A Historical and Descriptive Narrative of Twenty Years' Residence in South America ... containing travels in Arauco, Chile, Peru, and Columbia; with an account of the revolution, its rise, progress, and results

Front matter

A HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE OF TWENTY YEARS' RESIDENCE INT SOUTH AMERICA, IN THREE VOLUMES; CONTAINING TRAVELS IN ARAUCO, CHILE, PERU, AND COLOMBIA ; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE REVOLUTION, ITS RISE, PROGRESS, AND RESULTS. BY W. B. STEVENSON, FORMERLY PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CAPTAIN GENERAL OF QUITO, COLONEL, AND GOVERNOR OF ESMERALDAS, CAPTAIN DE FRAG ATA, AND LATE SECRETARY TO THE VICE ADMIRAL OF CHILE.-HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD COCHRANE, &s. VOL. I. LONDON : HURST, ROBINSON, AND CO. CONSTABLE & Co. AND OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH. MDCCCXXV. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. THOMAS LORD COCHRANE, J&arqufg of JWarartiJam, AS A TESTIMONY OF RESPECT FOR THE IMPORTANT SERVICES RENDERED TO SOUTH AMERICAN EMANCIPATION, AND TO THE COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, THIS WORK IS (BY PERMISSION) HUMBLY DEDICATED.

Preface

. X HE interest which the late successful revolution in Spanish America has awakened in Europe renders any genuine account of the new world so highly acceptable to the British nation, that it has become an almost imperative duty in those who may possess original matter to communicate it to the public ; for it may be said, without the least exaggeration, that although the countries thus emancipated were dis covered in the sixteenth century, they have remained almost unknown till the beginning of the nineteenth. Fully convinced of these facts, and being urged by my friends, when I was on the eve of again crossing the Atlantic, to publish my collec tion of notes and memoranda — the gleanings of a twenty years' residence — in order to contribute my quota to the small stock of authentic matter already laid before an anxious public, I have been induced to postpone my voyage, and to embody my observations in the manner in which they now appear.

PREFACE.

. VI It is undoubtedly of great importance to be come acquainted with the features of a country which has undergone any remarkable change in its political, religious, or literary career, before that change took place ; and it is equally important to know the cause of and the means by which the change was effected. I have therefore given a suc cinct history of the state of the eolonies before their fortunate struggle began to germinate, by des cribing their political and ecclesiastical institutions; the character, genius, and education of the different classes of inhabitants ; their peculiar customs and habits ; their historical remains and antiquities ; and lastly, the produce and manufactures of the country. My opportunities for obtaining materials for the formation of this work were such as few individuals even among the natives or Spaniards could possess, and such as no foreigner could possibly enjoy at the period of my residence.

Dr. Robertson's celebrated history renders any account of the discovery and conquest of America un necessary; but as the Spanish authors from whom his work was collected always kept in view the necessity of lulling the anxiety of general curiosity with respect to the subsequent state of the countries under the Spanish crown, that work cannot be supposed to be

PREFACE.

. VII better than the materials from which it is formed would allow ; to which I may add, that the different books published by the philosophic Humboldt are too scientific, and enter into too few details, to become fit for general perusal. I am induced to believe, that my descriptions of tribunals, corporate bodies, the laws, and adminis tration, the taxes and duties, will not be considered unimportant, because the newly-formed governments will follow in great measure the establishments of Spain, modified by a few alterations, perhaps more nominal than real. Indeed, the present authorities have already determined, that so far as the Spanish codes do not interfere with the independence of the country, they are to be considered as the fundamental laws of the different tribunals. The Plates are from original Drawings taken by Don Jose Carrillo, a native of Quito, now in England.

Should the following pages merit the approbation of the British public, the author will feel highly gra tified by having fulfilled his duty in both hemispheres ; nor will this reward in the old world be accounted less honourable than that which he has already obtained in the new. CONTENTS OF VOL. I. PAGE Chap. I. — Arrival at Mocha Some Account of Mayo, one of the Cape de Verd Islands touched at on our Passage. . Description of Mocha, its Productions, &c . Leave Mocha and land at Tucapel Viejo Description of the Indians, their Dress, &c Indians take me to their Home Description of the House, Family, Food, Diversions. . . . Appearance of the Country What Trade might he introduced 1 Chap. II. — Leave Tucapel Viejo, and arrive at Tubul.. . Description of our Breakfast on the road Stay at the House of the Cacique of Tubul Some Appearances of Civilization. . . .

