small deep-sunk eyes of combined tender-ridiculous than his dress, his titles: these ness and effrontery, (no doubt the peculiar were, Post-Captain of Praya and Secretary charm that made Flora select his vessel,) to the Governor; he was also a merchant and the most hoarse, harsh, discordant voice wholesale and retail. *** He was a Potru possible, complete the picture of her husband D. Miguel, his illustrious master; and in guese, and told us that the island belonged to elect and we doubt whether the reader re- pronouncing these words, he took off his quires farther particulars of him, his com- hat." panions, and their philosophic conversations with their fair biographer during this voyage, even though enlivened by careful details of her own daily sea-sickness throughout.

"At Praya there is no pier to facilitate landing; the approaches are bristled with rocks, large and small, against which the sea dashes with such violence as to break to cautions are taken. The boat is hauled in by pieces the strongest barks, unless proper prea sailor, who leaps from rock to rock till he finds a suitable spot for entrance, and in the mean time the sailors in the boat are busy in keeping it off the rock with their oars. It is difficult to land without getting wet."

ried by a sailor to shore, she tells us,
Nor is this the only peril for, being car

Her utter ignorance of every thing that ought to be known included geography of course. And thus, having formed to herself the sage idea that the Cape-Verd islands were remarkable for verdure, she was surprised at their monotonous blackness and aridity. It is, in fact, this inconceivable ignorance of all the truths and all the decencies of life and feelings, that forms the secret of this lady's faults, and of her merits-such as the sea leads to Praya; the route is not with"A narrow path along the rocks bordering they are-in description. Banished as we have seen from society whenever known; rock slides under the feet, and the slightest out danger; for the black sand covering the her mind in a state of perpetual excitement, false step incurs the risk of rolling from rock and with all the instinctive susceptibility and to rock into the sea. Quitting the path we quickness of a woman; travelling, which arrive at a soft and yielding sand-but after improves the most dull and inconsequent, two or three hundred steps leave this for a presented to her mind novel objects, either once and during the solitude of this four month's voyage, when the impressions would be carefully cherished and renewed, or else in conjunction with that land of America to which she had taught herself to look as the harvest of her hopes thus everywhere her impressions were received in combination with excitement. The habit too of incessant and interminable jourualizing, while other wise wearisome to excess, presents in her descriptions, the first feelings excited in all their freshness; and gives a value to Madame Tristan's sketches, whenever we can believe them,though she cannot proportion or design. They had scarcely cast anchor when

“A small canoe came towards us with four negro oarsmen, almost entirely naked: at the stern, holding the rudder, was proudly seated a little man with enormous whiskers, whose copper skin and curly hair indictated that he did not belong to the Caucasian race: his dress was most grotesque. His nankeen

pebbly and most painful road, or rather asvent, in form of a ladder, cut out of the rock which it requires at least a quarter of an hour In the top of which the town is situated, and to ascend. **** We traversed the city which was entirely deserted, for it was noon; and from this time till three the inhabitants shut themselves up to sleep. The reflection of the sun's rays were so fierce as to blind us."

In this agreeable state, and perfectly out of humour, the party reached the house of the American consul, whom they found in active duty, busy in "drinking grog and smoking fine Havannah cigars" with a visitor.

They are subsequently introduced to a Madame Warrin, who offers the fair Flora an asylum in her house-but she declined, because she "could not have a friend there."

scribes her voluntary hostess-for the exIn return for this courtesy she thus depress edification of her Parisian friends.

trowsers bore date of 1800, and must have "She is from fifty-fifty to-five; tall, very fat, undergone many vicissitudes before reaching her skin the colour of coffe dashed with milk; him. He had a waistcoat of piqué blanc, hair slightly curled, and regular features. and an apple-green surtout: an immense red The expression of her face is gentle; her handkerchief spotted with black served for a manners well-bred. She was in full cravat, the ends floating to the winds; and to dress to receive us, and had some friends complete his toilette, he wore a large straw- with her who were curious to see a young hat, gloves that had been white, and carried foreigner. She wore a robe en Florence and of a handsome yellow foulard by way of fan a cherry colour; short, scanty, very low, and in his band; being sheltered from the sun with short sleeves. An enormous China-crape by a large umbrella with azure and rose- scarf, of sky-blue worked with white roses, coloured stripes, such as were made about served as shawl and head-dress, for she thirty years ago. Upon reaching our vessel wrapped herself most grotesquely in this this personage repeated, with gestures no less ample mantle covering all the back of her

head. Her huge arms were adorned with eight negresses, and thirty-seven children of bracelets of all colours: rings of all kinds that race, he durst not employ a single feloaded her fingers, large earings hung down male upon the task, for fear of being poifrom her ears, and a coral necklace of seven soned! He explains, or eight rows encircled her neck. She wore white silk stockings and blue satin shoes. The other ladies were more simply arrayed, in blue, red, or white cotton: but the shape of the dress and scarf was alike in all."

