4 H A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
only, and Come grovelling fhrubs, were fcattered at a great diftance from
1---- r-— ’ each other ; and, excepting near the banks of the fluggifli rills- of water
that crept through the plain, vegetation was fcareely perceptible; whilft
the few miferable inhabitants that exifted on its furface, lived in wretched
little hovels, or huts, made principally o f mud. The frames of thele
dwellings, of which we had feen about a dozen, were rudely conftructed
of wood, and plaftcred over with a thick coating of mud; this ferved
as a wall, whilft the unfmoothed furface of the ground formed the floor,
and little or no covering appeared on the roof; the whole feeming fcarce-
ly to afford a fhade againft the fcorching rays of the fun; for againft
wind and rain thefe humble man lions could afford no fhelter.
At one of thefe mean abodes, about fifteen miles from Valparaifo, we
flopped to dine. The infide of the dwelling more forcibly difplayed the
poverty of its inhabitants than had been exhibited by its external appearance
; for it hardly contained the moft common ne'ceflaries to the
exiftence of human life; a dirty table, a ftool, a wretched bed in one
corner, and five or fix crofles, comprehended all its furniture; yet it
was not without fome decorations o f a religious nature. ; and what ftill
more attracted our notice, thofe who refided in it not only indulged
in the luxury of taking the mattee, which is an infufion of an herb imported
from Paraguay, but, to our furprize, the very few utenfils they
poflefled for their moft common domeftic purpofes were chiefly made
o f filver. The land about thefe miferable hovels was, like the wide fur-
rounding wafte, in a perfeft ftate of nature, without the veftige ,of any
labour having been ever beftowed upon it, not even in the cultivation
of a garden. The few wretched people who inhabit this dreary wild,
fecmed to rely intirely on the bountiful hand o f Providence for their daily
fubfifteri.ee; and to pals away their lives, without entertaining a with to
procure the lead addition to their happinefs or comfort, at the expence
of any exertion. Indolence and fuperftition appeared to influence the
whole o f their conduft, which was marked with a greater degree of un-
cleanlinefs and thofe charafleriftics that diflinguifh the very loweft order
o f fociety, than I had before witnefled amongft any people who had ever
had the advantage of living amongft thofe connefled with the. civilized
world.
The
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 415
The mules which carried our luggage were on the road before us,
making the beft of their way to the place where we purpofed to reft for
the night, excepting one fumpter mule, which had accompanied us with
fome articles of provifions and provender for the day; and by adding to
Our own ftores the fupplies which thefe hovels were able to furnifh, confining
of poultry, eggs, potatoes, onions, and fruit, we made an excellent
repaft, whilft our horfes were alfo refrelhed, and prepared to proceed
with us over this extenfive defert. Having now travelled fome miles
beyond the extent to which the new road from Valparaifo had been carried,
we found the old one infinitely lefs commodious, and the difference
between the two was very great indeed. Inftead of the fmooth regular
furface over which we had palled from Valparaifo along the new road,
this could only be Confidered as a beaten track, fometimes leading along,
or through, deep and irregular ravines and gullies, deftitute of the appearance
of any labour having ever been applied to reduce the inequalities
of its furface, or to remove ariy of thofe impediments which continually
iriterrupted our travelling.
The making'of the new road had doubtlefs been a work of great labour
; and to a people who are not very induftrioufly inclined, and who
are all bigotted to former praftices and original habits, it is no wonder
that the manifeft advantages that mull refult to the inhabitants of the
country from His Excellency’s wife undertaking, fhould be overlooked, or
rather not feen by them -, and that the execution of his judicious plan fhould
have deprived him, amongft the lower orders of the people, o f much of his
popularity. For as the thought had firft originated with the Prefident,
rather than not indulge a contradiflory fpirit, which our guides informed
us had Ihewn itfelf amongft the bulk of the people, the inhabitants
feemed to be more willing to facrifice their own future intereft and comfort
by oppofing this beneficial defign, than to do any thing which might
promote its fuccefs.
Little variation occurred, in the feenery already deferibed, in our
journey in the afternoon, as we faw few objefls to attrafl our attention
until towards the evening, when we arrived at the village of Cafa Blanco,
or, the white houfe. Here our guides propofed we fhould reft for thenight
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