Game of Peuca, Wrestling, &c Anchorage, Trade, &c....Face of the Country — Arrival at Arauco... Taken to the Commandant, Interview described.. . Town of Arauco Indians who come to barter Weaving of fine ponchos Excursion to the Water-mills on the Carampangue River Entertainments, Mate, &c Visit Nacimiento, Santa Juana, and return to Arauco... Ordered to Conception 20 Chap. III. — Account of Cultivation of Farms, &c. in Araucania Thrashing, &c Produce Cattle .. .Locality ..Topographical Divisions Government (Indian)... Laws and Penalties Military System Arms, Standards, &c Division of Spoil — Treaty of Peace Religion Marriages Funerals Spanish Cities founded in Araucania Ideas on New Colonies Commerce 40 Chap. IV. — Valdivia Port Fortifications River City-foundation Revolutions Inhabitants — Garrison. ..Government. . .Rents and Resources.. .

Churches... b CONTENTS. X PAGE Exiles Missions in the Province of Valdivia War with the Indians, and Possession of Osorno. . . .Extract from a Letter in the Araucanian Tongue, and Translation 67 Chap. V. — City of Conception de Mocha Foundation Situation Government Tribunals — Bishop Military Churches Houses Inhabitants and Dress Provincial Jurisdiction Produce Throwing the Laso Fruit Timber Trees Shrubs Mines Birds Wild Animals. ... Lion Hunt Shepherd Dogs Breeding Capons Return to Conception 82 Chap. VI. — Sent to Talcahuano Description of the Bay and Anchorage Plain between Conception and Talcahuano Prospectus of a Soap Manufactory here Coal Mine Town, Custom-house, Inhabitants, &c... Fish, &c. caught in the Bay Colonial Commerce Prospectus of a Sawing Mill 118 Chap. VII. — Leave Talcahuano in the Dolores Passage to Callao Arrival Taken to the Castle Leave Callao Road to Lima Conveyed to Prison 130 Chap. VIII. — Lima, Origin of its Name Pachacamac Foundation of Lima... .

Pizarro's Palace.. ..Situation of the City Form of the Valley Rimac. . . .River Climate Temperature Mists and Rain Soil Earthquakes Produce 143 Chap. IX. — Viceroys and Archbishop of Lima.. .Viceroyalty, Extent Viceroy's Titles and Privileges. . . .Royal Audience Cabildo Forms of Law Military Religion Inquisition Sessions and Processes Archbishop Royal Patronage Ecclesiastical Tribunals Chapter, Cabildo Ecclesiastico Curates. .. .Asy lum of Immunity. . . . Minor Tribunals Consulado CONTENTS. XI PAGE Crusade Treasury Accompts Temporalidades, Protomedicalo 172 Chap. X. — Taxes, Alcavala. ..Indian Tribute Fifths of the Mines. ... Lances Stamped Paper Tobacco.... Media Anata Apr ovechamientos Composicion and Confirmacion of Lands Royal Ninths Venal Offices Estrays Confiscations Fines Vacant Successions Almoxarifasgo Corso Armada Consulate Cirquito Vacant Benefices Mesada Ecclesiastica Media Anata Ecclesiastica Restitutions Bulls 195 Chap. XI. — City of Lima Figure and Division Walls . .

Bridge. . Houses. . . .Churches — Manner of Building Parishes Convents Nunneries Hospitals. . .. Colleges. .. .Plasa Mayor Market Interior of the Viceroy's Palace Ditto Archbishop's Ditto Ditto Sagrario Ditto Cathedral. . . .Ditto Cavildo 210 Chap. XII. — Particular Description of Parish Churches. .. . Of Santo Domingo Altar of the Rosary St. Rosa and other Altars Cloisters Sanctuary of Saint Rosa.... Church of San Francisco.. . Chapels Del Milagro, De Dolores, De los Terceros. San Diego. . . .San Agustin. . of a Nun, or taking the Veil. of San Bartolome and others. San Carlos, Del Principe. . . . . Pantheon Cloisters, .La Merced. . . .Profession . . Hospitals of San Andres, .Colleges of Santo Toribio, .University Inquisition . . . . Taken to it in 1806. ..Visit to it in 1812, after the Abolition Inquisitorial Punishments Foundling Hospital Lottery Mint Pantheon 237 Chap. XIII. — The Population of Lima Remarks....

