SANTIAGO. 193 



histor\ ---Columbus, Val.l' ilia, &c.; as no originals arc known to be in Chile, and that 



of Coliiiiil.iis certainly has n.. re-eiiiUaiiec to poi 1 1 ait ^ of the hHine individual elw-wlu-n-. A 

 single full-leimih li^'iiie is considered a hi-torieal painting. Though it has now been in opera- 

 tion tin. landscape painting has not yet been taught in the school. Surrounded a* is 

 tin- city with of rare beauty, the omission would appear most extraordinary, did not the 

 product^ of the director's brush tempt one to infer that > not to risk his lame with the 

 earth or its o\vu products. At the time of my visit to the academy there were only ten or 

 twelve students present, one of whom was a young Araucanian, who had been brought from 

 the Indian territory when a child and educated by a charitable lady of the capital. He waa 

 ided as among the most proficient of the pupils. 



The musical conservatory is of more recent origin. It embraces a school for instruction in 

 vocal and instrumental music, and an academy. In the former 150 pupils are gratuitously 

 taimht. The course of instruction occupies three evenings in the week for five years; after 

 which, graduates are obliged to assist another five years at such national and civic celebrations as 

 government may direct. Attendants on this school are exonerated from military service ; and 

 it a i rested for civil misdemeanor, the director of the school is expected to interest himself in 

 liehalf of the accused, and testify to his or her character. Considerable advance has been made 

 in vocal instruction already, and the public exhibitions of proficiency at the national festivities 

 of the last two years have not only been creditable to the children, but they lead one to hope that 

 a musical taste may be created in the nation. The academy is composed of professional a; 

 and amateurs of both sexes whom the president may be pleased to appoint as members. To 

 them is especially assigned the cultivation and advancement of musical science through the study 

 of the classical compositions of the great masters. They are required to give concerts of sacred 

 music every Sunday during Lent, and of dramatic music once a fortnight in the winter months. 

 The proceeds are applied to charitable objects. 



The national library is contained in some of the larger rooms on the eastern quadrangle of 

 the old National Institute. Its volumes fill two of these rooms, and a third serves for the office 

 of the assistant librarian and for visitors ; for whose use while consulting the books there 

 are chairs and convenient tables. In the latter room, also, there are a few periodicals and 

 newspapers, and a number of valuable MSS. relating to the history of Chile classes of matter 

 that attract more readers than any others. In ecclesiastical history and literature the library 

 is particularly rich, the books formerly belonging to the Jesuits forming part of its wealth. 

 The total number of volumes exceeds 21,000, distributed as follows : 



Mathematical and Physical sciences 2-530 



Geography, Natural History, and Travels 1,478 



Arts, Political Economy, Commerce, and Industry 6P2 



Theology in all its branches 5,306 



Laws and Politics 1,571 



Rhetoric, Literature , and Languages 3,975 



History, Biography, and Miscellaneous 3,514 



Periodicals and other native works 487 



Manuscripts 81 



Not classified 794 



These books are accessible to the public from 10 A. M. to 1 p. M. every day except holidays, 

 and two hours later on Mondays and Thursdays. No one is permitted to remove a volume from 

 the building under any pretext, though every facility is afforded to make extracts or otherwise 

 benefit by the information to be obtained in the library. Unfortunately, too little provision is 

 made for extending its usefulness. The whole sum appropriated in 1850 for the support of the 

 librarians and purchase of books was only $2,000, a sum not greater than might well be ex- 

 pended in current publications alone. Thus, there being few additions to the shelves except by 

 donations, the literature and science treated of here are of the past age. In a separate building 

 there is a law library containing 1 ,700 volumes, as accessible to the public as the preceding. 

 25 



