THE COAST OF CHILI. 125 



arrival. My first request was, that lie would as- 

 sign me a place on shore, where I might bring my 

 instruments, that I might try my chronometers. 

 The commander left us, promising to send us an 

 answer to-day, and invited us all for the evening. 

 We obeyed the invitation, and found a very nu- 

 merous and elegant company of ladies and gentle- 

 men J where we had music and dancing ; and 

 where, after the fatigues of the voyage, and the dan- 

 ger of perishing in the waves, near the stormy Cape 

 Horn, we were doubly sensible of the distinguished 

 hospitality of the inhabitants of this beautiful 

 country, which was known to us only by descrip- 

 tion ; and spent a very agreeable evening. Ex- 

 perience alone can give an idea of the feelings 

 which a navigator experiences on such changes of 

 scene. 



I must here remark several customs which sur- 

 prised me very much, and might certainly bring a 

 foreigner into embarrassment. There are in the 

 ball room, on an elevation of two steps, benches 

 covered with red cloth ; on these sat the gentle- 

 men and elderly ladies j the young ones had their 

 places on the steps at our feet, and I was quite 

 confused when I observed a handsome young girl, 

 dressed in satin, and diamonds, sit at my feet ; but 

 as I soon perceived, that all the gentlemen shared 

 this distinction with me, I took courage, and raised 

 my eyes again. The herb of Paraguay, or rather 

 the leaves of the lau-tree, is known in all the 



