the 21st of January. So much has lately been published concerning Valparaiso, its climate, natural productions, &c., that our author does not find it necessary to enter into detail on the subject. Referring to the statements of Mrs. Graham respecting the elevation of the ground during the earthquake, the author says that, on examining the coast of the bay, both north and south, this fact was every where confirmed.

"One afternoon, when the sea-breeze was not very strong, we made an excursion to the rocks, which lie on the northern side of the harbour, far above Almendral; we were most agreeably surprised by the extraordinary luxuriance of the vegetation, and the variety of animals which abound here. These masses of sienite, which lie half under water, are a part of the rocks which were raised to a height of three or four feet above the level of the sea during the last great earthquake in 1822. The millions of plants and animals which once animated the surface of these cliffs, while they were yet covered by the waves, have all dried up. The beautiful effect of the submarine Flora and Fauna is much heightened by the transparency of the water; all the surfaces are covered with innumerable pholada, intermingled with actinia of the richest colours; while chitone of the most diversified tints, patellæ, and fissurellæ clothe the rocks, and vie with the actinia in brilliancy of colouring. Large asteriæ, which are here particularly abundant and of unusual beauty, are seen at a greater depth, or fastened to the sides of the larger rocks. The asterias helianthus, Lam., with whose original habitat we were hitherto unacquainted, is found in large numbers on the coast of Valparaiso. The extraordinary size of this animal, and the number of its radii, of which it generally has between thirty and forty, constitute it one of the most distinguished of this beautiful species. Our asterias aurantiaca, Nov. Sp. excels it in the richness of its tints, but the bright coloured asterias gelatinosa, Nov. Sp. is, undoubtedly, the finest of the whole, and it is much to be regretted that it cannot be preserved without losing all its splendid colours. Its surface is white, inclining to a milky blue, and the prickly warts with which it is covered are of a bright orange. Numerous voracious crabs inhabit the clefts of these rocks; various fuci, with their long broad leaves, which are sometimes eaten by the poor people, cover the rocks and afford food and shelter to various tribes of animals."

It having been decided, some days after the arrival of the Princess Louise at Valparaiso, that she should remain there for five or six weeks, the doctor and his companions resolved to undertake a journey across the Cordilleras, as far as Mendoza. Though this excursion was highly interesting to themselves, and they found many valuable additions to their collections, yet this route is so well known from the accounts of preceding travellers that it is unnecessary to dwell upon that subject. Their observations on the manners of the people are worthy of attention, and those relating to the statements pub

lished by our own countrymen may deserve the consideration of future travellers to South America.

"In attempting to give a sketch of the life and manners of the inhabitants of Santiago, it is more than probable that many inaccuracies have crept into the description, since our residence among them was but short, and our occupations too various to allow of our giving much time to the study of their character. We have not measured the manners and customs of these nations by the standard adopted in our less genial climate, and which has been sanctioned by the authority of centuries; and though we may occasionally state facts very much at variance with the customs of our own country, we have not done so with the view to represent them as either bad or vulgar, nor yet with the foolish notion of holding up the manners of our own country as the only model of propriety and decency. Our sole object has been clearly to point out the difference existing in such various countries, that the observer of human nature may be able to form an accurate idea of the national character of the people, and to trace the causes which have occasioned so great a diversity in the manners and customs of different nations. It is, therefore, to be regretted that the many English travellers, who have visited these countries within the last few years for the acquirement of wealth, but who have generally returned with disappointed hopes, should have published their journals, in which they often represent this amiable nation in the most revolting colours, and that too after having experienced the strongest demonstrations of hospitality and kindness. The sex especially has been an object of attack, and sometimes ladies have even been mentioned by name, a circumstance which has been unfavourable to later travellers; for the custom, which admitted every stranger of respectability into the first families, without the necessity of a special introduction, has now disappeared. The ladies are much afraid of the formal Englishman, who cannot understand their habits, and turns them into ridicule as soon as he leaves their company. He fancies himself distinguished when a lady presents him with flowers, whereas it is only a mark of common politeness. An Englishman calls the people dirty, because after dinner a basin is passed round the table, and the whole company, ladies as well as gentlemen, wash their hands, whereas these good-natured people desire by this to show their cordiality to their guests.

