102 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



The gentlemen were slowly pacing the apartment, standing 

 in squads of two or three, or conversing with the ladies ; and 

 two or three were walking in the balcony, smoking hojitas." 



The ladies, now laughing and talking, had thrown aside the 

 shawl, and displayed the bust and figure, beautified by the aid 

 of all the little machinery of a female toilette. In this particu- 

 lar, they do not manifest less taste than the ladies of other 

 countries, who pay a moderate respect to the great tyrant — 

 Fashion. The Chilenas have been accused of using pink-sau- 

 cers, and flake white,* yet, so far as my observation goes, I 

 think most unjustly. I would not, however, defend every lady, 

 in this or any other country, from the charge of using <^afeites'' 

 — which word includes all those articles used for beautifying 

 the face, as rouge, pearl powder, pink-saucers, flake white, 

 moveable or extra curls, and the long list of cosmetics. I pre- 

 sume, as a general rule, that female vanity, cseteris paribus, 

 is nearly the same in all parts of the world. Where intellectual 

 qualifications are esteemed superior to those of a personal kind, 

 women of cultivated minds will scorn to attract the other sex 

 by the means alluded to ; but can we blame those born where 

 female excellence is estimated to consist of mere animalite, 

 for helping nature, when she has been sparing in bestowing 

 personal beauties, by the use of those <«afeites!" 



Tea, coffee, &c. were served as with us, and afterwards one 

 of the ladies took a seat at the piano. While she was preluding, 

 a gentleman, styled "el bastonero" (who is some intimate, 

 self-elected for the evening) cried out, " Contradanza Se- 

 iiores" — Contradance, Gentlemen" — upon which intimation, 

 they led forth their partners, and stood up in order. The mu- 

 sic commenced ; the time, that of a slow waltz. That the grace 

 and beauty of the " contradanza" may be appreciated, it must 

 be seen ; the figures are so various, and some of them so intri- 

 cate or labyrinth-like, that I will not attempt to describe them ; 

 they exhibit what might be termed the very poetry of the 

 Terpsichorean art. The contradance was followed by qua- 

 drilles and waltzing. 



• Porter's Journal.— Basil Hall. 



