Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-08-17
miscellaneous.
For the Gazette.
VALPARAISO. CHILLI, 5. A.
ny LUIS.
CONTINUED.

Valparaiso is divided into four parts; the
"Tops," on the western side, are three large
hills, called Foretop Maintop and Mzzcn- top.
so called from the fact Of their being the res
idencc of dissolute women, and the resort of
sailors. The City proper, is the commercial
portion Consul Hill, the residence of nearly
all the foreign Ministers and Consuls, is the
most recherche quarter Of the city, comman,
ding full view Of the city, the harbor and
the beautiful Pacific. The Almendral is the
eastern section, and the scene of amusement
Of oil kinds. There are some six or seven
very fine edifces in this part of Valparaiso,
the most striking of which is the College of
the franciscan Fathers. e4s
Two public gardens and the Theatre form
the principal attractions, and these are usu
ally crowded towards evening, aud until a
late hour. Dancing. gaming, pistol practi
cling and every species of dissipation. are the
usual weapons used here to take the life of
that venerable patriarch. Father Time
Slavery is unknown here, except amongst
few foreigners; the "peons," or hirelings.
perform most of the manual labor. Honesty
is one of the most prominent features 10 the
Chilian character but the rigid laws and the
number of police, or "Vigilantes," doubtless.
have much to do with making virtue Of
necessity" The police are divided into
"Vigiantes'' and "Seneros," or watchmen
The former are on duty from six o'clock, A.
NJ, until the same hour in the evening, when
they are relieved by an equal number o!
''Serenos who guard the city during the
night. They carry swords and large whis
tie long shril blast of which is the prelude
to the announcement Of the hour and the
state Of the weather. The sound is not a
disagreeable one. At midnight the Senerc
will cry "viva Chile! Las doce, han dadc
claro sereno:" Twelve o'clock and a
clear and fine night" AT four o'clock he
will add save Maria purissima r Signs OIL
earthquakes are also announced by the Sere.
no in the same manner. The Vigilantes are
all mounted, with huge saddles and large
clumsy wooden stirsups, while the rowels o.
their spurs are not less than an inch and Q
half in ZENITH This system of police was es.
tablisbed by Don Diego Portales, formerly
Minister Of War and of the Interior, and re,
fleets much credit upon him. s.u.aa
The houses here are built of ''adobc s. OIL
sun-dried bricks, or else of bamboo and thatch.
ed. The markets are very fine every vari
: ETY. Of fish, flesh, fowl and fruit abounds
Fruits and vegetables are sold by females
some of them very pretty, but with very open
countenances, for their moutes are unusually
large mGs
The space in front Of the market lie every
morning SLED with vendors Of Ice-crcam and
flowers, and nothing surprised me SO much
as to see the poor paisano, spend his hard
earned centavo to purchase glass of snow
and milk. when we, A mericans. felt very un
I comfortable without our heavy overcoats.
The penalties for crime are very severe
shooting is the only species of capital punish.
ment; the chain gang is the next in rotation
tho in my opinion, it is worse than death tc
be chained to the very outcasts of mankind
paraded thus through the streets guarded BY
soldiers, and compelled to labor on public
roads. clean streets and other similarly intel
lectual amusements. The next in order il
Punishment for life, or certain period to the
! leland Of Juan Fernandez world renowned