al about the country as we went along. Like all Chilenos, he is
very patriotic, and is especially proud of the financial stability of
his country. He often said,' If English people would only invest their
money here, instead of in Peru or the Argentine Republic, they would
get eight per cent, on good security.' We heard the same thing from
many other sources; and it certainly does seem that this country is
the most settled, and the least liable to be disturbed by revolutions,
of any in South America. At Curico[7] we breakfasted at a little
restaurant on Chilian dishes and the wine of the country. The latter
is excellent and of various kinds, but it is so cheap that none of the
innkeepers can be persuaded to supply it to travellers, whose only
chance of tasting it, therefore, is at some small inn.

[Footnote 7: An Indian name, signifying 'black waters,' having
reference to the mineral springs in the neighbouring mountains.]

Mr. Budge left us at Pelequen, the next station to San Fernando,
having put us in charge of the conductor, who promised to see after us
at Cauquenes, but who wofully betrayed his trust. There was no regular
station at the latter place, but as the train stopped, and we saw
'Bains de Cauquenes' on an hotel close by, we jumped out just in time
to see it go on again. Luckily the other passengers were kind enough
to interest themselves on our behalf, and shrieked and hallooed to
such good purpose that the engine was once more brought to a
standstill, and our luggage was put out. Half-a-dozen little boys
carried it to the inn, where I had to explain to the _patron_, in my
best Spanish, that we wanted a carriage to go to the baths, seven
leagues off. In a wonderfully short space of time, four good horses
were harnessed to a queer sort of vehicle, which held four inside and
one out, besides the driver, and which had to be entered by means of a
ladder. Having all packed in, and paid our fare beforehand, we were
rattled off at a merry pace towards the Andes. The road went up and
down and round about, and crossed many rivers, but was fairly good
throughout. We changed once at a large hacienda, where a man went into
a large yard, containing about sixty horses, and dexterously lassoed
the particular four required for our use. Several horsemen were
waiting about, and I looked at their saddles, which were made of a
dozen or more sheepskins, laid one on the top of the other, forming a
soft seat to ride in by day an