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still extremely weak and reduced. Hospitality, 

 in the Spanish colonies, is such, that, a Euro- 

 pean who arrives, without recommendation^ or 

 pecuniary means, is almost sure of finding assist- 

 ance, if he lands in any port on account of sick- 

 ness. The Catalans, the Gallicians, and the Bis- 

 cayans, have the most frequent intercourse with 

 America. They there form as it were three dis- 

 tinct corporations, which exercise a remarkable 

 influence over the morals, the industry, and 

 commerce of the colonies. The poorest inhabit- 

 ant of Siges or Vigo is sure of being received 

 into the house of a Catalan or Gallician pul- 

 pero *, whether he arrives at Chili, or at the 

 Philippine Islands. I have seen the most affect- 

 ing instances of these attentions rendered to un- 

 known persons, during whole years, and always 

 without a murmur. It has been said, that hos- 

 pitality was easy to be exercised in a happy 

 climate, where food is in plenty, where the na- 

 tive plants yield salutary remedies, and where 

 the sick man, reposing in his hammock, finds 

 under a shed all the shelter of which he stands 

 in need. But should we consider as of little 

 value the embarrassment caused in a family by 

 the arrival of a stranger, whose character is un- 

 known? can we be permitted to forget those 

 marks of tender compassion, those endearing 

 attentions of the female part of the household, 



* A retail dealer. 



