150 ELIZABETH CARY AGASSIZ 
TO MISS SARAH G. CARY 
Talcahuana, April 25 
Tue other day we drove out to a true country ranch 
where we passed the day; if you have not seen a 
ranch you could hardly imagine one exactly as it is. 
They seem to vary from mere thatched huts and 
sheds of the poor people to those of the better class, 
which are a picturesque mixture of roughness and 
comfort. This one was a gentleman’s ranch. Its dark 
wood walls were hung with guns and bows and bugles 
and musical instruments; a skin or a mat here and 
there was thrown down before a lounge or an easy 
chair; it was ill lighted, for the windows are few and 
the verandahs deep, but there was a fireplace and one 
could imagine when the logs, ready laid in the chim- 
ney, were ablaze in the evening, how cosily the som- 
bre interior would light up. Sitting-room led to cham- 
bers, these to dining-room, this to all sorts of offices 
and storerooms where produce of all sorts — beef, 
fruit, vegetables, but especially beef (for this is a 
great cattle ranch), are prepared for the market. They 
seemed to wander on endlessly, all on one floor (up- 
stairs seems to be a thing unknown here), and all 
opened upon the inner court, where were all sorts of 
picturesque sheds serving as kitchens, servants’ and 
shepherds’ rooms and so on. 
We lunched on delicious fruit, grapes, pears, etc. 
with fresh butter and excellent bread, and then took 
the carriages again to drive through the woods to the 
shore. The drive was rough; we had often to get down 
