The expedition, long prepared, and stated officially as in perfect equipment, sailed under Blanco, who knew the coast.* They landed, and plundered natives and English, till our Consul stayed the pirates. The Peruvians, invited to join them, crowded to their Ruler's standard. He marched promptly with disciplined troops and many hundred volunteers upon the invaders, who fled without fighting, shut themselves up in Arequipa, and proposed terms of peace. Sta. Cruz publicly declared the basis must be non-interference; and Blanco, finding his commissioner hesitating and his army in extremities, hastened to the spot on the 17th and signed the terms that day. Their army thus liberated by the Treaty UNDER BRITISH GUARANTEE, Chile has refused the conditions.

We may observe on this head, that since the treaty in question was concluded under the mediation of Great Britain, whose activity of intervention deserves the highest praise from the parties themselves and the English merchants in that quarter; and since the army was liberated from its entangled position by that treaty, Great Britain is bound to see that Chile in rejecting it retains no such advantage. The high tone assumed on a previous occasion in South America by our government leaves little doubt upon this point.

We now return to Madame Tristan; and the extent to which we have suffered this article to run warns us to be brief. A singular proof of Madame Tristan's logical powers will be shewn in the following extracts, curious in themselves.

"The Peruvians are anti-military; all abhor the state of a soldier ; the Indian even prefers suicide to the service. My uncle stated that during the twenty years' warfare in Peru, every time that they had to cross rivers or pass precipices he lost a great number of Indian soldiers, who threw themselves into the water, or down the rocks, in preference to leading a military life.

"In Peru every soldier brings as many women as he pleases: they form a large body, preceding the army by many hours to obtain provisions, cook, and prepare quarters. * * These Ravanas are armed. They load the mules with the cooking-utensils, tents, and baggage: they bring along a multitude of children of all ages with them; keep the mules at a hard trot, follow them on the run, pass thus over mountains covered with snow, swim rivers, with a child or two on their backs. * * If they encamp near an inhabited spot, they go in detachments to demand provision. *** If refused, they fight like lionesses, and by their fierce courage are always victorious. They then pillage and devastate the place, and carry off and divide the booty. These women, who attend to, wash and mend for, the soldier, have no other pay than the right of robbing with impunity. They are of Indian race, and do not speak a word of Spanish. They are not married and belong to no one, but are at the service of all that choose. They have nothing of their own, but

See No. XXXIX. for October last.

live with the soldiers. * * When the army marches, it is generally on the courage and intrepidity of these women that its subsistence depends. ** It is worth noticing that while the Indian prefers suicide to a soldier's life, the Indian women embrace its fatigues and dangers voluntarily. I do not know that a stronger proof can be cited of the superiority of women in the infancy of nations—and would it not be the same amongst those more advanced in civilization, if the same education was given to the two sexes!”

There is probably no stronger proof; consequently, there is no proof at all, of the superiority of women in the infancy of nations, or in the infancy of argument. That of Madame Tristan would not have been much the worse if she had known any thing of the matter before she reasoned on it. It is quite clear that the Indian loses his liberty when a soldier, and it is also clear that the Ravana obtains liberty and licence of every kind; to say nothing of the difference between her reckless habits and the soldier's fixed duties. How Madame Tristan, of all the world, overlooked the advantages of licence, we cannot possible imagine.

We have no space for the battle of Cangalla in which the two armies, mutually afraid, according to their historical eulogist fairly ran away from each other at the same moment, and during the battle. San Roman, who sigued the recent treaty with Chile, hearing by accident in his flight, that his foes had evacuated Arequipa, hastened to take advantage of his unknown heroism by turning his face towards the city, which he reached seven days after he had thus innocently gained the victory. His antagonist, Nieto, not satisfied with quitting the army, took shipping at the Port of Islay and placed the sea between himself and his less fugacious troops. In the day and night immediately after the battle, says Madame Tristan with surprising exactness, if not accuracy, the rival flight of the armies had placed eighty-four leagues between them, each traversing forty-two in ignorance of their adversaries' discomfiture. Forty-two leagues is 126 miles, being twice as much as is possible, in that mountainous country.

