d a comfortable bed to sleep on at
night.

[Illustration: Baths of Cauquenes]

Early in the afternoon we saw some buildings in the distance, which we
rightly guessed to be the baths, and soon afterwards we passed in at
the entrance gate of the establishment, by the side of which was a
rock with the word 'Welcome' painted upon its face. The whole distance
from the station was twenty-three miles, which we had accomplished in
a little over two hours. Driving between hedgerows of roses in full
bloom, we were not long in reaching the door of the hotel, where we
were received by the proprietor. He told us he was very full, but he
managed to find us some small rooms, and then conducted us to the
luxuriously fitted bathing establishment. After this came the
table-d'hote, to which about seventy sat down, though many of the
visitors were dining in their own rooms. In the evening we walked
about the garden and chatted with several people, who all seemed to
have heard of us and our voyage, and to be anxious to know what we
thought of the Straits. We saw some English papers too, which was a
great treat, though there did not seem to be much news in them.

_Tuesday, October 24th_.--This is a wonderful place, built entirely of
wood. The centre part is a square, seventy yards in extent, surrounded
by a single row of one-storied rooms, with doors opening into the
courtyard, and windows looking over the river or up into the
mountains. In the middle of the square are a pavilion containing two
billiard-tables, a boot-blacking arbour, covered with white and yellow
jessamine and scarlet and cream-coloured honeysuckle, plenty of
flower-beds, full of roses and orange-trees, and a monkey on a pole,
who must, poor creature, have a sorry life of it, as it is his
business to afford amusement to all the visitors to the baths. He is
very good-tempered, does several tricks, and is tormented 'from early
dawn to dewy eve.' I remonstrated with our host on his behalf; but he
merely shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Mais il faut que le monde se
divertisse, Madame.' From the centre square, marble steps lead to a
large hall, with marble baths on either side, for ladies and gentlemen
respectively. A few steps further bring one to a delightful
swimming-bath, about forty feet square, filled with tepid water. The
water, as it springs from the rock, is boiling hot, and contains, I
believe, a good deal of magnesia and other salts, beneficial in cases
of rheuma