunbrokenforest。Inthesameperiaguawithus，acowwasembarked。Togetsolargeananimalintoasmallboatappearsatfirstadifficulty，buttheIndiansmanageditinaminute。Theybroughtthecowalongsidetheboat，whichwasheeledtowardsher；thenplacingtwooarsunderherbelly，withtheirendsrestingonthegunwale，bytheaidoftheseleverstheyfairlytumbledthepoorbeastheelsoverheadintothebottomoftheboat，andthenlashedherdownwithropes。AtCucaowefoundanuninhabitedhovelwhichistheresidenceofthepadrewhenhepaysthisCapellaavisit，where，lightingafire，wecookedoursupper，andwereverycomfortable。
ThedistrictofCucaoistheonlyinhabitedpartonthewholewestcoastofChiloe。ItcontainsaboutthirtyorfortyIndianfamilies，whoarescatteredalongfourorfivemilesoftheshore。TheyareverymuchsecludedfromtherestofChiloe，andhavescarcelyanysortofcommerce，exceptsometimesinalittleoil，whichtheygetfromseal-blubber。Theyaretolerablydressedinclothesoftheirownmanufacture，andtheyhaveplentytoeat。Theyseemed，however，discontented，yethumbletoadegreewhichitwasquitepainfultowitness。Thesefeelingsare，Ithink，chieflytobeattributedtotheharshandauthoritativemannerinwhichtheyaretreatedbytheirrulers。Ourcompanions，althoughsoveryciviltous，behavedtothepoorIndiansasiftheyhadbeenslaves，ratherthanfreemen。Theyorderedprovisionsandtheuseoftheirhorses，withoutevercondescendingtosayhowmuch，orindeedwhethertheownersshouldbepaidatall。Inthemorning，beingleftalonewiththesepoorpeople，wesooningratiatedourselvesbypresentsofcigarsandmate。Alumpofwhitesugarwasdividedbetweenallpresent，andtastedwiththegreatestcuriosity。TheIndiansendedalltheircomplaintsbysaying，“AnditisonlybecausewearepoorIndians，andknownothing；butitwasnotsowhenwehadaKing。”