SANTIAGO. 223 



" Men, high-minded men — 

 Men who their duties know; 

 But know their rights, and knowing dare maintain." 



Hitherto a strong feeling of resentment against past tyranny, on 

 the part of Spain, has urged them on : but their ideas still continue 

 essentially Spanish ; and time and education are still wanting to 

 develop and form the Chileno national character. 



On returning home I found Dona Isabella and Dona Rosa O'Hig- 

 gins waiting to see me ; though I had been assured it was impos- 

 sible they should call at the house of Cotapos. But, now that there is 

 not one of the Carreras left, and that that faction is believed to be at 

 an end, it is surely the business of those at the head of the affairs of 

 Chile to buy golden opinions of all sorts of men ; and I have no 

 doubt but that they are glad I am here as an excuse to call without 

 the formalities of reconciliation. 



In the evening I went to the palace, and had a great deal of con- 

 versation with the Director, especially concerning the early part of 

 the revolution, in which he has borne so conspicuous a share. Men- 

 tioning the scarcity of arms, while the patriot army occupied the 

 banks of the Maule, he said that the people had often no 'arms but 

 the yokes of their oxen, with which they fought the royalists hand to 

 hand. He himself, among other expedients, had a wooden cannon 

 made, bound round with green hide, which stood four discharges 

 and then burst. I engaged him to speak of his own part in public 

 affairs, which he did modestly and freely ; until several gentlemen 

 entering, the conversation became general. It turned upon the 

 affairs of the Libertador Simon Bolivar, and the reception of the 

 Spanish deputies in the Caraccas ; deprecating the idea of listening 

 to any terms not founded on the acknowledgment of the independ- 

 ence of Spanish America. 



I left the palace early, and then walked across the square to see 

 the evening shopping in the arcades, which is quite as pretty a scene 

 as I expected it to be : every little bench has its candle or lamp ; the 

 best wares are displayed ; and, as it is a sort of dressed lounge, the 

 ladies look particularly well. This place is beautiful by day, but by 



