I 



130 THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



of the northern section of the United States something like that 

 of England ? Now, it is not strange, that Chile and Peru should 

 resemble Spain, but that the countries of Europe should dis- 

 cover and settle lands similar to their own, is certainly re- 

 markable ! 



The city is laid out in regular squares of four hundred and 

 eight feet on each side, separated by streets forty-two feet 

 broad, and of course, crossing each other at right angles. Their 

 direction is nearly east and west, and north and south. They 

 are paved with round pebbles, and have a trottoir of wrought 

 flag stones on one side. Gutters are left in the centre, through 

 which, during part of the day, flow streams of water from the 

 river Mapocho, which passes the city on its north and western 

 sides. These streams are useful in washing away the filth of 

 the city, which is perhaps the cleanest in South America. The 

 Mapocho also afibrds to the citizens the luxury of private and 

 public baths. . 



The architecture of the private dwellings, as well as that of 

 the public buildings, is of the Moorish style. The houses are 

 one and two stories high, built of adobes," whitewashed out- 

 side, and roofed with red tiles. Although the winter is cool, 

 and snow is occasionally seen in the streets, very few houses, 

 even of the best kind, have chimneys or hearths ; the rooms 

 being warmed by " brazeros" of charcoal. The windows 

 opening into the patio, are secured on the outside with orna- 

 mental "rejas" or iron gratings, which are sometimes gilt, 

 and closed on the inside by glazed sashes of tin. The small 

 houses that open directly on the street, are closed by a double 

 door, with a grated wicket about a foot square, in the upper 

 part of one half of it, which is the only window in the dwell- 

 ing. The best houses in Santiago, have been constructed by 

 carpenters from the United States ; and in some cases, owing 

 to the scarcity of suitable wood, the windows and doors, and a 

 great part of the frame, already manufactured, have been im- 

 ported from our country. 



The style of architecture, leaves two small rooms on each 

 side of the " puertacalle," or great entrance, originally designed 

 for porter's lodge and servant's room j but now, we find some 



