158 JOURNAL. 
20th. — To-day, being anxious to procure a variety of scene for 
my young friend, we walked to what is usually called the flower- 
garden here, and I, at least, highly enjoyed the day. On reaching 
the house of the mistress of the garden, we found her seated on the 
brick bench before the door. She appears very old: her hair, which 
fell in a single braid down her back, being perfectly grey. She is 
tall and hale-looking, and soon summoned three of her five daughters 
to receive us. The youngest of these appeared to be at least fifty, 
tall, muscular, well made, with the remains of decided beauty, with 
an elastic step and agreeable voice: they stepped forward bearing 
carpets for us to sit on, and oranges to refresh us. The other two, 
of scarcely less imposing appearance, joined us, and invited us to walk 
into the garden. As yet none of the cultivated flowers appear, but 
the taste of these women has adorned their arboleda, or orchard, of 
peach, cherry, and plum, with all the wild flowers of the neigh- 
bourhood, some of which grow almost into the little stream that 
runs through the grounds, and others twine up the stems of the fruit 
trees now beginning to blossom. I wish, however, all this was more 
neatly kept. Even Eve weeded her garden, and Adam was com- 
manded to dress as well as to dig the ground. They showed us a 
beautiful green spot, in a recess formed by two hills, where the 
young and pretty Lady Cochrane used to bring her parties to dine, 
and enjoy the country scenery. Her gaiety and liveliness seemed to 
have produced a strong impression on the natives, who talk of her 
with admiration and regret. On returning to the house we passed 
through the more private garden, and I saw, for the first time, the 
lucuma (Achres Lucumo), a fruit rare here, but sufficiently abundant 
in Coquimbo, and which flourishes well in Quillota. The seed, 
which resembles a chesnut, is enveloped in a pulp, like the med- 
lar in substance, and of an agreeable sweetish flavour. There is 
also the chirimoya, (an Anonna, *) so famous in Peru; it is a better 
kind of custard apple, and the trees bear a strong resemblance to 
* One of the coadunatee of Linnaeus’s natural method. 
