84 THE CHILIAN ARMY. 
ably divided between the necessary attention to 
the repairs and provisioning of the ship, scien- 
tific observations, and the society of the hospi- 
table natives. 
The little town was soon filled with warlike 
tumult. A grenadier regiment from Concep- 
tion marched in with drums beating and a very 
good band playing. The uniform was in the 
French fashion, clean and substantial; the mus- 
kets were in the best order. 
Freire has most zealously exerted himself to 
raise a respectable army ; but to bring a rabble 
of adventurers from all nations into proper dis- 
cipline is no easy task, especially where there 
is not money enough to pay them punctually ; 
even the officers are mostly foreigners, and, 
with few exceptions, ignorant and stupid beyond 
all belief. With such a soldiery, patriotism or 
enthusiasm in the cause is of course out of the 
question. The Chilian soldier fights like a 
robber, for the sake of the booty he hopes to 
acquire ; and covetousness will form the foun- 
dation of his valour, till increase of population 
shall permit the organization of a national 
militia. 
