454 FIRST EXPERIENCES IN CHILE. 



rocky hill in the eastern portion of the city which had "been indicated hy the ambassador at 

 Washington as suitable for our purposes. Though it commanded a most charming panorama, 

 the result of the inspection was far from favorable, because of the vicinity of the Andes, of its 

 somewhat precipitous ascent, and the inevitably tedious and expensive labor required to level 

 sufficient space near its rugged summit. A visit to Cerro Blanco, just on the northern skirts, 

 and another to the plain south of the city, resulted somewhat similarly. There were no suita- 

 ble accommodations for the officers near enough to either of the latter; and as the last was 

 reputed to be excessively wet during winter, it was wholly unfitted for our purposes. So dis- 

 couraging appeared to be the prospect of a location at Santiago, that arrangements were made 

 to visit Talca as soon as the government should signify its approbation to our establishment in 

 Chile. But both intelligent natives and resident foreigners well acquainted with the country 

 advised against this, assuring me that while Talca possessed no advantage, so far as distance 

 from the mountains could be considered, it would be impossible to obtain there the facilities 

 which the capital afforded for erecting instruments^ or their repair in case of necessity. The 

 last difficulty was of vital moment. Moreover, the foundation of a permanent observatory on 

 the southern portion of the continent was a great desideratum, which could only be obtained, they 

 said, by enlisting influential persons in its behalf. This might require the intervention of two 

 distinct classes- scientific men who would appreciate its utility, and political men to vote the 

 necessary outlay. These could nowhere be found so well as at Santiago, about its university and 

 government. 



The action of the Minister for Foreign Affairs was prompt, liberal, and kind. Government 

 recognised the importance and utility of the work we came to perform, and volunteered every 

 facility within its control, viz : a portion of San Lucia should be levelled for our use, if that hill 

 was selected ; rooms in the castle should be placed at our control ; a guard should be stationed at 

 the observatories for their and our protection ; and everything intended for us should be admitted 

 free of duty. These evidences of the strongest good will and most liberal intentions towards 

 us coming in aid of the reasons indicated, there was hesitation no longer ; and having decided on 

 making the city our head-quarters, within an hour or two after communicating such intention to 

 the government, intelligence reached me of the arrival of the Louis Philippe at Valparaiso. 

 Luckily for me, the United States had no minister in Chile at the time, and my business could 

 be transacted with the Minister for Foreigft Affairs without the formal, tedious, and unnecessa- 

 rily prosy intervention required by diplomatic etiquette. 



Eeturning to the port immediately, everything was carefully packed for transportation in 

 and on eight of the great wagons of the country ; and on the morning of the 9th of November our 

 caravan delivered its assorted cargo at the foot of Santa Lucia, almost uninjured by rough 

 handling and the last eighty miles' journey. Chronometers, barometers, and other delicate 

 instruments, were suspended from the roofs by thongs of hide, guides of cord preventing their 

 lateral motion; and they all arrived safely. The assistants had preceded me some days. Mean- 

 time the task of levelling a part of the hill had been placed under charge of the chief of police, 

 who had a large gang at work on the tough porphyritic blocks. Situated in a populous portion 

 of the city, blasting was absolutely prohibited, and the seemingly basaltic masses could only be 

 broken down by building fires and suddenly pouring water on the heated rock, or with iron 

 mauls and wedges both processes necessarily tedious. But the work was progressing quite 

 "as well as could be expected." 



In order to form a terrace of sufficient width for the smaller and rotary observatory, it was 

 necessary to build a wall across a short and steep ravine, and fill between the artificial and 

 natural walls with rocks and earth. But as such a foundation would have been unstable for even 

 the outer edge of a wooden tenement fifteen feet in diameter, the fire-engines were called in 

 requisition to throw up water, for the purpose of settling the soil among the rocks. As it was 

 necessary to wait until Sunday morning for the services of the only persons drilled to their 

 use, this was attended with some difficulty and delay. The engines belong to government, and 



