78 



A DIARY OF THE 



vioiisly left us to pay his last visit to a dying 

 native, and did not return till 4 in the morn- 

 ing, when he awoke me, and related a few par- 

 ticulars connected with his visit, and the customs 

 of the people in such a case. This story was not 

 at all calculated to strengthen the nerves of a 

 person whose whole system had recently been 

 severely shaken, nor calculated to prepare him 

 for the shock of an earthquake which at this mo- 

 ment threatened destruction. This shock roused 

 me ; under the influence of great alarm, I jumped 

 out of bed, and was about to escape from the 

 house, when the Consul called out, " It's over !" 

 and I returned to my bed, but too much fright- 

 ened to expect more sleep. The Consul told us 

 they had been visited with shocks, more or less 

 severe, ever since the great earthquake, which 

 amongst the natives appears to mark an epoch, 

 as in conversation they date every thing so 

 many days before or after " the earthquake." 

 The 24th and 25th were employed in busily 

 writing with the Consul, who determined on 

 accompanying us to the wreck ; and requested 

 our whole assistance in preparing despatches for 

 the Consul-general at Santiago, and other per- 

 sons likely to be the means of affording relief to 