The "negro-odour" however, which she describes eloquently and at a great length in its effects on her delicate stomach," drove Madame Tristan from the scene-and having an interval of leisure she fills it up with deploring "the loss of her ignorance !" It is a comfort to think this loss could not have

"I have been obliged to marry one of these negresses in order to secure my life. I had already been three times poisoned; was afraid; and considering that in espousing one of these women she would take an interest in me; the more as I made her believe that all that was mine was also hers. I then taught her cookery, and oblige her to taste, in my presence, whatever she serves up before I touch it myself. I find great security in this precaution."

The state of things is bad enough, we been very great; and we find immediately conceive for both parties; but Madame Trisafter that, besides the husband she hated, she tan is deeply interested for the slaves. One had had two lovers whom she really loved: was beaten, as the consul explained to her, the first of these "died rather than disobey for various faults; stealing, lying, &c.; but his father!" He had been, she delicately the one sided humanity and many-sided adds, "the object of my entire affection;" cant of the lady can only feel and so too had the second, who, however, ment

"was absolutely afraid of my love, "and

amaze.

fearful I felt too much love for him." We "that any virtue should exist where there is can therefore understand the enormity of not a will! that a slave could in any case which M. Chazal had been guilty; his crime, owe anything to his master; and not, on the as this modern Penelope states it, being, contrary, have a right to attempt everything against him!"

"that he was so base as to reclaim her as his

slave:" Anglicè, his wife. He is probably reconciled to his loss by this time.

Here our fair traveller encountered also a M. Tappe, who brought up a priest, had thereby acquired sufficient disposition to obey the will of Heaven, as he piously expressed it, which fixed him at Praya to make his fortune by the slave-trade. His devotion however had not been recompensed sufficiently, thanks, it would appear, to the misdeeds of England—

66

'My God, mademoiselle, there is but one

rainy season; during June, July, and Au"Paya contains 4000 inhabitants in the gust, its population diminishes, owing to the insalubrity of the climate.

"The only trade is in slaves: there is no produce for exportation. The inhabitants barter their negroes for wheat, wine, oil, rice, sugar, and other commodities as well as for and ill-fed; the mortality considerable, manufactured goods. The population is poor owing to the numerous maladies to which the inhabitants are exposed."

Re-embarking, the wearisome course of

kind of commerce on this coast; it is the philosophy and love are resumed, with an

slave-trade. When I came to settle on the island, ho! then was the time! There was money to be had, and without much trouble. For two years it was a fine business; and the very prohibition of the trade increased the sale of negroes to the heart's content. But subsequently the accursed English have insisted so strongly on a rigorous execution of the treaties, that the dangers and expenses now attending the transportation of blacks have totally ruined the best trade that exist d. This traffic (industrie) is now exploded y all the world; and no more can be got by it than by selling bales of cotton or wool."

elaborate defence of bigamy! We pass on to other details, and amongst these the character of the vieux matelot, or real French sailor, as given by the sole specimen of that species on board.

"The true sailor (said Leborgne) has neither country nor family. His language does not really belong to any one nation. It is an amalgamation of words from all languages, from those of the negroes and American savages to those of Cervantes and Shakspeare. Without any clothing but what he has on, he lives at random, and does not concern himself about the future; traverses the What made the matter worse for this vast extent of seas; wanders through forests martyr of liberty there was no such thing as amongst wild tribes; or squanders in a few dining in the island. They had there, it is days with prostitutes in some port the true, mutton, poultry, vegetables, fish, and money he had gained with difficulty and by fruits: but there was no such thing as ten as he can, and passes successively on long voyages. The true sailor deserts as ofa cuisinier, male or female and though he board ships of all nations; visits all countries; was proprietor of eighteen negroes, twenty-satisfied to see, without trying to comprehend

