28 



CHILI. 



blishment came into the court, and pointed out 

 the various circumstances, describing how each 

 had happened. He himself was not a bad ap- 

 pendage to the ruin, being nearly as much shat- 

 tered as his church ; a connection probably not 

 quite accidental ; for the wealth and consequence 

 of the priests had fled when their shrine was de- 

 stroyed ; and this worn-out old man was the only 

 remaining one, who chose to abide by the ruins 

 of the edifice, which had sheltered and enriched 

 him for half a century. 



After breakfast we set out to explore a silver 

 mine, amongst the hills at some distance, on the 

 western side of the town. On reaching the height 

 of four or five hundred feet above the bottom of 

 the valley, and turning round to look at the ruins 

 we had left, the general effect of the earthquake 

 was more distinctly marked than when viewed 

 from below. Each house had formerly a garden 

 attached to it, surrounded by tall cypresses, many 

 of which were drooping over the ruins, or leaning 

 against one another : but not a house was now to 

 be seen, although the situation of the streets, and 

 quadras or divisions of the town, were distinctly 



