CHILI 181 



mto 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 surrounded 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 appear- 

 ance, 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 gateway 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 flower-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 suffi- 

 cient to supersede the necessity of scavengers. In the centre of the 

 city is the great Plaza, where the public buildings are situated. These 

 are built of a coarse kind of porphyry, obtained from the mountains, 

 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 are filled with wax figures, representing saints ; and there are 

 also the remains of two martyrs of the church, in a tolerably good 

 sta* • of preservation. 



The palace was originally built for the Viceroy. It is now appro- 

 priated to the accommodation of the President, and the public offices 

 a 