any thing that he sees. He is a wandering She was told that in those latitudes capbird, resting a few moments upon the trees in tains had often been obliged to enforce their his route, but never fixing on any thicket. orders with a loaded pistol in each hand, as The true sailor has no attachment, no affec- the sailors refused to climb the rigging. The tions; loves no one, not even himself. He is a passive existence, useful in navigation, but excessive cold absolutely demoralising the indifferent as the anchor as to where the vesmen to inertness, they disregard all entreaty sel moors. Arrived in port he abandons his and bear blows without making an effort. ship and the wages due to him, goes ashore, When seized by numbness, they let them. and sells even his pipe to dine with some selves fall from the masts at peril of their girl; and the next day engages afresh with lives. And all from want of proper clothing. some vessel, English, Swedish, or American, Her own experience supplied Madame Tristhat requires his service. If in his perilous career he is spared by the sea; if his health tan with proofs of the injury brought by negresists all excesses, all fatigues; he survives lectful fatuity, for while the five men properall the ills that assail him, and reaching a pe-ly clothed retained their health, the four othriod when he has no longer the strength to unfurl a sail, he resigns himself to remaining on land. He begs his bread in the port where his last voyage has left him; goes to eat it on the quay, in the sun; looks with fondness on the sea as the companion of his youth, and recalling early remembrances; groans over his debility, and dies in an hos pital."

If this sketch be not heightened by the inventive genius of the narrator, and few men would have made these repeated sexual references before a lady, unless indeed they knew her taste:-the vieux malelet of France differs something from the Jack Tar of England, quoad intimacy with Cervantes and Shakspeare. We give the following sketch of sufferings at Cape Hornwhich they passed in the months of July and August, in from 8 to 12 deg. of cold.

ers were entirely disabled. They had constant fever; their bodies were covered with deep sores, and they could not eat; being reduced to such a state of feebleness that their lives were endangered.

The severe cold exercised also an evil in

fluence on the tempers of all on board. The officers, though protected against cold and wet, became morose through the dryness of the atmosphere, and irritable from the sight of sufferings, from want of energy in them. selves, and from fatigue. The best temper. ed became insupportable; the gayest sullen; and our narrator herself irritable, capricious, and excited by the slightest contradiction to anger or tears. The cook alone formed an exception: he was always the same cheerful and active being, though pale, meagre in person, and apparently weak. He was a native of Bordeaux; and seems, we suggest, to have so far confirmed M. Larry's theory on the effects of cold upon southern constitutions.

66

Navigating in July and August at the southern extremity of America, we had but four hours of day, and when the moon did not shine were in profound darkness for twenty hours out of the twenty-four. These long nights, increasing the difficulties and dangers of the navigation, caused much suffering; the violent motions of the ship, the fearful whistling of the waves preventing all occupation. There was no reading, walking, nor sleeping."

"The sea is ever fearful off Cape Horn. We met with foul winds almost constantly: the cold paralysed the powers of the crew, even the strongest. Our sailors were all young and vigorous, yet many of them were taken ill; others were injured by falls on the deck. One let himself tumble from the top-mast upon the capstan, and put out his shoulder. Those whose health stood out were overwhelmed by fatigue, being obliged to do the work of the disabled. To complete all, these wretched mariners had not a quarter of the clothes they required. The careless habits engendered by a sailor's life and adventure prevents their providing themselves with the garments indispensable There was clearly no resource but M. against heat and cold. At the line they Chabrié and his affection, as she avows: sometimes are without light clothing, and at Cape Horn have frequently but their flannel but to preserve this for her own convenience shirts as a resource, and the rest of their and yet avoid marriage, which he proposed, dress in the same style. Oh! I have there (and we have seen she thought nothing of seen the most dreadful evils that can befal bigamy,) her plan was simple. J'avois mankind. I have seen sailors whose trousers été obligée de mentir à M. Chabrié," (says and flannel-shirts were frozen upon them, this exemplar of the social virtues) and so unable to move without tearing their flesh it was necessary to go on lying," but as by the contact of the ice with their frozen little to her own credit as possible; accordlimbs. The cabins that contained their beds ingly, "I was forced to tell M. Chabrié que j'avois eu un enfant, quoique demoiselle :" and "that this was the secret motive for refusing" to be made an honest woman. Un.

were filled with water (as generally happens in stormy weather in the forecastles of small vessels), and they had no other place to sleep in."

