234 JOURNAL. 



The dancing was interrupted by dinner, after which a new talent 

 was displayed by some of my friends. Dona Mariquita was first 

 called on for a toast : she gave one in four couplets of graceful poe- 

 try adapted to the occasion and the company, with an ease that 

 showed she was accustomed to extempore composition. This was 

 followed by several others, some really witty from the gentlemen ; 

 and the young people of both sexes who possessed this charming 

 talent exercised it when called on, equally without shyness and with- 

 out ostentation. 



In the evening I undertook to make tea for the dancers ; after 

 which we rode back to the city as gay a cavalcade as ever entered it, 

 and the day was ended by a tertulla at the Casa Cotapos. 



5th September. — Visited several persons, English and Chileno. I 

 say nothing of the English here, because I do not know them except 

 as very civil vulgar people, with one or two exceptions, Mr. B., for 

 instance, commonly called Don Diego ; he has lived many years here 

 since the revolution, and says he has never met with injustice or un- 

 kindness in the country : he knows it better than most persons. 

 Mr. C. has gone through much, — has I may say been a party in 

 the southern war, lending his money, horses, and ships to the patriot 

 cause ; and he, I think, seems to possess the clearest ideas concerning 

 the state of Chile of any man I have met with. And there are se- 

 veral very good people, some acting the fine gentleman, others 

 playing the knave, just as it happens in other places ; only I do wish 

 that some more of the better specimens of English were here, for 

 the honour of our nation and the benefit of Chile. 



1th. — I went early to the national printing-office, which is creditable 

 enough to the little state ; but the types are very scanty. I doubt 

 if they could print a quarto of four hundred pages. I bought the 

 gazettes from 1818 to the present time; nothing was printed here 

 before. I also got some laws, rules, and songs. Under the old 

 Spanish government I believe Chile had no press at all, but am not 

 quite sure ; nor could I learn. But every thing necessary was printed 



