( ) 



They eat every thing fo highly fea^ 

 foned with red pepper, that thofe who 

 are not ufed to it, upon the firft mouthful 

 would imagine their throats on fire for 

 an hour afterwards ; and it is a com» 

 mon cuftom here, though you have the 

 greateft plenty at your own table, to 

 have two or three Mulatto girls come in 

 at the time you dine^ bringing, in a little 

 filver plate, fome of thefe high-feafoned 

 ragouts, with a compliment from Donna 

 fuch-a-one, who defires you will eat a 

 little bit of what flie has fent you; which 

 muft be done before her Mulatto's face, 

 or it would be deemed a great affront. 

 Had this been the fafhion at Chiloe, we 

 iTiould never have offended ; but fome- 

 times here we could have wiflied this 

 ceremony omitted. 



The prefident never afked any of us a 

 fecond time to his table. He expefted us 

 once a fortnight to be at his levee, which 

 we never failed j and he always received 



B5 