After having "by her gaiety and gravity," as she tells us, "charmed the conqueror," the gentle Flora tried her skill upon Escudero, the secretary and aide-de-camp of one of the three rival presidents, Gamarra, or rather the Señora his wife; the real ruler, but in her weak husband's name. Madame Tristan had, it seems, conceived the idea of imitating this lady at all points; and as Escudero was weary, she says, of the yoke of the latter, Flora began "to perceive that he was the only man in Peru capable of seconding her ambitious projects." And as the desire "de contribuer au bien," which from foregoing circumstances we are tempted to render-enlarging her estate-the only good she ever

looked for, had constantly, she says, been the passion of her soul, "she thought if she inspired Escudero with love, she could obtain great influence over him." The lady herself must unquestionably be the best judge whether any, and what, loss of character might follow; but notwithstanding all the talent and clearsightedness that had marked her political instructions to Don Pio de Tristan, we may doubt whether the Peruvian nation would have been satisfied with the sight of a French Aspasia at their head, and not have doubted, in their " embrutement" whether a second marriage during the life-time of the first husband-for she half contemplated this also-would have been quite as creditable to the state as it would have been agreeable, she assures us, to herself. But from this brilliant consummation they were saved by a sentiment! She was afraid of becoming "dure, despote, and equally criminal with those actually in power." There was another point too, still less likely to strike a vulgar mind. We have seen, though but partially, how she treats her uncle everywhere throughout the book. It seems now that she always loved him tenderly; and therefore "was afraid of sharing the supreme power in the country where he lived"-he "who had done her such injury"—and the reason for this sublimity was, as this modest and pious specimen of practical virtue unhesitatingly declares "before God," lest," in a moment of resentment, she might treat her uncle as an enemy:" and accordingly, she "sacrificed the position it was easy for her to have assumed"-she can only mean of Escudero's mistress-and quitted Arequipa and her lover, who she informs us was considered very ugly.

The women of Lima are taller and more strongly organized than the men. At eleven or twelve they are fully developed, and generally marry at this age. They are winning rather than beautiful; for the major part fair, though some are brunettes, but never swarthy. With dark eyes and hair, and admirably formed, the charm of their countenances combines pride and languor. Their costume is unique. It was found there by the Spaniards, and exists nowhere else.

"This dress, called saya, consists of a petticoat and kind of sac (manto), covering the shoulders, arms and head: it is made of different materials. *** The fair natives pretend that to be able to make it one must be born in Lima. To make an ordinary saya requires twelve or fourteen yards of satin: it is lined with taffeta or with some slight cotton stuff. In return for your fourteen yards of satin, the mantuamaker brings you a short petticoat about three quarters long, and which, measuring two fingers above the hips, comes down to the ancles. It is so scanty at bottom that it only permits one foot before the other, in very short steps. It is plaited entirely from top to bottom, very

