might be
perceived in his deportment.

Our circumstances with respect to Spain were known; and, as I afterwards
learned, it was absurdly enough imagined, that Russia had designs upon
Chili, and that these formed the secret motive of our visit. Freire, who
had already distinguished himself as a general, is a stately-looking
man, at that time about forty-five years of age, and of a very agreeable
exterior; he was born in Talcaguana, of very poor parents, and, without
enjoying any particular advantage of education, has raised himself, by
his own merit alone, to the high rank he occupies.

After an unmeaning sort of conversation, consisting of little else than
civilities, I endeavoured to procure the permission of the President for
our naturalist and mineralogist to make a journey into the Cordilleras,
which he, however, politely but positively refused, on the ground that
the Chilians were at war with the people in the mountains. I afterwards
learnt from Mendiburu, that this was merely a pretence, as the President
had already succeeded in establishing peace and an amicable league with
the Araucanians. A small military escort would therefore have been amply
sufficient to protect the travellers from all danger of annoyance; but
here the weakness of the newly established government betrayed itself.
They are distrustful of strangers, and act upon the old Spanish
maxim,--to close the interior of the country against them. The recent
discovery of gold and silver mines in the mountains, which was still
kept secret, from the fear that foreign powers might covet these
treasures, probably, also, contributed to a refusal which has
undoubtedly proved, for the present, a serious loss to science. All the
arguments I could urge to obviate the President's objections were
ineffectual: all I could obtain for our learned associates was
permission to travel round the bay of Conception and the environs of
Talcaguana, for which a passport was made out; and a subaltern officer
was appointed to accompany them, who in all probability had also his
private instructions to see that the journey extended no farther.

Overwhelmed with courtesies and promises to make our residence here as
agreeable as possible, we left the President, and concluded the day in
pleasant society at the house of our host Mendiburu, who on the
following morning accompanied us back to Talcaguana. He had the
complaisance to surrender for our accommodation and the convenience of