A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF OUR WORK. .,(J9 



theoretical knowledge of the structure and use of instrument*, were placed in their hands; and 

 a month or two later I loaned them a liv.--f.-rt (juati.rial, for whose accommodation they erected 

 a small building in the castle-yard. The health of one of them proved delicate, and as he 

 could rarely avail himself of the opportunities offered, he resigned ; the others prosecuted their 

 studies until the close of our stay, rendering us assistance on the magnetical term-days when- 

 ever it was asked. 



Throughout nearly the three years of our residence at Santiago, the government evinced the 

 most earnest disposition to forward the objects of the Expedition, and to extend every possible 

 consideration to its members officially and personally. To its liberal and enlightened policy 

 on all questions of science, literature, or art, the world is indebted for more than one valuable 

 contribution. Its schools of arts, music, painting, and botany, the elaborate work on its 

 natural and political history, and its geological and topographical survey, are all evidences of 

 its generous patronage. The culminating step was yet to be taken ; and there was a time when 

 we had looked forward to this the establishment of a national observatory at our departure, 

 with something approaching to certainty. Indeed, within the first year the subject was 

 frankly discussed by more than one member of the Cabinet. But the last year had been 

 disastrous. Domestic troubles had swallowed very nearly if not quite all the surplus 

 accumulated in the treasury through years of tranquillity; commerce, from this and other 

 causes, had somewhat declined; clipper-ships, with their thousands of passengers for California, 

 dashed by the ports, no longer leaving their treasure in payment for refreshments; the mines 

 had materially fallen off in their product: added to this, the government had not only just 

 before assumed the lion's share of a gigantic undertaking the railroad from Santiago to 

 Valparaiso but had also commenced erecting extensive bonded warehouses in the latter city; 

 payments towards which demanded a retrenchment rather than an increase of its expenses. 

 Comparatively small as would be the outlay, under such circumstances hope expired. No 

 little gratifying, then, was the intelligence that the project had not been abandoned, but that 

 Chile was still resolved to prove her interest in the noblest of all sciences, and to found on the 

 southern half of this continent the first institution to promote it. 



Learning that my observations would cease about the middle of September, Prof. Domeyko 

 then Hector of the National Institute was authorized to say that the government would be glad 

 to purchase our observatories as they stood, and we arranged the unofficial preliminaries by con- 

 ference. Dr. Charles Moesta, a graduate of the University of Marburg, was forthwith appointed 

 Director, and was placed in communication with me, so that he could become familiar with 

 his instruments by the time we were ready to surrender them ; and when this took place, on the 

 15th of September, everything was transferred at the cost paid to the artists, without the 

 subsequent charges for freight, the massive piers, &c., &c. 



Our work in Chile was done. The manuscript volumes of observations had been packed in 

 two cases one copy to be sent round Cape Horn, the other to be retained with me; the assist- 

 ants had been ordered home; our household had been broken up, and there remained only to 

 take formal leave of the government. Our equipment and every subsequent object for public or 

 personal use had been admitted free of duty, a site had been prepared for our observatories, a 

 guard had been stationed there to protect them, every necessity had been promptly supplied 

 when sought, in short we had been the recipients of its courtesy and co-operation from the 

 moment of arrival at the capital ; and it was especially grateful to me to fulfil the instructions 

 from the honorable Secretary of the Navy, expressing the acknowledgments and satisfaction of 

 the United States government for the facilities afforded us, and to assure the Minister for 

 Foreign Affairs that our country would consider itself favored when permitted to recip- 

 rocate these acts of good will. I notified him, at the same time, that Lieut. MacRae had been 

 instructed to make a series of magnetical observations and other scientific investigations 

 ascending and descending the Andes and across the pampas of Buenos Ayres, and asked for him 



