NOTICES OF CHILE. 



145 



ra que molestdrme con siis cartas.' What more — and my friend, 

 why should they trouble me with their letters !" 



In the neighborhood there is another gentleman, less 

 wealthy, and of a more ordinary stamp than the senator, being 

 shrewd but uneducated ; that is, he lives without recurring to 

 books for society or conversation. Don Ambrosio is a great 

 rough figure, six feet high, with a roguish blue eye and curly 

 hair, and perhaps forty-five years of age. He has a second 

 wife, a son, and thirteen daughters, four of whom are marriage- 

 able. 



About twelve o'clock on the second day of my arrival at 

 Colina, Don Ambrosio came in, dressed, as is usual with 

 country gentlemen riding about their estates, in a poncho, botas 

 and spurs. After seating himself, he commenced conversation 

 with me, by saying several ^'good things," and some piquant 

 phrases of double meaning, by way of ascertaining, as he after- 

 wards confessed, what my knowledge of Spanish might be. Pre- 

 sently some glasses, wine, brandy, &c. were placed on the table, 

 and Don Ambrosio was invited to drink. <<Bueno — vamos, un 

 traguito." Agreed, let us take a small glass. When prepared, 

 he looked at it, and said, holding the glass between his eye and 

 the light, <^Pues, Senores, no tengo sed ; tengo buena apeten- 

 cia ; tengo buena salud ; duermo bien, como bien, mi muger no 

 se queja ; — ^ y para que lo tomare ? — no quiero tomarlo — " 



Well, gentlemen, I am not thirsty ; I have a good appetite ; 

 my health is good ; I sleep well, I eat well, my wife does not 

 complain; and why shall I take it? I will not" — and he put 

 down the glass, and pushed it away without tasting. 



While out in the fields shooting, the next day after his visit, 

 I met Don Ambrosio on horseback. He dismounted and car- 

 ried me off to his "olivar" or olive grove, to shoot wild pigeons, 

 which were numerous, and afterwards insisted upon my "doing 

 penance with him," as the phrase is, that is, dining with him. 



The table was spread in the Spanish style, with covers for 

 sixteen persons, and as many high backed chairs placed round 

 it. About three o'clock we were seated, Don Ambrosio at the 

 head, his wife on the left, and I on his right, while the thir- 

 teen daughters took their places, according to age, right and 

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