Table of Castes The Qualifications of Creoles Population and Division Spaniards Creoles, White Costume. . . . Indians. . . African Negroes . . .Their Cofradias, and Royal Personages Queen Rosa — Creole Negroes Mestisos. . . .Mulattos . .. . Zambos — Chinos CONTENTS. PAGE Quarterones and Quinterones Theatre Bull Circus Royal Cockpit Alamedas... . Bathing Places Piazzas Amancaes Elevation and Oration Bells. . .Processions of Corpus Christi, Santa Rosa, San Francisco and Santo Domingo Publication of Bulls. . Ceremonies on the Arrival of a Viceroy 283 Chap. XIV. — Fruits in the Gardens of Lima Flowers Particular Dishes, or Cookery Chuno, dried Potatoes Chochoca, dried Maize. . . .Sweetmeats. . . .Meals Diseases Medical Observations On the Commerce of Lima.. ..Profitable Speculations 330 Chap. XV. — Visit to Pisco Town of Pisco. . . .

Bay of Pisco Curious Production of Salt Huano Huanaes Vineyards, Brandy Vineyard de las Hoyas Fruits Chilca, Village of Indians Leave Lima, Road to Chancay Pasamayo House Nina de la Huaca.. ..Maize, Cultivation Use of Huano Hogs .... On the Produce of Maize Different kinds of. . . . Time of Harvesting Uses of. . ..Chicha of. . ..Sugar of. . Town of Chancay Colcas Town of Huacho.... Chacras of the Indians On the Character of the Native Indians ... Refutation of what some Authors have said of Manners and Customs of Tradition of Manco Capac Ditto Camaruru Ditto Bochica Ditto Quitzalcoatl These Traditions favourable to the Spa niards Government of Manco Capac... . Representation of the Death of the Inca Feast of Corpus Christi at Huacho — Indian Dances .... Salinas 355 Chap. XVI. — Villa of Huara Description Village of Supe. . . .

Ruins of an Indian Town. . . . Huacas, Burying Places Bodies preserved entire .... Village of Barranca Earthquake in 1806 Barranca River Bridge of Ropes Village of Pativilca Sugar Plantation Produce and Profit Cane cultivated Mills . .Sugar-house. . Management of Slaves. . Regulations &c. of Slaves.

Chapter I

Arrival at Mocha Some account of Mayo, one of the Cape de Verd Islands touched at on our passage Description of Mocha, its Productions, etc. Leave Mocha, and land at Tucapel Viejo Description of the Indians, their Dress, &c Indians take me to their Home Description of the House, Family, Food, Diversions Appearance of the Country What Trade might be introduced. On the 14th of February, 1804, 1 landed on the Island of Mocha, after a passage of upwards of five months from England, during which we passed between the Cape de Verd Islands, and touched at one of them called Mayo, for the purpose of procuring salt, which appears to be the only article of commerce. It is produced by admitting the sea water on flats, embanked next to the sea, during the spring tides, and allow ing it to evaporate : the salt is then collected and carried off before the return of the high tides, when the water is again admitted, and the same process takes place.

The sea water is here strongly impregnated with salt, owing probably to the great evaporation caused by the intense power of the heat, which also aids and hastens the process on shore. The inhabitants I. whom I saw were all blacks, with the solitary ex ception of a priest, and many of them in a. state of nudity, even to an age at which decency if not modesty requires a covering. A small quan tity of bananas, the only fruit we could procure, and some poultry, were brought from St. Jago's, another of the islands, visible from Mayo. The Island of Mocha, situate in 38° 21' & and that called Santa Maria, lying about 80 miles to the northward of it, were the patrimony of a family, now residing at Conception, of the name of Santa Maria, who lived on the latter, and sent some people to reside at Mocha, but alter the commencement of the war between England and Spain, in 1780, the family, as well as the whole of the inhabitants, were ordered" by the government of Chile to quit the islands, under the pretence that these were a resort for smugglers: a pretence derived from the common error, that privacy is preventive of contraband..

