150 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



TO MISS SARAH G. GARY 



Talcahuanay April 25 

 The other day we drove out to a true country ranch 

 where we passed the day; if you have not seen a 

 ranch you could hardly imagine one exactly as it is. 

 They seem to vary from mere thatched huts and 

 sheds of the poor people to those of the better class, 

 which are a picturesque mixture of roughness and 

 comfort. This one was a gentleman's ranch. Its dark 

 wood walls were hung with guns and bows and bugles 

 and musical instruments; a skin or a mat here and 

 there was thrown down before a lounge or an easy 

 chair; it was ill lighted, for the windows are few and 

 the verandahs deep, but there was a fireplace and one 

 could imagine when the logs, ready laid in the chim- 

 ney, were ablaze in the evening, how cosily the som- 

 bre interior would light up. Sitting-room led to cham- 

 bers, these to dining-room, this to all sorts of offices 

 and storerooms where produce of all sorts — beef, 

 fruit, vegetables, but especially beef (for this is a 

 great cattle ranch), are prepared for the market. They 

 seemed to wander on endlessly, all on one floor (up- 

 stairs seems to be a thing unknown here), and all 

 opened upon the inner court, where were all sorts of 

 picturesque sheds serving as kitchens, servants' and 

 shepherds' rooms and so on. 



We lunched on delicious fruit, grapes, pears, etc. 

 with fresh butter and excellent bread, and then took 

 the carriages again to drive through the woods to the 

 shore. The drive was rough; we had often to get down 



