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. TITHES — OPPRESSION — TASKS. 385 iTianding positions and outer points, such as Cocotue heights, Guabun Head, and Point Centinela ; but at the present time no such precautions being thought necessary, there is a supine indifference to molestation. Wherever Mr. Sulivan went with our boats, nearly all the Indians showed an anxiety for the island to be again under the dominion of Old Spain, and asserted that they were much happier and more prosperous before the revolution than they had ever been since. In a place where he passed two days (Huildad) there was an unusual difficulty in obtaining provi- sions, and it was accounted for by the natives in the follow- ing manner: the proprietor of the tithes had just been there, and had taken from them, in sheep and pigs, the full tenth, not only of those animals, but of the growing crops of corn, apples, and potatoes. He had taken away all that the poor people could be deprived of, excepting only what was abso- lutely necessary as stock for next year's supply. Lieut. Suhvan says, in his journal : — " Besides the tithes, they have also to give 'first fruits' to the priests, and so hard are they on their parishioners, with respect to tithes and first fruits, that whether the yearly produce be bad or good, the same quantity must be contributed to swell the revenue of a person whom they seldom see, except at the times of collection." This oppression, however, is not allowed by the superiors of theChurch, when it is duly represented and proved: for not long ago a curate was dismissed from his parish in Childe, because he was a severe extortioner : I was informed that d urine five years that man had amassed more than thirty thousand dol- lars.* Some of the natives complained bitterly to Lieut. Sulivan of the task- work they were compelled to perform. At Lemuy he met a small piragua with only three men in it, who were on their way from Castx'o to Quelan. They had walked across the island from San Carlos where they had been working at the new mole, which all the ' militia'f were obhged * The number stated to me was 35,000; t Every able-bodied native man is enrolled in the local militia, and obliged to work thus till disabled by infirmity. VOL. n. 2 c