"The forms and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic worship still continue to have great influence on the majority of the population, and Catholicism is still the only authorized religion of the state, a law which we can scarcely comprehend, because the legislative authority of these times, in fact, broke the harsh supremacy of the church after the enemy had been defeated. The revenues of the pious institutions were henceforth considered as state property, and the clergy received salaries-nay, they even proceeded, and evidently with too much precipitation, to abolish the monasteries, by which they destroyed the schools of the monks, while they were as yet destitute of means to establish others in their stead. Very few of the presidents, among whom was Ovalle, publicly professed the Catholic religion; neither have many of the

ministers hitherto done so. Indeed, we do not think that we are far from the truth if we ascribe but a very slight degree of regard for the prevailing forms of religion to the more influential men of this new state. The writings of Voltaire, Rousseau, and other French contemporary authors, which are read with the greatest avidity throughout the country, have not failed of their effects upon the easily excited minds of these people. It is by no means a rare occurrence in the provinces, to meet with men with the writings of these philosophers in their hands, who are still ignorant whether Prussia is in England or North America. The people are, in general, extremely bigoted-the women and girls of all ranks invariably so ;-you are not permitted to pass a church or a convent without taking off your hat and making an obeisance. A visit to the churches of Santiago is as dangerous to the Protestant as a pilgrimage to the mosques is to the Christian at Constantinople. Only a short time before our arrival, two Englishmen were grossly insulted in the cathedral.

"The inhabitants of the west coast of South America have not remained free from the mania of imitating the manners and customs of foreign nations, and thus we see with regret the gradual disappearance of all nationality of character in those towns, which are more exposed, in consequence of the free trade, to the influence of foreigners. We should form a very erroneous idea of beautiful Chili and its inhabitants, were we to look only at Valparaiso.

"A Chilian lady, even of middling rank, always wears silk stockings, and such tight silk shoes that they are sure to burst in two or three days; their church-going attire is made of velvets, silks, and laces, and they have the largest and handsomest French tortoise-shell combs in their hair, and sometimes, if they wish to appear much dressed, they display two or three even in the house, they wear the most elegant Chinese shawls, with which they often lie down on the carpets. Not only is domestic peace frequently disturbed by this extravagance, and marriages prevented from taking place, because the men have not the adequate means; but we may almost regard it as likely to prove a source of ruin to the country, if proper measures are not taken to counteract this unhappy propensity. Good, we mean practical, female schools, on the same plan as those in Europe, ought to be established, and not such as the celebrated school of Mora, at Santiago, which, in our opinion, is but calculated to excite the very propensity which, above all others, ought to be suppressed. It is not so sultry in Chili as its inhabitants fancy, and who on that ground refrain from work; it seems to us to be merely a habit of indolence, which they are unwilling to shake off, although the times are altered, and require the adoption of a different system. It is very remarkable that it is only since the general deliverance from the dominion of the Spaniards that this love of dress in the ladies has become so extravagant. Although all secretly condemn it, yet no one ventures to speak against it openly, for in no country, probably, are the men so completely under the authority of the sex, (we do not exactly mean to say under that of their wives,) as in Chili, though it is only a natural consequence of their beauty and attractions."

