QUINTERO. 337 



found that I had not been singular in remembering the promise, 

 for I was greeted on my return with a gay little poem, by Mr. Jack- 

 son, on the subject ; and to us, who never see a new book, or only 

 by chance, when an American trader brings out the Philadelphia 

 reprint of a new London or Edinburgh novel (the Pirate is the 

 last we have seen), a new poem, even of a hundred or half a hun- 

 dred lines, on any subject, is a literary treat, and is valued accord- 

 ingly. At any rate, I am sure no birth-day ode, saving, perhaps, the 

 celebrated probationary odes, ever gave the readers more pleasure 

 than our pudding rhapsody ; and as the walls of Thebes arose to the 

 sounds of Amphion's lyre, so my plums were picked and my pud- 

 ding compounded to the rhymes of Mr. Jackson's verse. I can be 

 delighted with every thing, now I am relieved from my anxiety and I 

 have a prospect of seeing home once more. 



December 25th. — The perfect stillness of the earth yesterday little 

 prepared us for the tremendous shock we experienced at eight o'clock 

 this morning. It was only not so severe as that of the 19th November, 

 and was followed by several slighter ones ; but nothing alarming 

 occurred after the first. We are all busy with preparations for leav- 

 ing " this delightful land," for such it is in spite of its earthquakes. 

 I should feel less regret at leaving it if I saw it prosperous and at 

 peace ; but every hour brings fresh reports of wars and rumours of 

 wars. The people of Coquimbo have openly thrown off their alle- 

 giance to the Director ; and have convened a provincial congress, and 

 mean to oppose the government of Santiago by every means in their 

 power. 



26th. — Only two shocks to-day. 



27//*. — Four shocks. We learn to-day that the greatest conster- 

 nation prevails in the city. Arcas's bills are said to be at a discount 

 of 40 per cent. : he himself refuses them ; and we hear that an officer 

 of distinction has been imprisoned on account of some dispute that 

 arose on the subject, in which Areas behaved extremely ill. Be that 

 as it may, the government shows its alarm by having recourse to 

 petty expedients. In order to appear strong and rich, orders have 



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