312. Voyage of the Novara. 



in sombre-hued silk, and with a long black coif around the 

 head, the left ribbon of which is turned over the right shoulder, 

 having quite a unique, piquant, and attractive appearance. 



Even here the conversation took a political tone, and it 

 speedily came to light that the stay of the ladies at Las Esnie- 

 raldas at the present inclement season was attributable less to 

 any admiration of the beauties of nature than to some politi- 

 cal disagreement ; for the Chilean ladies, like all their sex 

 of the Latin stock, delight in political demonstrations. How- 

 ever, they are mainly taken up with keeping the Ultramon- 

 tane element, the influence of which is everywhere apparent, 

 within the limits assigned it by the Constitution itself The 

 head of the family, Don Jose Antonio Lecaro, an excellent 

 energetic old gentleman, told us a great deal about his pro- 

 perty, of the improvements he had made and was still project- 

 ing, and we regretted that the advanced hour prevented our 

 examining this well-managed hacienda^ which is so large that 

 the pasturage can maintain several thousand horned cattle and 

 horses. Nevertheless, so far as regards numbers of farm-ani- 

 mals, it is probable that the proprietor of Las Esmeraldas is very 

 far from being among the most extensive landholders of Chile. 



In the evening we adjourned to the elegant drawing-room, 

 where time flew away in the most delightful manner with 

 music and singing ; the music, chiefly German, being se- 

 lected, if we were not mistaken, quite as much through ge- 

 nuine appreciation of the great maestros whose works were 

 chosen, as to do honour to the nationality of the guests. 



