hills, on whose sides vines are cultivated
in considerable quantities. The wild flowers grow luxuriantly
everywhere: calceolarias, especially, in huge bushes of golden bloom,
two or three feet high. At San Romde we left the river, and travelled
through a pretty and well-cultivated country to Chilian, which derives
its name from an Indian word, signifying 'saddle of the sun,' and is
so called from the fact that the sun shines upon it through a
saddle-shaped pass in the chain of the Andes.

Like Concepcion, the existing town has been recently built at a
distance of about a mile from the remains of the old place of the same
name, which was overthrown by an earthquake about thirty years ago.
The destruction was, however, not so complete as in the case of
Concepcion, and some few of the better-conditioned houses are still
inhabited by very poor people, though the walls have great cracks in
them from top to bottom, and they are otherwise in a deplorable state.
A large cattle and horse market is held at Chilian every Saturday, and
it is said that, on these occasions, 100,000 dollars frequently change
hands in the course of the morning, in the open market-place. All the
business of the day was over by the time we got there, and there was
nothing to be seen but a few stray beasts and quaint bullock-carts,
and some peasants selling refreshments, _minaque_ lace, and other
trifles. In several of the old-fashioned shops on the Plaza there were
curious-looking stirrups, bits, spurs, and other horse-gear, all made
of solid silver, roughly worked by the Indians themselves.

Having had our baths, we returned to the hotel, where we found dinner
laid out in my bed-room, which happened to be the largest, for our
host did not approve of our dining at the table-d'hote, as we should
have preferred to do. He gave us an excellent dinner, with good wine,
and attended to us most assiduously himself.

While the gentlemen were smoking, I went to see a poor engine-driver
who had met with a bad accident, and who was lying at this hotel. He
is a fine healthy-looking Englishman, and he told me that, until this
misfortune, he had never known a day's illness in his life. It seems
that, at four o'clock in the afternoon of this day week, he was sent
off with a special engine to convey an important message. Something
going wrong during the journey, he slackened speed, and, in stepping
off the engine to see what was the matter, his foot slipped, and the
w