Social Life in Guillota. 315 



summit of wliicli a large wooden cross was set up by mission- 

 ary preachers in 1849, there is stretched at the feet of the 

 beholder a magnificent picture of unrivalled interest and 

 beauty, especially when the sun is near his setting, and lights 

 up the magnificent peaks, from 3000 to 4000 feet in height, 

 called, from their form resembling that of a bell, Campana 

 and Campafiita. More probably, however, the visitors from 

 the port are at that hour busily employed at the '' green 

 tables," where, at faro and roulette, enormous sums are fre- 

 quently lost and won. 



One marked peculiarity, which it is impossible to avoid 

 noticing, is the vast disproportion here between the sexes. 

 One hardly ever sees any but ladies in the streets, or sitting 

 elegantly attired on low stools in front of the open door, their 

 hands busy with their work, their eyes watching the passers- 

 by. The numerous hard-working male population is much 

 more profitably employed in working at the city, rather than 

 staying at home engaged in agriculture ; whence it results 

 that at Guillota, just as in some European fishing villages 

 along our sea-coasts, the male portion of the household are 

 often absent for weeks together, and the little hamlet has 

 the appearance of being the head-quarters of a tribe of 

 Amazons. 



From Guillota we went on to a large hacienda, about nine 

 miles further, called La Calera, the property of a native of 

 Bolivia. Part of this is planted with almond trees, but by far 

 the larger portion is devoted to wine-growing. One of the 



