The mint. Library. Amusements 

 of tlie place. Dress. Markets. 



CHILI. 



Climate of Chili. 



The Cordilleras. Tupongati. 



shoes, fruit, and fancy articles ; others are em- 

 ployed in cooking cakes, and the whole lighted 

 up as it is with numerous candles, affords much 

 amusement to the stranger. 



The mint occupies a whole square ; it has never 

 yet been completed, and has also suffered greatly 

 from earthquakes. The operation of coining is in 

 the rudest an 1 oldest form. The rolling and cutting 

 are done by mule-power, and the oldest kind of 

 fly-press, with a great screw beam, having enor- 

 mous balls at the end, is used. The dies employed 

 are made from the male die, in the same way as 

 with us, but they have not the same facilities, and 

 want the modern improvements in the process. A 

 toggle-jointed press was imported from France ; 

 but it was soon put out of order by the workmen, 

 and there being no one to repair it, its use has 

 been abandoned. 



The library is extensive, containing several thou- 

 sand volumes, which formerly belonged to the 

 Jesuits, and many curious manuscripts relating to 

 the Indians 



The amusements are not very remarkable. San- 

 tiago, however, boasts of a theatre, and a chingano. 

 There appears to be little business doing, and it 

 may be called a quiet city. The siesta is daily in- 

 dulged in ; even the shops were shut in the after- 

 noon, and the city is as quiet as midnight. To- 

 wards the 'cool of the evening, the alameda is 

 resorted to. It is a beautiful walk, about a mile in 

 extent, well shaded, and occupies one bank of the 

 river. It is planted with a double row of poplar 

 trees, which seem to thrive well here. Streams of 

 water are constantly running on each side of the 

 walk. Every few yards stone seats are placed, 

 which are at times filled with a well-dressed popu- 

 lation. The alameda affords at all times a cool and 

 pleasant promenade. 



The evenings are generally passed at tertulias, 

 in visiting socially, or in shopping in the colonnade. 

 The inhabitants are much addicted to gambling. 

 Monte is the game with the higher classes, whilst 

 that of match -penny is the favourite of the lower 

 orders. The Chilian women are remarkable for 

 their ease of manner, kindness, and attention to 

 strangers. They are fond of diversions of any kind, 

 but more particularly those of dancing and music, 

 both of which are much practised. They seem ex- 

 travagantly fond of music. Dancing they are 

 taught very young. Most of them have good 

 figures, and some would be called pretty; but their 

 teeth are generally defective, which causes them 

 soon to look old. Their costume varies little from 

 our own, except that the ladies wear no bonnets. 



The men follow the European fashions. 



The dress of the lower order is a mixture of 

 Spanish and Indian. They are fond of bright 

 colours. Over their shirt and trousers is worn a 

 blue or brown poncha. A high-crowned and small- 

 rimmed hat, tied on under the chin, over a bright- 

 cotton handkerchief on the head, completes their 

 outfit. They are a well-disposed people, and good 

 citizens, and have more the air of contentment 

 than any other nation of South America. 



The markets are well supplied. There is one 

 large one near the banks of the Maypocho. It 

 covers an area of four or five acres, and is sur- 

 rounded by a low building, with a tile roof, sup- 

 ported by columns, under which meats of all kind 

 are sold. The centre is reserved for vegetables, 



fruits, flowers, poultry, and small-wares. The mar- 

 ket-women are seen seated under awnings, screens, 

 and large umbrellas, which are used to keep off 

 the sun. The place is scrupulously clean, and has a 

 pleasing effect. 



The average price of a horse is twelve dollars, 

 but some that are well broken are valued as high 

 as those in the United States. 



The climate of Chili is justly celebrated through- 

 out the world, and that of Santiago is deemed de- 

 lightful even in Chili ; the temperature is usually 

 between 60 and 75. The country round is ex- 

 tremely arid, and were it not for its mountain 

 streams, which afford the means of irrigation, 

 Chili would be a barren waste for two-thirds of the 

 year. Rains fall only during the winter months, 

 (June to September,) and after they have occurred, 

 the whole country is decked with flowers. The 

 rains often last several days, are excessively heavy, 

 and during their continuance the rivers become 

 impassable torrents. At Santiago, the climate is 

 drier and colder, but snow rarely falls. On the 

 ascent of the Cordilleras, the aridity increases 

 with the cold. The snow was found much in the 

 same state as at Terra del Fuego, lying in patches 

 about the summits. Even the high peak of Tupon- 

 gati was bare in places, and to judge from appear- 

 ances, it seldom rains in the highest regions of the 

 Cordilleras, to which cause may be imputed the 

 absence of glaciers. 



Several of our gentlemen made an excursion to 

 the Cordilleras, in order to get information in 

 their various departments. I regretted they were 

 not provided with the necessary instruments for 

 ascertaining heights. The party left Santiago in 

 biloches, and travelled to the eastward five leagues, 

 to the " Snow Bank" from which the city is sup- 

 plied. The ascent was gradual, but quite constant, 

 as no intervening ravines occurred. They then 

 took horses, leaving their biloches to return. Their 

 route after this lay up a valley. On the surrounding 

 heights the guanacoes were seen in great numbers. 



As they proceeded they found the middle region 

 was marked by spiny plants, principally burna- 

 desia. The soil was found to be a mixture of loose 

 earth and pieces of rock. On rising higher, the 

 vegetation became almost wholly extinct. Places 

 occurred of an eighth of a mile in breadth desti- 

 tute of verdure of any kind. The party then as- 

 cended a ridge belonging to the main body of the 

 Cordilleras, and at an elevation of about ten thou- 

 sand feet, they reached its summit. Here they had 

 an extensive view of all the line of the snow peaks. 

 That of Tupongati appeared the most conspicuous, 

 although at a distance of eighty miles. The guide 

 asserted that he could see smoke issuing from its 

 volcano in a faint streak, but it was beyond the 

 vision of our gentlemen. The peak itself from this 

 view of it was quite sharp-pointed. The scene im- 

 mediately around them was one of grandeur and 

 desolation ; mountain after mountain, separated by 

 immense chasms, to the depth of thousands of feet, 

 and the sides broken in the most fantastic forms 

 imaginable. In these higher parts of the Cordil- 

 leras they found a large admixture of the jaspery 

 aluminous rock, which forms the base of the 

 finest porphyries ; also chlorite in abundance. 

 The rock likewise contains fine white chalcedony 

 in irregular straggling masses. Trachytic breccia 

 was observed in various places. The porphyry is 



