CHILI. 197 
survivor from among the thirty persons who settled in Chili with Mr. 
Chase. From his operations he expects in a few years to realize 
a large fortune. 
The town of San Felipe is laid out with great regularity, in the 
form of a square, surrounded by extensive alamedas, which are planted 
with Lombardy poplars. Mr. Newman gave the population at from 
twelve to thirteen thousands. In the centre of the town is a large open 
square, one side of which is occupied by the town hall, and offices 
connected with the municipality. Opposite are the church and 
barracks, and the remaining sides are occupied with shops and 
private dwellings. The houses are all of one story, and are in a good 
style of building. The better class of houses stand some distance 
back from the street, and are decorated tastefully with paintings in 
fresco on the walls. Roses and jessamines were seen in every court- 
yard, and the gardens are well filled with various fruits, apples, 
peaches, pears, grapes, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, and quinces ; 
the latter are remarkably fine, and in great plenty. The houses, as 
in other parts of Chili, have no fire-places, in lieu of which they use 
brazeros, or pans of live coal, when they require heat. Mr. Chase 
took them to a friend of his, to see the process of manufacturing the 
acida and aquadiente of the country. The whole process is carried 
on in a large court behind the house. The grapes are brought in 
large baskets, or on hand-barrows, made with poles and raw hide, 
and are emptied in heaps, under an open shed. Here several small 
boards are placed, on which the grapes are laid by the men, who 
separate them from the stalks, by rolling them rapidly in their hands, 
the grapes falling along the boards which are inclined into a large 
vat, where they are trodden out by men. The juice, which runs off 
through a rude strainer at one end, is received into large earthen jars ; 
the pumice, or residuum, is from time to time taken out of the vat, 
and placed on a platform, when more juice is expressed, by laying 
boards and heavy stones upon it, That part which is intended for 
wine proper, or the " must;" is received like the first into earthen 
jars, where it undergoes the requisite fermentation, and receives a 
small quantity of brandy, or the aquadiente of the country, to give it 
body. The chicha is made by boiling down the clear grape-juice after 
fermentation, for several hours, over a slow fire. After this process, 
it was put in enormous earthen jars, containing sixty to one hundred 
and twenty gallons, which are covered over, and tightly luted. The 
portion not required for consumption, is afterwards distilled with 
vor.. i. 50 
