SANTIAGO. 235 



at Lima ; i. e. every thing that the Viceroy, the Archbishop, and the 

 Grand Inquisitor chose to promulgate. 



In the afternoon we went to visit the nuns of St. Augustin's. 

 Thank God, by the new regulations the convents have all become so 

 poor, that there is good hope the number will soon diminish. These 

 nuns are old and ugly, with the exception of one, who is young,has sweet 

 eyes, and is very pale ; a dangerous beauty for a cavalier : she moved 

 my pity. The old ladies gave us matee, the best I have tasted, made 

 with milk and Chile cinnamon ; and the cup was set in a tray of 

 flowers, so that both taste and smell were gratified. This convent 

 is one of the finest in Chile, having seven quadrangles : we saw 

 through the parlour into one of them, where, in the centre of a pool, 

 there is the ugliest Virgin that man ever cut in stone, intended to 

 spout water from her mouth and breast ; but she is now idle, as the 

 fountain is under repair ; and the masons, with half a dozen soldiers 

 to guard them or the nuns, were busy round the pool. During the 

 short time I remained at the grate, I heard more gossip than I have 

 done for months, and perceived that the recluses continue to take a 

 lively interest in the things of this wicked world. I was not sorry 

 when summoned to go to another place ; and having left a golden 

 remembrancer with the good ladies, I accompanied Mr. Prevost and 

 Mr. de Roos to the public library. There may be about ten or 

 twelve thousand volumes lodged for the present in the college ; but 

 the convent of San Domingo having offered its library to the state, 

 these books are to be transferred thither as soon as rooms are ready, 

 and the whole will then be open to the public. The librarian is Don 

 Manuel de Salas y Corbalan, a polite and well-informed man, who 

 showed me a beautiful Cluverius, and told me he prided himself on 

 the collection of voyages, travels, and geography. Law fills up half 

 the shelves ; and there is a great proportion of French, but little 

 English, and of that little Vancouver's Voyage is best known; because 

 as it has slandered Chile, they are all too angry here not to point it 

 out to all visitors. I met in the library the deputy Albano, whom I 



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