he dominion of
the Incas. These four tribes, who had so readily submitted to the Inca
Yupanqui, were subjected to an annual tribute in gold; but the
conquerors never introduced their peculiar form of government into these
provinces, the inhabitants of which remained subject to their own native
_ulmens_, and preserved their original manners until the arrival of the
Spaniards.

When first known to the Spaniards, the Chilese were an agricultural
people, dependent for their subsistence on the cultivation of such
nutritious plants as accident or necessity had made them acquainted
with. The plants chiefly cultivated by them for subsistence were maize,
_magu, guegen, tuca, quinoa, pulse_ of various kinds, the potatoe,
_oxalis tuberosa_, common and yellow pumpkin or gourd, guinea pepper,
_madi_, and the great strawberry; of each of which it may be proper to
give a short account[57].

[Footnote 57: The following account of the plants cultivated by the
Chilese for food, is extracted from the natural history of Chili by
Molina; but the enumeration from the text of his civil history will be
found to differ materially from that given from the natural history of
the same author.--E.]

Maize or Turkey wheat, the _Zea mais_ of botanists, is called _gua_ by
the Chilese. It grows extremely well in Chili, where the inhabitants
cultivate eight or nine distinct varieties. The kind in highest repute
is called _uminta_, from which the natives prepare a dish by bruising
the corn, while in a green unripe state, between two stones into a kind
of paste, which they season with salt, sugar, and butter. This paste is
then divided into small portions, which are separately inclosed in the
skin or husk of the corn, and boiled for use. When ripe, the maize is
prepared for winter use, either by slightly roasting, or by drying in
the sun. From the former, named _chuchoca_, a kind of soup is prepared
by boiling with water: From the latter they make a very pleasant beer or
fermented liquor. The maize is sometimes reduced to meal by grinding
between two stones, being previously parched or roasted by means of
heated sand. For this purpose they prefer a variety of maize named
_curagua_, which is smaller than the other, and produces a lighter and
whiter meal, and in larger quantity. With this meal, mixed with sugar
and water, they make two different beverages, named _ulpo_ and
_cherchan_.

_Magu_ a species of rye, and _tuca_, a species of barley, were
cul