148 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



ticos around the braseiro where simmered the little 

 kettle for the preparation of their mate tea; alto- 

 gether it looked to me very cheerful and vastly en- 

 tertaining, perhaps because we had been for three 

 weeks so out of reach of people. ^Yhen we returned to 

 the landing place to embark, we were met by a most 

 gratifying spectacle. Now I have already mentioned 

 that our larder was low and the truth is we had had 

 nothing but beans and bread for a number of days, 

 and not too much of that. Our caterer and steward 

 were on the wharf with chickens, beef and mutton, 

 with potatoes, eggs, cheese and butter, with fresh 

 rolls and loaves from the baker's, with cabbages, 

 cauliflowers, beets and carrots. I dare say that 

 sounds very commonplace and uninteresting, but it 

 is utterly impossible for you people living on the fat 

 of the land to conceive of the emotions awakened in 

 the company of the Hassler by the sight of these 

 provisions. I shall never to my last hour forget the 

 soup we had for dinner that day. We left that after- 

 noon and had a good run to Lota, our next port, where 

 we were to take in coal. We reached there toward 

 evening on the tenth. Lota has left a strange impres- 

 sion on my mind. We went on shore that night and 

 visited the great copper foundries wliich lie just along 

 the beach and are fed by the coal mines on the shore, 

 the discovery of which has made or is making the 

 fortune of this little place, which hardly existed fifteen 

 years ago. A foundry has always a kind of weird, un- 

 canny element to me with its fierce unceasing fires, 

 and this was especially impressive at night with the 



