CHILI AND VALPARAISO. 61 



Nearly every house is furnished with a piano. They dress 

 with much taste, and in the Parisian style. 



The men have been accused by travelers of being indolent ; 

 no doubt such was the case when they were under the Spanish 

 rule, and had no inducement to be otherwise, but I have been 

 assured by foreign gentlemen, who have resided in the country 

 for the last fifteen years, that such is not their character at 

 the present day ; on the contrary, they are industrious and 

 enterprising. 



The religion of Chili is the Catholic ; but the government 

 has repudiated the interference of the Pope in the appointment 

 of bishops and arch-bishops. The clergy have great influence 

 over the people, and much political power in the state ; but 

 they are liberal in their notions of government, and encourage 

 the diffusion of knowledge amongst the lower classes. 



Commerce has more than doubled within the last ten years. 

 According to the statistical accounts of the past year, Val- 

 paraiso alone exports thirty thousand hides. Grain is sent 

 to Peru and Equador in large quantities. Six hundred 

 quintals of wool are shipped annually from Conception. Cop- 

 per, hemp and platina are largely exported. The iron mines 

 are also sources of great wealth, and the miners annually ex- 

 tract vast quantities of the ore ; indeed, there is no doubt that 

 Chili is blest with all the elements necessary to make her a 

 powerful commercial nation. 



The army which was sent to invade Peru in the war just 

 concluded, is said to have consisted of 8,000 men, and to have 

 been well appointed. The navy is larger, and by far more 

 efficient, than that of any of the other South American States. 



The prospects of education are bright. There are several 

 good colleges in the republic, and common schools are being 

 established in all the towns for the instruction of the lower 







