418 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



sen ted to him a large volume (wliicli I presume to have been 

 the Bible) and the wafer to kiss. After a time, we had a 

 long sermon from a very intelligent-looking priest attired in 

 a simple black gown. He spoke very distinctly, so that, 

 even with our limited acquaintance with Spanish, we were 

 able to make out the general topics of his discourse, which 

 was adapted to the occasion, and delivered with a very con- 

 siderable amount of eloquence, the leading subject appearing to 

 be the progress of the nation under the guiding hand of Pro- 

 vidence. The sermon concluded, a very fine musical perform- 

 ance ensued, after which we left the church, and, accom- 

 panied by a brass band and a rabble, marched back to the 

 Intendencia. On our arrival, we were conducted up a stair, 

 and ushered into a couple of drawing-rooms communicating 

 with one another, where a short time was occupied in conver- 

 sation, after which we adjourned to a large room where a good 

 luncheon was set out. After a considerable amount of execution 

 had been done in the way of eating and drinking, the Intendente 

 rose and proposed the first toast, which was of course the Presi- 

 dent of the Eepublic, and was drunk with great enthusiasm, the 

 Chilian "Vivas" being, however, rather drowned by the English 

 and Yankee vigorous " Hip, hip, hip, hurrahs." A succession 

 of other toasts then followed, and were still going on when 

 our party took their departure between four and five p.m. 



In the following afternoon several of us walked to 

 the Playa-ancha, a wide flat space of ground on the high 

 land to the west of the town, to witness a review of a 

 part of the Chilian army. A vast concourse of spectators were 

 assembled, and numbers of booths, where eating, drinking, 

 dancing, and playing games of chance, were being carried on 

 with great vigour, were erected in various places. A good 

 many people were also running races in a most reckless 



