140 



CHILI. 



wander : and under the influence of the surround- 

 ing scenery, we soon fell into a pleasing reverie on 

 the romantic history of the conquest, and the gor- 

 geous descriptions we had read of the Andes. At 

 length the silence which we had for some time 

 maintained was suddenly interrupted by one of 

 the party calling out, that we were entering the 

 grounds of a gentleman who would furnish us with 

 another guide for the remainder of the journey. 



We dismounted at the door, and were shown 

 into a bleak comfortless room, with a mud floor, 

 a rude unfinished roof, and lighted by a solitary 

 black tallow candle, all of which made us feel in- 

 stinctively sure of a cold reception. In this, how- 

 ever, we were much mistaken, for the master of 

 the house no sooner saw who we were, than he 

 begged us to walk into his sala or drawing-room, 

 a very different apartment from the first. As we 

 entered, we could scarcely stand the glare of 

 light from a dozen wax candles. The floor was 

 covered with a rich carpet ; the roof and cornices 

 were neatly finished, and the walls ornamented 

 with mirrors and pictures. At the upper end of 

 the room stood a grand piano-forte, by Broadwood, 



