BENEFITS CONFERRED BY THE SPANIARDS. 



89 



themselves with the settlers, and friendly alliances 

 will be formed, greatly to the advantage of all 

 parties. The new motives, indeed, to industry 

 and to improvement of every kind in South Ame- 

 rica, are innumerable ; and the intellectual expan- 

 sion which, according to every principle of human 

 nature, may now be expected to take place, when 

 the weight of tyrannical authority is entirely re- 

 moved, baffles all calculation ; it must, however, 

 be prodigious — and perhaps the present military 

 excitement, and the exclusive occupation with 

 which it furnishes every class, may not be so great 

 a misfortune as it is sometimes supposed. It may 

 contribute eventually to the more tranquil estab- 

 lishment of the country, by giving the inhabitants 

 time to reflect and act deliberately, instead of 

 rushing at once and unprepared, from a state of 

 slavery, into the full exercise of civil liberty. 



Notwithstanding, however, all the faults which 

 have been enumerated in the colonial administra- 

 tion of South America, it cannot be denied that 

 great or lasting benefits have been conferred upon 

 that country by its European masters. 



At the period of the couquest, the whole popu- 

 lation were in a state of comparative barbarism. 

 Their knowledge was confined to a few rude no- 

 tions of agriculture ; their forms of government 

 were inartificial, despotic, and cumbersome ; they 

 were acquainted with none of the arts or sciences; 

 were possessed of no literature ; in their habits 

 and customs, indeed, they were little better than 

 savages ; and their religion, if so it can be called, 

 was a blind idolatry, rendered still more revolting 

 by the practice of human sacrifices. 



Christianity has long since happily annihilated 

 the worst of these evils ; for although there remain 

 a few tribes of Indians yet unconverted, the cruel 

 rites alluded to have no longer any existence. 

 Along with the knowledge and the industry which 

 the Europeans brought with them, there was in- 

 troduced a more refined system of manners and 

 of moral habits. Under the influence of established 

 laws, aided, perhaps, by the general use of an 

 elegant and copious language, and an increasing 

 intercourse with the rest of the world, the states 

 of South America were gradually elevated to the 

 rank of civilised nations. Higher motives to ac- 

 tion, consequent upon improved tastes, naturally 

 gave birth to those arts and luxuries of life which 

 ministered to the new wants of the successive 

 generations of settlers, who thus silently but 

 steadily advanced the country to its present con- 

 dition. 



Large and beautiful cities have been built ; and 

 sea-ports, guarded by strong fortresses, constructed 

 along the coasts ; roads of communication have 

 united the different provinces, and rendered even 

 the ridges of the Andes passable ; while mines of 

 gold and silver have long poured their treasures 

 over the whole world. Along with the improve- 

 ments in agriculture came the rich productions 

 of other lands, such as wheat and barley, the vine 

 and the olive, the importance of which to the 

 grateful soil of a new country has been so well 

 illustrated by the divine honours paid in early 

 times to those persons by whom they were origi- 

 nally introduced into Europe. 



In addition to these gifts, to which South 

 America owes her plentiful harvests, the con- 



querors brought over the horse, the cow, the mule, 

 the shoe]), tin: hog — all of which, though formerly 

 unknown, now abound beyond all example else- 

 where. 



. The civil institutions of the country, too, with 

 all their defects, are infinitely superior to the rude 

 establishments of the aboriginal inhabitants. And 

 it may therefore be said with strict historical truth, 

 that for all those advantages by which civilisation is 

 distinguished from barbarism, — Christianity from 

 Paganism, — knowledge, in short, from ignorance — 

 this vast portion of the globe must for ever stand 

 indebted to the Spaniards. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

 chili. 



Anxiety for the fate of Fish, a Seaman of the Conway.— 

 Cruise to the south Coast of Chili, to inquire int:> the 

 Proceedings of Benavicks, the Pirate.— History of Bena- 

 vides — His Condemnation and Recovery after having 

 heensupposed shot. — Declared Chief of the Araucanhms. 

 — His Piracies against English and North Americans. — 

 Project for conquering Chili. — Equipment of his Army 

 and Fleet — Energetic Character of this Human. 



We reached Valparaiso on the 28th of August 

 1821, after a pleasant passage of eighteen days 

 from Lima. We had carried the trade-wind as far 

 as latitude 25^° south, and reached the island of 

 Juan Fernandez in thirteen days. It was a gi*eat 

 mortification to every one on board that the wea- 

 ther prevented our landing at this island, which 

 has a classical place in nautical story, as the 

 reputed scene of Robinson Crusoe's adventures. 



It was now the winter season of Chili, and most 

 disagreeably contrasted with the beautiful weather 

 of December and January. Comparatively speak- 

 ing, the gales and rains were severely felt, and we 

 were glad to find fires in most of the houses, 

 although the thermometer was 'never below 52°, 

 and seldom below 60°. Some inconvenience arose, 

 however, from the sudden manner in which the 

 northerly gales sprang up ; for the anchorage of 

 Valparaiso was completely exposed in that direc- 

 tion, and all communication with the shore pre- 

 vented on those occasions. 



One evening I landed after sunset, and the 

 weather being fine, told the coxswain to keep the 

 boat ready for me, as I intended returning on 

 board: The crew, with the exception of the usual 

 boat-keeper, were allowed to walk about on the 

 beach till I should return. Nothing could be more 

 serene or of finer promise than the evening, and I 

 thought no more of the boat till two hours after- 

 wards, when I was startled by observing that the 

 wind had risen into a gale. I hastened to the 

 landing-place to learn what had been done with the 

 boat ; and on the way met the coxswain, who said 

 the gale had come on so suddenly he had not 

 been able to cross the surf, but he had hailed Fish, 

 the boat-keeper, and desired him to make fast to 

 the Custom-house barge lying off at anchor. By 

 this time it was so dark we could see nothing, and 

 the breeze having greatly increased, a mountainous 

 swell rolled into the bay, which broke with a 

 deafening clamour along the shore. It was now 

 quite impossible to do anything for the poor follow, 

 and I bitterly reproached myself for having so 

 heedlessly exposed him to such danger. 1 lay 