During the time that Mocha was in the pos session of the Santa Marias a number of the original indian inhabitants, belonging to the tribe found on it when first visited by the Spaniards in 1549, resided there, but they were also removed to Conception. These two islands having been once in-> habited, there are yet to be found some few remains of cattle, which have continued to procreate: on Mocha are horses and pigs, and some barn door fowls. Mocha is about fifteen miles in circumference, hilly in the centre, and slop ing towards the coast, more so on the western side, where a tolerably good anchorage and a safe landing place, on a sandy beach, may be found. Fresh water flows from several springs; wild turnips, mint and other herbs grow in abundance ; the trees on the hilly part are principally the white cinnamon, named by the Spaniards canelo, the magui, the luma, a tree called espino, and others.

Here are also apple, peach and cherry tree,s, with a variety of wild strawberries, and myrtle-berries. Some solitary seals yet remain on the rocks on the south side of the island. I left Mocha after remaining there alone thirty-two days, and landed from the brig Polly at Tucapel Viejo, the residence of one of the Caciques, or Ulmenes, of the Araucanian indians, by whom I was most hospitably treated. The male indians who appeared on the beach were of a reddish brown or copper colour, few of them reaching to the height of six feet. They were finely shaped and very muscular, having a round face, well formed forehead, small black eyes, flattish nose, moderately thick lips and good teeth, but no beard. The whole of the countenance is expressive of a certain portion of ' 4 vivacity, and not uninteresting; the" hair is black and strong, all of it being drawn behind the head and platted.

The women are lower in stature than the men, their features similar, and some of the girls, if I be not allowed to call them handsome, I cannot abstain from saying are very pretty. The females wear their hair long, and platted behind their heads: it is afterwards wrapped round with a tape about an inch and a half broad, to one edge of which are attached a number of small hawks' bells: the plait is allowed to hang down the back, and not unfrequently reaches below their knees. The dress or costume of the indians at first appeared very singular to me. In the men it consisted of a flannel shirt, and a pair of loose drawers of the same material, generally white, reaching below the calves of the legs ; a coarse species of rug about two yards wide and two and a half long, with a slit in the middle through which the head was passed : this garment, if so I may style it, hanging over the shoulders and reaching below the knees, is called a poncho.

The common ones seemed to be made from a brownish sort of wool, but some were very fancifully woven in stripes of different colours and devices, such as animals, birds, flowers, &c. Of the poncho I shall have occasion to speak again, as it is universally worn in all the provinces of South America which I visited ; but I must say here, that I considered it as an excellent riding dress; for hanging loosely and covering the whole body, it leaves the arms quite at liberty to manage the whip and reins. The hat commonly worn is in the form of a cone, without any skirts ; for shoes they substitute a piece of raw bull's hide cut to the shape of the sole of the foot, and tied on. with slender thongs of leather. The females wear a long white flannel tunic, without sleeves, and an upper garment of black flannel, extending below their knees, the sides closed up to the waist, and the corners from the back brought over the shoulders and fastened to the corners of the piece in front with two large thorns, procured from a species of cactus, or with large silver brooches: it is afterwards closed round the waist with a girdle about three inches broad, generally woven in devices of different colours; very often, however, nothing but the white tunic is worn, with the girdle, and a small mantle or cloak called ichella.

The favourite colour among the indians appeared to be a bluish green, though I saw few of their garments of this colour at Tucapel, but remarked afterwards, at the town of Arauco, that all those who came to sell or barter their fruit, &c. wore it. The females generally have nothing on their heads or feet, but have a profusion of silver rings on their fingers, and on their arms and necks an abundance of glass bead bracelets and necklaces. The occupation of the men, as in most unenlightened countries, appeared to be confined to riding out to see their cattle, their small portions of land, cultivated by the women, and to hunting. The females were employed spinning wool with a spindle about ten inches long, having a circular piece of burnt clay at the bottom, to assist and regulate the rotary motion given by twirling it with the finger and thumb at the upper end.