small, and with such nicety that it is impossible to discover the seams. These plaits are so firm, and give such elasticity to the sac, that I have seen some sayas that lasted fifteen years, and still preserved sufficient elasticity to display all the shape and yield to all the motions. The manto is skilfully plaited, but, made of slight materials, it does not last like the petticoat, nor withstand the continual motion nor the humidity of the breath. * * * The saya is of black or fancy colours. * * * The manto always black, enveloping the whole bust, hiding every thing but one eye. *** Oh! how graceful, how enchanting are these Limanese with their black sayas glittering in the sun, and tracing forms real in some cases, false in others, but imitating nature so well that it is impossible to have an idea of artifice. How elegant the movement of the shoulders when they wear the manto so as to conceal the whole figure, which yet for an instant they suffer to be seen! A Limanese in a saya, and in a fine robe from Paris, is not the same woman: in the Parisian costume would be vainly sought the seductive charmer met in the morning at the church of Sainte Marie. *** Many strangers have declared to me the magical effect produced on their imagination by the sight of these women. *** These errors of imagination do not seem improbable when we witness the follies and extravagances which the fair Limanese induce strangers to commit; it might be attributed to vertigo. The ardent wish of seeing their features, which they carefully conceal, causes them to be followed with eager curiosity; but it requires great skill in sayas to follow a lady in this costume, for they all look alike. Oh! I defy the loveliest English woman, * * I defy equally the most seducing French woman ** to contest with a Limanese in her saya. The Spaniard herself ** would appear but cold and distant to a Limanese in a saya. Yes, I would fearlessly proclaim that in this costume they are the queens of earth, if beauty of form and charm of looks can suffice. The saya is the national costume; women of all ranks wear it: it is respected as part and parcel of the manners of the country like the Mosleman's veil. From the beginning to the end of the year the Limanese go out in this disguise, and whoever should dare to raise the manto that covers the face of a woman en saya, would be pursued by public indignation, and severely punished. *** The costume so changes the person and even the inflections of the voice, (for the mouth is covered,) that unless there is something remarkable in height or figure, recognition is impossible. Even to the husband his wife is unknown in this habiliment: she meets him, ogles him, notices him by manner, induces him to speak, enters into conversation with him, receives ices, fruits, cakes, makes an appointment, and then leaves him to begin the same game with an officer passing. *** Her husband on her return asks no questions, for he is fully aware that if she wishes to conceal the truth she will tell a falsehood; and he has no means of ascertaining the fact. Thus the ladies go alone to theatres, assemblies, bull-fights, balls, promenades, and on visits. *** This costume has the immense advantage of being at once economical, appropriate, convenient, and always ready, requiring not the smallest trouble.'

There is another, and still more striking practice in this sin

gular style of dress. If a lady puts on an old saya, unsewn, worn out, and ragged; an old manto, and an old corsage, she is never accosted. She is approached with timidity, and it would be even disloyal to follow her; for it is rightly supposed that if she is disguised it is for important reasons, and that no right exists to examine her closely. This mode of dress is called disfrazarda, and is considered perfectly respectable.

The reader may conceive how Madame Tristan enjoys and argues upon the freedom of the saya. The description is evidently written con amore.

We have now completed our task, but at far greater length than the merits of the writer required at our hands; and, were she alone, would leave her to utter and deserved oblivion. It is clear that the disappointment of pecuniary and other, we wish we could say matrimonial, speculations have induced her to vent her venom upon all she has seen or known, and drag the faults of her dearest relatives before the world. The only relief to the pervading dulness of the book is derived from the malignance which gives a definite tint to every uninteresting scene, anxious to waken a feeling, though only by exaggeration or positive falsehood, and this often in its basest shape, insinuation.

Poverty can be little excuse for her, since it is its worst manifestation, poverty of spirit. We know in all literature no other instance of seeking society and courting friendship and confidence only to betray them, and for the sake of selling a book. The persons and things, however, that Madame Tristan has seen, are too remote from the general routine of thoughts and interests to awaken much curiosity even for scandal respecting them. We do not hesitate to say that any one, writing with the same wish to outrage truth and feeling, must be equally successful; for if the topics from which delicacy restrains the rest of mankind are to form the staple of one writer, the boldness may strike the unwary as resembling truth, though only because it is an unusual daring of malignancy and falsehood.

The unnatural junction of the Abbé Lamennais and Madame Dudevant, the joint opprobrium of morals and religion, has led to the recent attempt in France of forming a new school out of the wrecks of St. Simonianism, supported by the worst and most pestilential portion of the doctrines maintained by the two writers above mentioned. But the talents of these Neophytes is of the lowest class; and when they attempt to separate from their teachers, and to form a class of themselves, their proper weakness and ignorance becomes conspicuous as regards general principles or isolated facts. In truth such doctrines can take only with the lowest scale of intellect, or the utmost perversion of licentious feel