The Earthquake at Mendoza, 20th March, 1861. 93 



promenade, where I was placed among dead, dying, and many 

 who were sadly wounded. 



" My clothes had been torn to pieces, my hat lost, and the early 

 morn was cold. Luis Marco gave me a dressing-gown, and in 

 this state I remained until the evening, when I was seen by 

 Mr. Bergman, a surveyor, who had lost his wife and all his chil- 

 dren except one ; he proposed to remove me to a less disagree- 

 able spot, where I found Mr. Oivit with a broken foot, others 

 wounded, some ladies who had lost their families ; from these I 

 received whatever assistance they could render me. I must not 

 omit to particularize the name of a young Ohileno, Sefior Yieites. 



" Four days I remained with this party in affliction. TJp 

 to this period such charity and kindness as could be proffered 

 I received, when Don Tomas Garcia of Mendoza discovered me. 

 We had known each other in Chile, and were friends, without 

 being very intimate. Not only his house in the city, but one 

 in the country, were destroyed on the night of the 20th of 

 March. He had lost three of his children in the earthquake ; 

 the remaining three had been saved through the exertions of 

 his beloved wife — he himself most miraculously; he had already 

 built up a hut. 



" However, under such appalling domestic affliction, he did 

 not forget the sufferings of others. He had sought for me for 

 three days, although he had been assured that I had perished. 

 He had me borne with the tenderest care to his newly-erected 

 hut. His good wife had prepared for me a tent out of pieces of 

 cloth and carpet, and where I felt that Garcia and his ministering 

 angel of a wife would take care of me. 



e ' Her necessary household affairs were not forgotten ; these 

 being finished, she would retire for a while to pray and weep 

 for her lost little ones, then she became a true sister of charity ; 

 never can I forget her and all her pious doings. She bathed 

 and dressed my wounds ; she gave me medicine to assuage 

 my pains, and helped me to the food I required, with such per- 

 suasive gentleness, only to be done by tender-hearted woman ; 

 she was the personification of human goodness. I would at 

 times call for a servant to assist me, but ere one could arrive 

 she was at my side, night or day, ready to attend to me. 



" Very shortly after the arrival of Dr. Day, Garcia brought 

 him to mo ; and now the medical man took charge of my cure. 

 Through the unremitting kindness of Garcia and his wife, and 

 that of Dr. Day, after a period of twenty-three days, I could lay 

 myself down ; but it was three months ere I could go upon 

 crutches, when I journeyed to San Juan. 



" Years had passed that I had not shed a tear ; the destruc- 

 tion of the city of Mendoza, and even whilst in tho frightful 

 position of being buried alive, no tear dimmed my eye ; but the 



