348 



CHILI. 



to our surprise, left his logs, and looking up, ask- 

 ed us what we thought of it ; of course we answer- 

 ed, it was most beautiful, " Si Senores,'^ replied 

 he, quite delighted, " Kesplandeciente as if he 

 were not less struck than ourselves with the beauty 

 of the sight. I mention the circumstance, as af- 

 fording another instance, among these rude peo- 

 ple, of a degree of taste and feeling for the beauties 

 of nature, which we never met with in any other 

 part of South America. 



After purchasing the timber we bargained with 

 a wild-looking Indian, who had joined the group, 

 for a mule-load of wine, which he had brought in 

 skins for sale. It was of good quality, though ra- 

 ther sweet, and cost about twopence halfpenny a 

 bottle ; exactly double the proper price, as we dis- 

 covered afterwards. We bought seven logs of 

 wood, each twenty-one feet long, and twelve inches 

 square, for nine dollars, which is about five shil- 

 lings each. The wood called Line was as good as 

 ash, and answered well for building boats. We 

 learned afterwards that we had paid about one- 

 fourth too much. There was a great variety of 

 timber for sale, adapted to different purposes, but 



10 



