NOTICES OF CHILE. 131 



of the finest dwellings disfigured by having these apartments 

 rented for pulperias," (dram-shops,) or for cobbler's stalls, 

 where may be seen the disciple of St. Crispin, hammering at 

 his last, and his sluttish wife employed at her needle, while a 

 half dozen squalid, squalling brats are sprawling over the floor 

 in filth and dirt. Whether this proceeds from carelessness of 

 appearances, or from the desire of increasing revenue, I will 

 not decide, though I am strongly inclined to the latter suppo- 

 sition. 



The city of Santiago was founded on the 24th of February, 

 1541, by Captain Pedro de Valdivia, and then called "Santi- 

 ago DE LA NUEVA EsTREMADURA. On the outsldrts of the 

 city there is a small house, sunk below the level of the street, 

 said to be that occupied by the founder; with what truth, how- 

 ever, I must leave to antiquarians to discover. 



The plaza is nearly in the centre of the city, and occupies 

 an entire square. On the north-western side are the presiden- 

 tial mansion, the palace of the government, the prison, and the 

 courts of justice; forming altogether a fine white building, be- 

 fore the several doors of which sentries are always on post. 

 On the south-western side stand the cathedral, and the old 

 palace of the bishop of Chile, now occupied as the Cafe del Co- 

 mercio. The cathedral is but half finished, though it was com- 

 menced more than sixty years since. It is in the Moorish 

 style, and is the only stone building in the capital ; all the 

 others being of "adobes," whitewashed. The south-eastern 

 side of the square, is a " portal" or portico, occupied below by 

 drygood shops, and above, by private residences. On the north- 

 eastern side are the Cafe de la Nacion, and a number of " tien- 

 das" or shops, which are closed by rough doors, secured on 

 the outside, when the shop keepers are abroad, by great pad- 

 locks of a coarse fabric. 



At the eastern side of the city, is a high conical hill of gra- 

 nite, called Santa Lucia, upon which are a fortress, a barrack, 

 and a powder magazine. The fortress was built by the Spa- 

 niards, not very long after the foundation ; it completely com- 



* Herrera. Historia de las Indias Occidentales. 



