140 EAMBLES APTEE SPORT. 



piece was — well, I am sure it would have puzzled all the 

 players and play writers in the world to say what it was. 

 A very pretty girl, whom I had the honour of escorting 

 thither, and by whose side I of course sat, told me that 

 one of the characters was intended to represent an 

 English lord, of all people in the world. He had on 

 an extraordinary coat, reaching to a quarter of an inch 

 of his heels, and perfectly covered with pockets, out 

 of which he was continually pulling a long document, 

 which I was told (by the same pretty girl) was the bill 

 of sale of his vast estates, which he had squandered 

 through his reckless extravagance, as all lords do — on 

 the stage. 



I don^t think I ever laughed or drank so much chicha in 

 my life as I did on those two days. One most astonish- 

 ing circumstance is connected with Andacollo — there 

 are no fleas there ! Those who have not been in South 

 America will hardly consider this an extraordinary fact, 

 but those who have will appreciate it at its full value. 

 I left my Andacollo friends with regret, and rode down 

 to the station by a very good but rather precipitous road. 

 On my way I passed a sort of natural cave or grotto, 

 inside which was another smaller edition of the Virgin ; 

 before her was ostentatiously displayed a tray with a 

 few coppers on it ; however, the glass of water which I 

 had from the adjoining well was so delightfully cool 

 and refreshing, that I presented the saint with 

 twenty centavos, much to the surprise of the woman 

 in charge. These women, like the beggars, are 

 regularly licensed on 'payment of a sum of money to 

 the priests. On my arrival at the Andacollo station I 

 was received by Mr. Manley, the station-master, whose 

 wife declared I should not go till I had tasted their 