They generally sit on the ground to spin, and draw a thread about a yard long, which they wind on the spindle, tie a knot on the upper end, and draw another thread : though this work is very tedious, compared to what may be done by our common spinning-wheels, yet their dexterity and constancy enable them to manufacture all their wearing apparel. Weaving is conducted on a plan fully as simple as spinning. The frame-work for the loom is composed of eight slender poles, cut in the woods when wanted, and afterwards burnt; four of these are stuck in the ground at right angles, the other four are lashed with thongs at the top, forming a square, and the frame is complete. The treadles are then placed about a foot from the front, having a roller at the back of the frame for the yarn and another in front for the cloth, both tied fast with thongs ; the sleys, made of worsted, doubled, have two knots tied in the middle of each pair of threads, leaving a small space be tween the knots through which to pass the warp.

After all the yarns are passed through the sleys the ends are tied in small bunches to the roller, which is turned round by two females, one at each end, whilst another attends to the balls in front; the other ends of the yarn are then tied to the roller in front. The thongs connected with the treadle are fastened one to each of the sleys; and a thong being made fast to the upper part of one of them is thrown over a loose slender pole, placed on the top of the frame and then made fast to the other sley, so that when one treadle is pressed by the foot it draws down one of the sleys, holding every alternate thread, and the other rises, carrying with it the other half of the warp. Instead of a shuttle the yarn is wound round a slender stick, of the necessary length, and passed through the opening formed by the rising of one of the sleys and the falling of the other; the contrary treadle is then pressed down, and a slender piece of hard heavy wood, longer than the breadth of the cloth, is passed across, and the weaver taking hold of both ends drags it towards her and compresses the thread.

This piece of wood, shaped somewhat like a long sword, is called the macana, and has^often been resorted to as a weapon in time of war. The same rude mode of weaving is common, though not universal, in South America. The manner of weaving ponchos I shall describe when treating of the town of Arauco, for what I saw here did not deserve attention. Besides the laborious occupation of spinning and weaving, and the usual household labour, each wife (for polygamy is allowed, every man marrying as many wives as he choose, or rather, as many as he can maintain) has to present to her husband daily a dish of her own cooking, and annually a poncho of her own spinning and weaving, besides flannel for shirts and drawers. Thus an indian's house generally contains as many fire places and looms as he has wives, and Abbe Molina says, that instead of asking a man how many wives he has, it is more polite to ask him how many fires he keeps.

The females are cleanly in their houses and persons; dirt is never seen on their clothes, and they frequently bathe, or wash themselves three or four times a day. The men also pay great at tention to the cleanliness of their persons. The females attend to the cultivation of their gardens, in which the men work but little, considering themselves absolute masters — the lords of the creation, born only to command, and the women, being the weaker, to obey: sentiments which polygamy supports; plurality of wives tending to destroy those tender feelings of attachment which we find in countries where the law allows only one wife. The principal part of the labour of their farms is performed by the women, who often plough, sow, reap and carry to the thrashing floor the wheat or barley, which, when trodden out by horses, is thrown into the air, that the wind may blow away the chaff.

I saw no other grain at Tucapel or its vicinity but wheat and barley, in small patches; but I was told that they produced a hundred fold. The care of the offspring is entirely committed to the women. A mother immediately on her delivery takes her child, and going down to the nearest stream of water, washes herself and it, and returns to the usual labours of her station. The children are never swaddled, nor their bodies confined by any tight clothing ; they are wrapped in a piece of flannel, laid on a sheep skin, and put into a basket suspended from the roof, which occasionally receives a push from any one passing, and continues swinging for some minutes. They are allowed to crawl about nearly naked until they can walk; and after wards, to the age of ten or twelve years, the c boys wear a small poncho, and the girls a piece of flannel, wrapped round their waist, reaching down to the knees.

The mother, after that age, abandons the boys to the care of the father, on whom they attend and wait as ser vants; and the daughters are instructed in the several works which it will ere long become their duty to fulfil. To the loose clothing which the children wear from their infancy may doubtless be attributed the total absence of deformity among the indians. Perhaps some travellers might suggest, that confinement in any shape would be considered disgraceful to the haughty Araucanians, who are pleased to call them selves, " the never vanquished, always victors." The house to which I was conveyed by the indians was about five leagues from the coast, situated in a ravine, towards the farther ex tremity of which the range of hills on each side appeared to unite. A stream of excellent water ran at the bottom of the small valley, winding its way to the sea, and fordable at this time of the year, but visibly much deeper at other times, from the marks of the surface water on the banks and on several large pieces of rock lying in the stream.

