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CHILI. 



our curiosity was raised to the highest pitch, by 

 observing the gentleman touch nothing else, and 

 literally go without his dinner. It was Friday, 

 and it was in Lent, circumstances which might 

 have accounted for his horror at meat ; but it was 

 fish which had shocked him ; besides, we saw the 

 rest of the company eating both one and the other 

 without scruple, which puzzled us exceedingly, 

 and the more so as the self-denying individual was 

 really a very sensible man, and showed no other 

 symptoms of eccentricity. We at last discovered 

 that he had for some reason or other, come under 

 a religious engagement not to eat both fish and 

 flesh, though the South Americans are permitted 

 to do so, by an express bull in their favour, which 

 any one may purchase who pleases. It so hap- 

 pened, that this conscientious individual had set 

 his fancy this day most particularly on a meat 

 dish close to him, never dreaming of what had 

 been put into the soup : but fish, once tasted, his 

 feast was at an end, and, to do him justice, he 

 kept his vow in a manner worthy of an ancho- 

 rite. 



We had then the 011a, a dish celebrated in all 



