144 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



them entire, placed all the real property in the hands of a few 

 individuals, and caused it to descend from father to the eldest 

 son, ad infinitum. However necessary the law of primogeni- 

 ture may be to monarchical governments, for preserving an 

 aristocracy, it is certainly unsuited to a republic ; and for that 

 reason, the mayorazgo," or eldership, is now done away 

 with, except in the cases of eldest sons born before the repeal 

 of the law by the Chilian congress. The proprietors of these 

 estates are petty princes in the land, who have depending upon 

 them from three to five hundred poor families. Desiring only 

 to be left to the quiet enjoyment of their farms, they seldom 

 care for or engage actively in public affairs. The lord of the 

 estate where I was, is a senator, and though his country resi- 

 dence is but twenty miles from the capital, he has not been 

 more than three times in his seat during the present session. 

 Yet he owns one of the finest houses in town, and says he will 

 not go to the senate unless sent for. " Para que Amigo ! Why 

 should I, friend, there are enough there without me Don 

 Vicente, as he is named, leads the life of a prince. He rises 

 at nine, breakfasts at ten, saunters in a small flower garden 

 with a cigar, laughs for a half hour over Don Quixote, of which 

 he has a beautiful edition ; and by an occasional ride, or a game 

 at chess with the curate, a sly joke or hon mot with some of 

 the ladies, he manages to get through the day till three o'clock,^ 

 when he dines. After dinner, which occupies about two hours, 

 when alone, he smokes and dozes away the afternoon and even- 

 ing, till ten o'clock, at which time he sups heartily, and retires 

 to bed about twelve. Almost every night, however, the curate 

 engages him at chess or cards, and between the two, the ladies 

 are kept laughing the whole evening. It is hardly necessary 

 to say that Don Vicente is a short, corpulent, good humored 

 gentleman — a fac simile of Sancho Panza in person, whom he 

 admires with all his heart. He loves his family, is just and 

 charitable to his dependants, and does not care the snap of a 

 finger for any body beyond them. Nor does he wish to receive 

 a line from any body, no matter what the intimacy may have 

 been. If I hear of their prosperity/' says he, " I am glad ; 

 if they are unfortunate, I am sorry, — < Que mas ! y amigo, pa- 



