Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1835. EKCILLA — POPULATION — MINES. 383 of the place where his companions halted, and cut some lines on the bark.* The populous state of Chiloe, in 1558, when first visited by Europeans may be estimated by Ercilla's description, allow- ing for poetical license. All accounts agree in stating that the Chonos Indians, or Huyhuen-che, were once very numerous. " Era un ancho archipielago poblado De innumerables islas deleytosas, Cruzando por el uno y otro lado Gondolas y piraguas presurosas : Llego una corva gondola ligera De doce largos remos impelida." La Aeaucana, Cantos xxxv and xxxvi. That the Spaniards then with Ercilla, were thought to be deities, is shown by the following lines : " Hombres, o Dioses riisticos, nacidos En estos sacros bosques y montaiias, Por celeste influencia producidos," &c. Ideji, Canto xxxvi. Some years afterwards (in 1566) Castro was founded, to be the capital, and Chacao for a sea-port. From this time till about 1633 mines were worked in Chiloe, but then discon- tinued, partly because they were less productive than those of Chile, and partly on account of the difficulty of obtaining labourers after a raging epidemic had carried off one-third of the aboriginal inhabitants ; and fear of infection as well as horror of the mining slavery, had driven away a large portion of the residue.-}- About this time the Huilli-che were carried to * " Aqui llego, donde otro no ha llegado, Don Alonso de Ercilla, que el priuiero En un pequeno barco deslastrado Con solos diez, pas6 el desaguadero El aiio de cincuenta y ocho entrado Sobre mil y quinientos por Hebrero, A las dos de la tarde el postrer dia, Volviendo a la dexada compania." La Araucana, Canto xxxvi. t These were Huyhuenes, or Chonos, vrhose place was afterwards supplied by Huilli-che from southern Chile.