VOL. XXI.

12

luckily her lover became the more respect- It is unpaved, and in rainy weather is a cloa

ful.

ca. The Custom-House faces the mole; it is It was then, and in a burst of sublime sen- a huge building, convenient for its objects, timent as usual, that the virtuous Flora first but destitute of architectural decoration. In discovered the inconveniences of falsehood, lishments of the different nations, the warethis quarter are the large commercial estabnow published to the world; every individ-houses, the magazines, the splendid shops of ual but herself having been aware of it from luxuries: there life is active, motion continuthe very nursery. She has, nevertheless, al. Parting from this centre, we reach the not the slightest intention of appropriating quarter of the Almendral, the sole promenade the discovery to herself practically, as she for the inhabitants. In this portion of the shows. town are situated the retiros, the pleasurehouses and beautiful gardens. The third portion, named Quebradas (the gorges of the mountains surrounding the city) is inhabited by the Indians.

The number of vessels in the bay of Valparaiso affords at first glance an idea of the great commerce of that port. A dozen entered there the same day as our fair travel- "The character of the Chilians appears to ler's; and the instant the arrival of the Mex-me cold, their manners hard and distant. icain was known, the French inhabitants of The women are stiff, speak little, and affect the city crowded the quay to witness, as she much luxury of the toilette, but their dress is innocently tells us, the landing of "une très tasteless. In a few conversations I held with them I was not much struck with their amiajolie demoiselle," whose fame had spread bility, and on this point thought them inferior here before her arrival, and whose "beauty to the Peruvian females. They are said to was to cause duels amongst the crew of the be excellent housewives, laborious and seMexicain the next day." dentary: what tends to confirm this is, that all Europeans who come to Chile, marry there, which is less frequently the case in

Modesty seems not to have run to any ex. travagant excesses in the lady's mind, as the foregoing quotation from her narrative satisfactorily evinces; and we are the less surprised at her forming "the object of attrac. tion," which she assures us she did, to all the people there collected, without knowing why. She was astonished at the appearance of the quay, and thought herself in a French city. It seems there are nearly two hundred of her countrymen there, who live by carrying on commerce with Peru and Central America; make love, gamble high, and ride on horse. back; smoke, or ogle young ladies on the quays, and find a resource in cancans. These Frenchmen, she observes most chari. tably, are in reality the greatest babblers and gossips imaginable; they tear each other to pieces, and are hated by the inhabitants for their incessant pleasantries. "It is thus," adds this well-informed damsel who abhors evil-speaking, "that our dear countrymen exhibit themselves in foreign countries."

As M. Chabrié now becomes importunate for marriage and could be of little further service to her, Mad. Flora Tristan after a fortnight's stay at Valparaiso determines to get rid of him by starting for Arequipa ; but she gives us first this sketch of the Chilian capital.

"M. Chabrié told me he had seen Valparaiso in 1825. At that time the city was composed of from twenty to thirty wooden huts. Now all the huts bordering on the sea are covered with houses, and the population amounts to 30,000 souls. The city offers three distinct portions: the quarter of the Port or Cus. toms, formed by a single street, that extends for the space of a league along the sea shore.

Peru."

They reached the Peruvian coast in a thick fog, which prevented their discovering its aridity till the next morning. But though Islay and its environs present only a perspective of desolation, it has increased rapidly from three huts and a shed, which was appropriated to the Customs at the first settlement, to a town of from a thousand to twelve hundred inhabitants in the course of six years. The majority of the houses, built of bamboo, are not tiled, but there are some pretty wooden buildings with boarded floors. The English consul there has a charming residence. The Custom-House is very large, and of wood; the church is sufficiently good, and in proportion to the locality. The port of Islay, better situate than Arica, has absorbed all business: if it advances at the same rate as hitherto, in the course of the next ten years it may have five thousand inhabitants; but the sterility of the soil will long be an obstacle, for, entirely destitute of water, it has neither tree nor vegetation of any kind. Ar. tesian wells are unknown as yet, and the only drinkable water in Islay is obtained from a small spring, often dry in summer time; and then the inhabitants are constrained to abandon their dwellings. Yet the soil is a black and stony sand, which would be very fertile if the means of irrigation could be in. troduced.

