40 



CHILI. 



a visit to a Chilian family of my acquaintance, 

 and immediately on my entering the drawing- 

 room, the lady of the house, and one of her 

 daughters, each presented me with a rose, apolo- 

 gising, at the same time, for having omitted to 

 do so before. This custom of presenting stran- 

 gers with a flower prevails in all Spanish coun- 

 tries, and is one of an extensive class of minute 

 attentions, which the Spaniards and their de- 

 scendants understand better than any other na- 

 tion. The favour itself is nothing ; indeed, it 

 seems essential to the civility that the present 

 should be a mere trifle ; the merit lies in the un- 

 affected and simple expression of good will and 

 kindness which, while it is really valuable to pos- 

 sess, is of a nature to impose no obligation. 



Whilst we were thus establishing an agreeable 

 acquaintance with the inhabitants of the capital, 

 our intercourse was suddenly cut short by a cir* 

 cumstance which obliged me to return with my 

 officers to the Port. Accounts had reached San- 

 tiago, that a French line-of-battle ship and a fri- 

 gate had touched at Conception, and intended 

 sopn to visit Valpa^raiso, The arrival of such a 



