CHILI AND VALPARAISO. 53 



wreaths of flowers and evergreens, encircling emblematic de- 

 signs of the nation's glory, produced an effect that was truly 

 beautiful. The president's reception-room and the card-rooms 

 were also very handsomely decorated. The company amounted 

 to five hundred, of whom about one-fourth were ladies ; many 

 native and foreign officers were present, dressed in their uni- 

 forms. At 10 o'clock the ball was opened by the president 

 in person. He was dressed in a richly- embroidered coat, 

 gold epaulettes, and a field-marshal's sash. He is a fine- 

 looking man, about fifty years of age. He danced a minuet 

 with a lady of Valparaiso, after which the dancing became 

 general, consisting of waltzes, contra dances, quadrilles, and 

 the sama cueca. The music was very fine, and many marches 

 and national airs were played during the intervals between 

 the dances. The ball did not break up until 8 o'clock, at 

 which hour the president was escorted home by a procession 

 of the dancers. His unblemished private character, together 

 with the success of his policy toward the Peruvian govern- 

 ment, have rendered him extremely popular with all classes of 

 society. 