The landing at Islay is at least as difficult as at Praya; and from the same cause, the want of a pier. The village consists of a long, crooked street preserving all the irreg ularities of a rocky and uneven surface, and

up to mid-leg in sand. Mad. Tristan's name was recognized, and she confessed her relationship to Don Pio de Tristan, whose high station in the Republic procured her much attention. He himself was absent at that juncture.

Don Pio, a Peruvian, had been Colonel in the Spanish service and one of its best officers. He returned to his native country from Spain in 1803, and was second in command when the royal troops evacuated Buenos Ayres and the Argentine territory. After many difficulties they made good their retreat to Upper-Peru, losing two-thirds of their number; and often when pressed for money to buy provisions, he made his horsemen draw lots who should part with the spurs of massive gold, which they all wore, for a supply. A single soldier of these troops had more gold than was requisite to equip 200` republicans; their self-confidence was proportionate; "but after fifteen years of ardu ous war in Peru" they were finally defeated at Ayacucho by the patriots, and Don Pio, who had been named Viceroy, prepared to return to Spain. He was however persua

Mad. Flora, whose mother's marriage had not been formalised, had, she tells us, been ever considered as a natural child; and emboldened by the affectionate correspondence that had passed between her father and his brother Don Pio de Tristan, she had in 1829 first addressed her uncle, by M. Chabrié's advice. Her letters stated that above twenty epistles from her mother had been sent but failed to reach her uncle (!); related the particulars of the "religious marriage"-which had no weight in France-but which alone united her parents; her father having, for reasons best known to himself, neglected asking the royal permission necessary as a solded at length to relinquish his intention and dier to sanction his marriage. After arious losses her father's fortune amounted only to 6000 francs per ann. but in consequence of the war between France and Spain his supplies were stopped, and he had been re. duced to borrow 2800 francs of his wife's mother, one-third of which had been repaid at her death by his widow. Mad. Tristan's letter concluded by intimating her reliance on her uncle's generosity and justice.

From Don Pio's methodical and business. like answer it appears that on the news of his brother's death he had directed search to be made for the orphan without success. The statement of the twenty letters, sent but never received, seems to strike him, as it well might, with great surprise in the free state of communication between the countries, he being so well and officially known: and he avows his opinion of her illegitimacy, since his brother, in all his correspondence, had never once stated the fact of his mar. riage.

Doubting from this and the absence of all recognition her claim in right, he acquaints her that her grandmother while still living and aware of her existence, had, by his ad vice, left her a legacy of 3000 piastres in ready money; and, till that could reach her, he had given an order on his agent at Bordeaux for 2500 francs for her use from himself.

"Convinced by his answer that she had little to hope from her uncle," whom indeed she charitably charges, on suspicion, with falsehood and fraud, she determined to try the effect of her presence on her paternal grandmother; and had thus set off for Peru without any notification to her uncle, but reached its shores just in time to hear of her grandmother's death. On these facts turns the whole narrative.

accept the governorship of Cuzco, which from the jealousies of both parties he resigned after six years, and retired to Arequipa with an income of 200,000 livres per ann. He retained however his ambitious views; after intriguing long and ably "in the dark" only missed by five voices the being nominated President of Peru; and received to console him the Prefecture of Arequipa. This also he resigned after two years, and fled to Chile from the virulence of political animosi. ties. He had returned but ten months when his niece reached the country, and he was then scheming after the Presidentship. "All feared him and all detested him in their hearts," adds the gentle expectant.

For the sake of this individual, at present Secretary for Foreign Affairs at Lima, the Peruvians as we have noticed showed attention to his niece; and her gratitude is developed in the following concise eulogy.

"The Peruvians are manoeuverers under all circumstances, flatterers, base, vindictive, and cowards. From this character of the people, and the high government influence of my uncle, their conduct towards me is easily explainable."

This is candour and gratitude with a vengeance; not the less satisfactory because it follows a statement that "the Peruvians had carried on with fierceness that terrible war of independence for conquering their liberty"-and it comes with even additional grace from her journal when she had but just set her foot in the country, and had been, till her arrival there, defending the Peruvians from similar random charges made by a humorist on board the Mexicain. It is quite clear indeed throughout the book that every stray word of abuse, uttered in her hearing, was invariably treasured up