The low part of the ravine (at first more than three miles wide, and gradually closing as we rode up towards the house) was cultivated in small patches ; and among the brushwood Were to be seen clusters of apple, pear and peach trees, some of them so laden with fruit that their branches were bent to the ground. The sides of the mountains displayed in gorgeous profusion the gifts of nature; the same kind of fruit trees, laden with their ripe produce, enlivened the view, and relieved the eye from the deep green of the woods which covered the landscape, save here and there the naked spire of a rock washed by the rains and whitened by the sunbeams. The situation of the house appeared to have been chosen not so much for its picturesque beauty, as for the facility of defending it: the only approach was the road which we took, it being impossible to descend the mountains on either side — an im possibility which appeared to increase as we drew nearer to the house.

Four or five of the young indians, or mosotones, rode forward to the house, and when it first opened to our view a crowd of women and children had ranged themselves in front, gap ing in wild astonishment at my very unex pected appearance. We rode up to the house, which stood on a small plain, about thirty yards above the level of the stream, and alighted amid the din of questions and answer* equally unintelligible to me. The wild stare of curiosity, sweetened with a compassionate expression of countenance, precluded all fear, and I could not avoid saying to myself, Great Author of Nature, I now for the first time be hold thy animated works, unadorned with the luxuries, and free, may I hope, from the con comitant vices, of civilization ■ The house was a thatched building, about sixty feet long, and twenty broad, with mud walls seven feet high, two doors in the front, opposite to two others at the back, and without windows.

The back part on the inside was divided into births, the divisions being formed of canes thinly covered with clay, projecting about six feet from the wall, with a bed place three feet wide, raised two from the floor; the whole appearing somewhat like a range of stalls in a stable. Opposite to these births, and running from one end to the other, excepting the spaces at the two doors, the floor was elevated about ten inches, and was six feet wide : this elevation was partly covered with small carpets and rugs, which with five or six low tables composed the whole of the household furniture. The two doors on the back side led to the kitchen, a range of building as long as the house, but entirely detached from it : here were several hearths, or fire-places, surrounded with small earthen pots, pansand some baskets made of split cane ; and over each fire-place was suspended a flat kind of basket holding meat and fish, and answering the purpose of a safe : it is called by the indians a chigua.

The horses were unsaddled, and the saddles placed on the floor at one end of the house. The family, or what I conceived to be the family, was composed of upwards of forty individuals. The father was between forty and fifty years old, and apparently enjoyed all the privileges of a patriarch. There were eight women, whom I considered to be his wives, though during my stay he appeared to associate with only one of them, if allowing her to wait upon him whilst eating and receiving from the others their respective dishes (which she placed successively on the small low table) can be called association. The young men eat the food brought to them at different tables, or in different parts of the house. The women and children adjourned to the kitchen, and there par took of what was left by the male part of the family.

From the first day of my arrival to the last of my stay I always ate out of the same dish with the Cacique, or Ulmen, for his rank I did not exactly know. Our fingers supplied the place of forks, and large muscle shells that of spoons : knives I never saw used at table. Our food chiefly consisted of fresh mutton, jirked beef, fish, or poultry, cut into small pieces and stewed with potatoes or pompions, seasoned with onions, garlic and cayenne pepper, or capsicum. Our breakfast, at about sunrise, was composed of some flour or toasted wheat, coarsely ground, or crushed, and mixed with water, either hot or cold, as it suited the palate of the eater. This flour is produced or manufactured by first roasting the wheat or barley in an earthen pan placed over a slow fire, until the grain takes a pale brown hue.

When cold it is ground on a flat stone, about eight inches or a foot wide, and two feet or more in length, as they can best procure it. This is put on the ground, with the end next the female raised about four inches. She then takes another stone, which reaches nearly across the first, and weighs from six to ten pounds ; this she presses with her hands, and bruises the grain, which is crushed to a state somewhat like coarsely ground coffee. At the lower end of the stone is generally placed a clean lamb skin, with the wool downwards, which receives the flour, called by the indians machica. Our dinner (made up of the stews or messes which I have mentioned) was generally served at noon in calabashes, or gourds cut in two, being three inches deep, and some of them from twelve to twenty inches in diameter.