CHILL 18 g 
neighbourhood of the city. Their irregular and jagged outline is 
constantly varying under the effects of light and shade. The rays of 
the setting sun, with the deepening shadows, throw the innumerable 
peaks into bold relief, and at times produce yellow and red tints, which 
give a remarkable character to the whole scene. The red tints are 
often accompanied with a green hue in the sky. The city is sur- 
rounded by many fine orchards, gardens, farms and grazing grounds. 
The former being enclosed by high adobe walls, give it a rather 
unpleasant appearance, until the city is fairly entered, when the 
streets have a fresh and clean look. The city is laid out in squares. 
Its streets are well paved, and have good sidewalks. This fresh 
and clean appearance, we afterwards understood was owing to a 
law, obliging all to whitewash their houses and walls once a year, a 
practice which gives a general uniformity, at least in colour, to the 
whole, and forms an agreeable contrast with the red tiled roofs. The 
houses are mostly of one story, built in the form of a hollow square, 
from twenty to forty feet wide, round which the rooms are situated. 
The roof projects so as to form a kind of piazza or covered way. The 
gatew T ay is usually large, and the rooms on each side of it are not 
connected with the rest of the building, but are rented as shops. 
Opposite to the gateway is the centre window, guarded by a light 
and ornamental iron frame, painted green or richly gilt. The court- 
yard is usually neatly paved with small rounded pebbles from the bed 
of the Maypocho, arranged in fanciful forms, but in many cases they 
are laid out in flow T er-gardens, where roses and geraniums are seen in 
full bloom. 
The river Maypocho runs through one portion of the city, and 
supplies it with water, which is conducted through all the principal 
streets, assisting much in preserving their cleanliness, though not 
sufficient to supersede the necessity of scavengers. In the centre of 
the city is the great Plaza, where the public buildings are situated. 
They are built of a coarse kind of porphyry, obtained from the moun- 
tains, and are on a large scale. The cathedral and palace each occupy 
one side ; in the centre is a fountain, with several statues of Italian 
marble, but which is entirely too small to have any effect in so large 
a square. All these buildings are much out of repair, having been at 
various times damaged by earthquakes. 
The cathedral is very large and extensive. Its altar is decked with 
a great quantity of gold and silver. There are many paintings and 
hangings, among which is a large number of trophies, which have 
been taken in their various wars, and are here preserved. The niches 
vot,, i. 47 
