234 JOURNAL. 
The dancing was interrupted by dinner, after which a new talent 
was displayed by some of my friends. Dofia Mariquita was first 
called on for a toast: she gave one in four couplets of graceful poe- 
try adapted to the occasion and the company, with an ease that 
showed she was accustomed to extempore composition. This was 
followed by several others, some really witty from the gentlemen ; 
and the young people of both sexes who possessed this charming 
talent exercised it when called on, equally without shyness and with- 
out ostentation. 
In the evening I undertook to make tea for the dancers ; after 
which we rode back to the city as gay a cavalcade as ever entered it, 
and the day was ended by a tertulla at the Casa Cotapos. 
5th September.— Visited several persons, English and Chileno. I 
say nothing of the English here, because I do not know them except 
as very civil vulgar people, with one or two exceptions, Mr. B., for 
instance, commonly called Don Diego; he has lived many years here 
since the revolution, and says he has never met with injustice or un- 
kindness in the country: he knows it better than most persons. 
Mr. C. has gone through much, — has I may say been a party in 
the southern war, lending his money, horses, and ships to the patriot 
cause ; and he, I think, seems to possess the clearest ideas concerning 
the state of Chile of any man I have met with. And there are se- 
veral very good people, some acting the fine gentleman, others 
playing the knave, just as it happens in other places; only I do wish 
that some more of the better specimens of English were here, for 
the honour of our nation and the benefit of Chile. 
7th. —I went early to the national printing-office, which is creditable 
enough to the little state ; but the types are very scanty. I doubt 
if they could print a quarto of four hundred pages. I bought the 
gazettes from 1818 to the present time; nothing was printed here 
before. I also got some laws, rules, and songs. Under the old 
Spanish government I believe Chile had no press at all, but am not 
quite sure; nor could [learn. But every thing necessary was printed 
