Chile. 371 



from the time of Drake, the Republic of Chile has been greatly 

 assisted by British. It may be on this account that the govern- 

 ing classes seem more enlightened and business-like than other 

 South American States. The military dictator, so common else- 

 where, has not appeared in Chile. There has been, of course, 

 one revolution, that of Balmacedan, but it was not of the usual 

 South American type. Chile has come out victorious from a 

 severe struggle against Peru and Bolivia. In these wars the 

 Chilian people have distinguished themselves. They are of 

 mixed Spanish and Indian descent, and brave, obstinate, en- 

 during, and patient to the uttermost, but possibly cruel and 

 blood-thirsty in success. It is these Chilians who do the hard 

 •labour of the nitrate mines, which are financed in London, and 

 managed by British, chiefly Liverpool, firms. It is also this 

 Chilian who does the agricultural work of the great fertile valley. 

 The coffee-coloured water from some Andes stream is led for 

 miles along broad channels, shaded by tall poplars, and distri- 

 buted through those magnificent pasture lands, where three cows 

 are kept on an acre, not three acres to a cow as in poor old 

 Scotland. The forage alfalfa may yield five cuttings in the year. 

 Few sheep are seen, because the water is said to contain a 

 parasite liver-fluke. Corn crops are magnificent, and are some- 

 times thrashed after a very prehistoric manner. A troop of mares 

 is driven into a large circle covered with corn, and they are 

 made to gallop round this for twenty minutes, then sent in the 

 other direction. They are turned out and the corn shovelled up, 

 and a second supply is laid down, the process being continued by 

 a second troop, and so on. The mares are kept for breeding, 

 so that the process is not so wasteful as it looks or sounds. 

 But it is dying out, and the wonderful Australian machine which 

 reaps, thrashes, and puts into sacks all by itself is coming in. 

 The system on these big estancies or farms is a very curious one, 

 and directly descends from the Spanish dajs. The Chilian 

 labourer or inquileno is given a house, made of a dobe or dried 

 mud-brick, and as much land as he wants for raising beans and 

 vegetables. He generally keeps pigs, chickens, possibly goats or 

 sheep. He has always a horse, and many dogs, which guard the 

 premises. As a rule he has a large family. For this he or one 

 of his faniily has to work for the proprietor whenever called upon 

 to do so. Taking current wages this amounts to a rent of 