At Santiago our travellers had the good fortune to meet with Mr. J. Ingrimm, (probably Ingram,) an Englishman, who not only received them with much kindness, but even offered them accommodation in his house, which they gladly accepted. Being well acquainted with all the members of the government, he presented them to Don Diego Portales, vice-president of the republic and minister of the interior, who promised to facilitate, as far as lay in his power, their inland journey. Their original plan was to go over the volcano of Maipù to Mendoza, and, if possible, to visit the new volcanoes, which broke out in sight of Santiago, during the earthquake of 1829. The minister, however, assured them, that the journey to Mendoza was impracticable, because the independent Indians occupied that part of the country: and that, in spite of all attempts which had been made, the way to the new volcanoes had not yet been found. He advised them to confine their attention to the volcanoes of Maipù and Peteroa, both of which are in constant action. This advice they followed, and immediately prepared for their journey-the account of which is highly interesting, but far too long for our pages.

It was about this time that accounts were received in Europe of immense quantities of silver having been discovered in Chili, on which the most extravagant speculations had been foundedwe, at the same time, heard of a journey into the interior of the country, undertaken by order of the Chilian government. The following passage relates to the latter:

"At San Fernando we met Mr. Claudius Gay, a French naturalist of Draguignan, who, accompanied by Don José Anton Silva, a worthy Chilian of Santiago, was about to visit all the provinces of the Chilian republic. Mr. Gay was commissioned to this great undertaking by the government, with which he had concluded the following contract :

"Mr. Gay agreed to travel over the whole of Chili in four years and a half, and minutely to investigate the natural history, geography, geology, statistics, every thing in short which might be advantageous to manufactures, commerce, or the government. And only one year after the completion of the journey, Mr. Gay stipulated to submit to the inspection of a commission a sketch of the following works :

1. General natural history of Chili, of the animals, plants, and minerals, accompanied by plates.

"2. The physical geography of Chili, with observations on the climate and temperature of the provinces, with a map of the whole state, and views and plans of the principal towns, harbours, and rivers.

"3. The entire geology of the country.

4. The statistics of the republic, with reference to agriculture,

trade, manufactures, population, and the administration of every province.

"5. Plan of a museum, in all its branches, with a catalogue of names, &c.

"6. Accurate investigation of all the mineral springs in the country.

"The government agreed to pay Mr. Gay one hundred and twentyfive piastres per month, during the whole of his journey, and to give directions to the chief authorities of the different provinces to promote in every way the objects of the traveller-all the collections made by Mr. Gay, were to be the property of the state. The government also furnished him with astronomical and other instruments, which were, however, either to be returned undamaged or paid for, on the completion of the journey.

"This great enterprise, from which so much was to be expected, was begun in October the preceding year. Mr. Gay had examined the sources of the Rio Cachapoal and its vicinity-visited the lake Taguatagua, and was about to commence a journey to the Rio Tinguiririca up to its source. His departure was fixed for the day after our arrival, and every thing prepared for the expedition."

Having learned at San Fernando that a body of 2000 Indian horsemen, of the tribe of the Pehuenches, had encamped at the foot of the volcano of Peteroa, our voyagers resolved to accompany Mr. Gay, and to penetrate as far into the Cordilleras as their time would permit. They left San Fernando on the 3rd of February, and reached the banks of the Tinguiririca by sunset the next day. On the 5th, they prosecuted their journey along a chain of steep hills, from two to three hundred feet high, where they collected a great number of new plants, among which were a rose and a parmelia, both of extraordinary beauty.

The rock consists of green porphyry, with large masses of felspar, which occasionally stands out very high and steep on the right bank at some distance are almost perpendicular walls of sienite, of the height of above a thousand feet; their serrated summits rising bare above all vegetation. It was noon before the party reached the Rio Chado de Talcaregua, where it empties itself into the Rio Tinguiririca; they crossed this dangerous mountain stream with great caution, for it was so rapid that the mules were often driven back in their progress. At every step they first carefully tried the firmness of the bottom, and then advanced with their breasts directed against the stream. On the other side of the river they had immediately to ascend a very steep mountain about six hundred feet high, on the summit of which there was a small plateau, where they rested under the shade of some trees. The continued heat had so completely