MELIPILLA. 259 
of the shortness of the time allowed for preparation, but our hunger 
would have relished a much worse; there was excellent roast beef, 
a stewed fowl, good bread, and a bottle of very tolerable wine. The 
beds appeared to embarrass Mr. de Roos more than any thing: but I 
am an old traveller, and our Chileno friends are used to the sort of 
thing; so my young Englishman made up his mind to our all passing 
the night within the same four walls. An excellent matrass, with all 
proper additions, was laid on one end of the estrada for Dofia Rosa- 
rio and me; and across the foot of our couch the skins and carpets 
of the saddles furnished forth Mr. de Roos, while another of the same 
kind served Don Antonio. I thought of the “Sentimental Jour- 
ney,” and placed a parcel of high-backed chairs, and spread the long 
skirt of my riding-habit between Rosario and me and our companions, 
—a work of supererogation, if all slept as soundly as I did, which I 
presume they did, because when I rose at day-break I found them 
all still; so I crept into a little closet, where potatoes and wool had 
been kept, and where I had contrived a dressing-room ; so that I was 
ready to receive two strangers, who walked into the room before any 
of the rest were stirring, and seating themselves without ceremony, 
began to question us about ourselves and our journey. I soon found 
that one of these was an Englishman, who had belonged to a whaler 
which foundered off Juan Fernandez. He is now at the head of a 
large soap and candle manufactory here, belonging to a gentleman 
of Chile. This is a favourable situation for such a business, both on 
account of the tallow, and of the facility of procuring ashes and 
charcoal: by-the-bye, I saw them making charcoal near Longuien. 
The pieces of wood are cut about two feet long, then laid in a trench 
covered with earth, and so burned. I suppose this to be a wasteful 
process. Were not the discouragement of all coasting trade so great 
here, Melipilla might be immensely rich: it is only ten leagues from 
the mouth of the Maypu, where there is the safe little harbour of 
Saint Augustin; where the cheese, butter, charqui, hides, tallow, 
soap, and earthenware might be shipped for every port of Chile. 
pe Saar 
