THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 41 7 



dente, a variety of consuls, and a number of Chilian, American, 

 and English officers, were assembled in full uniform. In a 

 short time a stout old padre in a white vestment made his 

 appearance, which was the signal for a general rising, the 

 company forming in procession, and marching two and two, 

 preceded by him, through the streets, which were gaily decorated 

 with flags, to the church in the Plaza de la Victoria. Passing 

 into the square, which was crowded with gazers, and enter- 

 ing the church (the body of which was filled as full as it could 

 hold with female worshippers attired in black, kneeling on 

 their praying carpets, and the aisles with a miscellaneous 

 assemblage of onlookers), we took possession of a number of 

 chairs reserved for us, and ranged into two long rows on 

 either side of the building. On a raised platform in front 

 of the altar a number of priests in white were seated, three 

 of whom were possessed of upper garments glittering with 

 gold and silver thread. The altar was blazing with tinsel 

 and numerous candelabra, and though it was broad day the 

 edifice as a whole was illuminated with gas, and decked 

 out with festoons of artificial flowers, and the flags of the 

 nation. The musicians were established in a small gallery 

 over the principal entrance of the building, and as the services 

 of the principal opera-singers had been secured, the music 

 that followed was exceedingly fine. The service soon com- 

 menced, and lasted a long time ; but as I was quite unable to 

 comprehend the gTeater part of the pantomimic performances 

 of the ecclesiastics, I will not attempt to describe them, but 

 may merely observe that a vast amount of rising up and sitting 

 down was required on the part of the onlookers, and that, at 

 one juncture, a priest preceded by an individual bearing a 

 little silver wand marched from the altar to the other end 

 of the church, where the Intendente was seated, and pre- 



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