Extravagant Hotel Charges. — Situation of Santiago. 295 



elegantly dressed, each sporting a gigantic crinoline. They 

 had come from the neighbom'ing haciendas to Casa Blanca to 

 be present at a race-meeting. Having dispatched a hasty 

 meal, we pushed busily forwards, and reached the village of 

 Curacavi, where travellers to the capital usually pass the 

 night. No great provision is made here in the shape of good 

 inns, for considerable as is the traffic of loaded waggons, con- 

 veying merchandise and produce, the number of travellers is 

 very limited, and even the few whom business or pleasure in- 

 duces to visit the capital are for the most part natives of the 

 country, or Europeans long resident, who usually take up their 

 quarters with acquaintances or business connections, and are 

 therefore exempt from all necessity to look after their com- 

 fort. Travellers who spend the night in such inns generally 

 carry with them insect-powder, as the number of fleas and 

 other troublesome insects is legion ! ! 



At the capital, Santiago, the traveller is somewhat better 

 off as regards houses of entertainment, and the Hotel Ingles 

 (English Hotel), kept by a Frenchman, may not only boast 

 of elegant apartments and an excellent cuisine, but sm^passes 

 all European hotels in expensiveness.* 



Santiago de Chile lies in a beautiful fertile valley, and would 

 present a much more imposing appearance, were it not that, 

 owing to the frequency of earthquakes, the majority of the 

 houses were built only one storey high. The long straight 



* The charge for apartments of three persons (two sleeping and one di'awing- 

 room), including board, was 30 Spanish piastres=£6 Qs. per diem ! 



