. The earth and its inhabitants ... no man owned any serf or slavesubject to his pleasure ; even the father did not presume to rebuke or chastise hisson. There were no laws or any penal code, and the vendetta remained a privateaffair to be settled between the parties concerned. Yet despite this absolute lack of legal or political cohesion, the Araucanianswere merged in a single peoj^le the moment their independence was family and tribal groups coalesced, and all rose as one man, electing theirtoqni, or war chiefs, and deposing them if lacking in vigour during a protractedstruggl
. The earth and its inhabitants ... no man owned any serf or slavesubject to his pleasure ; even the father did not presume to rebuke or chastise hisson. There were no laws or any penal code, and the vendetta remained a privateaffair to be settled between the parties concerned. Yet despite this absolute lack of legal or political cohesion, the Araucanianswere merged in a single peoj^le the moment their independence was family and tribal groups coalesced, and all rose as one man, electing theirtoqni, or war chiefs, and deposing them if lacking in vigour during a protractedstruggle. Their forefathers, as they believed, watched them from the firmament,where they shone as stars moving along the Milky Way. With the year 1550 began the long conflict Avith the Spaniards, who soughtto gain a footing in Araucanian territory, and who belonged to that group ofveterans who had achieved so many triumphs over less resolute foes. After thefirst defeats, due to their ignorance of the resources of the invaders, the Aran-. INHABITANTS OF CHILI. 443 canians assumed the offensive, storming and razing the Spanish towns andstrongholds, carrying off arms, cattle and horses, and even organising troopsof cavalry to sweep down on the scattered bands of the enemy. Reinforcements had frequently to be sent from Spain to protect the northernsettlers from the Araucanian incursions, and to recover the towns founded in theirterritory. The Araucanian wars cost Spain more men than had fallen in theconquest of Mexico and Peru. Yet all the Araucanian warriors togetherformed an army less numerous than that by which Atahuallpa was surroundedwhen he was dragged from his throne by Pizarro in the public square at rig. 167.—Group of Aeattcanians.
Size: 1310px × 1908px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
