Extracts from a Journal: Written on the Coasts of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, in the Years 1820, 1821, 1822, Volume 2A. Constable and Company, 1825 |
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Common terms and phrases
Acapulco advantage afterwards amongst anchor appearance Asiento Bolivar breeze Callao called Cape Corrientes Cape Horn capital carried Chili coast Colombia commercial Congress consequence considerable Conway Copiapó copper Coquimbo coun course distance earthquake EARTHQUAKE AT COPIAPÓ effect eight dollars English everything expence feel feet flag of Spain fresh gold mill ground Guasco Guayaquil habilitador hour hundred independence inhabitants interest Island Iturbide ladies land latitude Lima look manner means ment merchant Mexican Mexico miles miner MINING SYSTEM morning mountains never night observed OLD SPANIARD Panama party pass passage Patriots Payta person Peru Peruvians political port possessed quartz reached river road rock ruin sailed San Blas San Martin seen ship shock shore side silver Sir Thomas Hardy soon South America Spanish spot stream Tepic things tide tion took town valley Valparaiso whole wind
Popular passages
Page 174 - It is not well situated for commerce, as the country lying between it and Mexico is difficult to cross, and is not rich either in agricultural produce, or in mines. The town, at present, consists of not more than thirty houses, with a large suburb of huts, built of reeds, wattled in open basket-work to give admission to the air. It is guarded by an extensive and formidable fortress, called the Castle of San Carlos, •standing on a height, commanding the whole harbour,. The inhabitants told us, when...
Page 224 - ... rings, so as to form rather handsome ornaments in the verandah of a house, where they are suspended by cords from the roof, in the same manner that the wooden ones in the villages are hung to the eaves of the cottages. On one side of the hive, half-way between the ends, there is a small hole made, just large enough for a loaded bee to enter, and shaded by a projection to prevent the rain from trickling in. In this hole, generally representing the mouth of a man, or some monster, the head of which...
Page 314 - The sea looked bleak and stormy under the portentous influence of an immense mass of dark clouds, rising slowly in the western quarter, till they reached nearly to the zenith, where they continued suspended like a mantle during the whole day. The ships which heretofore had lain motionless on the surface of the bay, were now rolling and pitching with their cables stretched out to seaward ; while the boats that used to skim along from the shore to the vessels at anchor, were seen splashing through...
Page 178 - ... do blow in the day and rest in the night, so, on the contrary, these do blow in the night and rest in the day ; and so they do alternately succeed each other. For when the...
Page 189 - While we were admiring the scenery, our people had established themselves in a hut, and were 10 preparing supper, under the direction of a peasant, a tall copper-coloured, semi-barbarous native of the forest; but who notwithstanding his uncivilized appearance, turned out to be a very shrewd fellow, and gave us sufficiently pertinent answers to most of our queries. The young Spaniard of our party, a Royalist by birth, and half a Patriot in sentiment, asked him what harm the King had done, that the...
Page 225 - ... day. When it is ascertained by the weight that the hive is full, the end pieces are removed, and the honey withdrawn. The hive we saw opened was only partly filled ; which enabled us to see the economy of the interior to more advantage. The honey is not contained in the elegant hexagonal cells of our hives, but in wax bags, not quite so large as an egg.
Page 178 - These sea breezes do commonly rise in the morning about nine o'clock, sometimes sooner, sometimes later ; they first approach the shore, so gently as if they were afraid to come near it, and ofttimes they make some faint breathings, and, as if not willing to offend, they make a halt, and seem ready to retire. I have waited many a time both ashore to receive the pleasure, and at sea to take the benefit of it. " It comes in a fine, small, black...
Page 224 - ... by circular doors, cemented closely to the wood, but capable of being removed at pleasure. Some persons use cylindrical hives made of earthenware, instead of the clumsy apparatus of wood ; these are relieved by...
Page 62 - In appearance, also, everything was different : instead of the formal dilatory style of doing business that prevailed in former days, all was decision and activity ; even the stir in the streets looked to our eyes quite out of Peruvian character ; the shops were filled with British manufactured goods ; the pavement was thronged with busy merchants of all nations, to the exclusion of those groups of indolent Spaniards, who, with their segars in their mouths, and wrapped in their cloaks, were wont...
Page 168 - It is easy of access; very capacious ; the water not too deep ; the holdingground good; quite free from hidden dangers; and as secure as the basin in the centre of Portsmouth dockyard.