petticoat, that reached from the waift to juft below the knees, though
fome of them did not wear them quite fo low; immediately beneath this
external part of their drefs appeared the under linen garment, the bottom
of which, as well as the talfels of their garters, Was fringed with gold
lace.
The general deportment of the ladies was lively and unreferved; and
they very obligingly loft no opportunity of relieving us from every little
embarralfment, to which the difadvantages we laboured under, in not un-
derllanding their language, frequently expofed us ; and I verily believe
that there were few occafions,- during the whole of our voyage, in which
our want of knowledge of the Spanilh language was more fmcerely regretted
; as it deprived us of the pleafure of enjoying the lively fallies of
wit which we had reafon to believe occurred very often in the female
circles, by the laughter and applaufe that their converfation fo frequently
occafiOned. This was certainly an evidence of their natural ingenuity,
though it did not amount to a proof of their minds having been duly cultivated
; and it is not without concern that I ftate, from the tefti-
mony of their own countrymen, that the education of the female part
o f the fociety in St. Jago is fo fcandaloufly neglefted, as to confine the
knowledge of reading and writing to a few of the ladies only. Some of
them had the goodnefs to give us their names in writing, that we might
the more eafily difcover and learn the true pronunciation of them ; thefe
were always written in large letters ; but I do not mean from this cir-
cumftance, or from our having received but few of their names, to infer,
that the education of the fex is as much confined as was reprefented
to us ; yet the circumftance of their being totally unacquainted with any
other language than the dialeft of the Spanilh fpoken at St. Jago, evinced
that their education was of a homely nature.
Excepting the inftances which are unhappily to be found amongft the
fex in England, the female part of the fociety poffefs a characteriftic delicacy
of fentiment and exprelfion ; but here fuch a degree of levity is
obfervable in the conduft of the ladies, not only in their converfation,
but in dancing and on-other occafions, as to give a ftranger, and parti-
1 ' cularly
cularly an Englilhman, no reafon to entertain a very exalted opinion J795-
o f their virtue, but rather to imprefs him with notions prejudicial to the 1-----— '
female charafter. I mull, however, in juftice to all thofe ladies with
whom I had the honor of being acquainted, and they were very many,
beg leave to ftate, that I difcovered nothing that could impeach the fidelity
of the married women, nor attaint the character of the fingle ladies ;
notwithftanding that the manners and cuftoms of the country in which
they live fanftion a freedom of fpeech, and a familiarity ol behaviour, that
tended, in our opinion, to abridge the fex of a portion of that refpeft from
the men, of which, as Englilhmen, we did not like to fee them, deprived.
T o them we were indebted for the moil civil and obliging attention that
can be imagined during our refidence in the capital; their doors were
always open to receive us ; their houfes were in a manner our homes ;
their entertainments were formed for the foie purpofe of affording us
amufement; and no endeavour was omitted that could, in any way, contribute
to the pleafure we received in mixing with their fociety. Nor
were we lefs indebted to all thofe gentlemen to whom we.beeame known,
who exercifed the utmoft of their powers to render our ftay at St. Jago
agreeable, by {hewing us everything worthy of our notice, and by communicating
every information that was either ufeful or entertaining. We
were under particular obligations to Don Ranion de Rofas and Captain
Caffada, for their unremitted attention, and goodnefs: in introducing us
torall the refpeftable families refiding in St. Jago. I 1
The time that we remained in the capital of Chili, palled nearly in the
fame manner as I have, already defcribed, without the occurrence of any
incidents to require a particular relation; for this reafon I lhall paTs.over
the feveral pleafant engagements we had in the different families during
our refidence in this hofpitable place, and proceed to give feme account
of the public buildings in the city, and to detail , fuch other information
as we were enabled .to colleH, and which, probably may riot be unacceptable
to my readers. In doing this, however, I (hall not pledge myfelf
for the authenticity of the fafts, nor the precifion of the circumftances I
am about to relate, becaufe I was not fufficiently acquainted with,the
3 K- 2 I - Spanilh