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

392 LOADS — LAND-SLIPS — ' CESARES.^ Jan. Feb. with the load on one shoulder, and on the other the stick, which partly supports the weight till one shoulder is tired ; he then shifts the burthen to the other, and goes on. This half rest is called ' cantuntun,'' After eight, ten, or twelve of these, according to his strength, and the road, he casts down the load, and rests about ten minutes. This is his 'descanso ;"* and he makes about one such every two or three miles. The astil- lero of Melipulli is ten ' descansos,'' a whole day's journey, from the place of embarkation. In examining the different forests of alerse, Mr. Douglas saw some immense land-sKps (quechi), one of which was said to have brought down one thousand alerses, some of them being five fathoms round near the roots. This land-slip measured seven hundred yards in length and three hundred yards in width. Mr. Douglas finds much fault with the manner in which the Chilotes associate for a voyage, or any joint undertaking. He says, " their voyages being planned like a commonwealth, it follows that their government on board must be republican, and the consequence is that every thing is decided by most votes and most noise." He also complains of their extreme selfishness, and of their reluctance to do any thing, however trifling, for a neighbour, unless for a consideration ; another evil consequence of democratic inclinations. When Moraleda was about Chiloe he went across the cor- dillera to the lake Nahuel-huapi, in quest of information rela- tive to the ' Cesares ;' but he could hear nothing positive about any such city or people, from the Indians whom he met near that lake — well known to the Spaniards as a Jesuit mis- sionary station. Mr. Douglas's father-in-law* once commanded a party sent from Chiloe to look for this reported city of ' Cesa- res.'f He got over and beyond the CordiUera to an elevated plain, where he saw a very large number of Indian huts (tol- dos), placed so as to form regular streets. Near them were large droves of horses and cattle, and small patches of culti- • A Spaniard of Castile. t Pon Pedro de Angelis, of Buenos Ayres, has collected and published a great number of documents relating to the ' Cesares.'