C H I L I. 
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was well got up, unique, and truly splendid ; all Valparaiso had sent 
furniture of every kind, and even the churches had contributed to 
assist in the great gala fete in commemoration of the national victory. 
The company consisted of about five hundred, one-third of whom 
were females. Many costly uniforms, of various patterns, and not a 
little fanciful, added to the brilliancy of the scene. 
About ten o'clock the ball was opened by the President, Don Joaquim 
Prieto, in person, a novel sight to us. He was dressed in a richly em- 
broidered coat, gold epaulettes, and field-marshal's sash. He danced 
a minuet with a lady of Valparaiso, whom he had especially selected, 
after which the dancing became general, consisting of quadrilles, 
country-dances, and waltzes, besides which they had the lascivious 
dances of samacueca, cachucha, and lordean. These partake some- 
what of the bolero and fandango, or Spanish and African dance. 
By way of interlude, marches and national airs were played and 
sung. The ball did not break up until eight o'clock next morning, 
at which hour the President and his daughter were escorted home by 
a procession of the dancers, with the music playing national airs, 
forming rather a grotesque show to the bystanders, from the inter- 
change of hats and outer garments that had taken place. 
On reaching General Prieto' s quarters they sang a national hymn, 
after which many were invited in, where they again continued 
dancing until noon. 
I should not omit to mention that after midnight the ladies under- 
went a second operation of the toilet. 
The whole equalled, if it did not surpass, any of our own fetes at 
home ; indeed all who attended were much surprised, having little 
idea that Valparaiso could have made so brilliant and tasteful a 
display of beauty and magnificence. 
:^s%^ 
TAKING GRASS TO MARKET. 
A7i 
