THE GREAT CORDILLERA. 



189 



the landlady had by this time hired two empty rooms 

 for them, and afterwards one small one for me. She 

 got me a table, with two chairs, and she told us we 

 could breakfast anddine with all her guests. This 

 was not a very agreeable arrangement, but fur- 

 nished lodgings are not to be had at Santiago, 

 and I had therefore no alternative that than of 

 hiring an empty house, and then getting furniture 

 and servants ; but to clean the former, and break 

 in the latter, were occupations which I had no wish 

 to undertake, particularly as I was going so shortly 

 to inspect mines in different directions. 



I had several letters, which at Buenos Aires I 

 had been requested to take to Santiago, and 

 these I at once delivered to a person to whom I 

 was addressed. I had a drawing very carefully 

 rolled up and sealed, which I had been told at 

 Buenos Aires was the picture of a child in Eng- 

 land, for his mother at Santiago. The lady hap- 

 pened to live close to the house to which I had 

 taken my letters ; and as I thought the picture of 

 her child would be very acceptable, I called and 

 delivered it to her myself. She was in one of the 

 best houses in the town, and was surrounded by a 



